I last read this book nearly 10 years ago, around the time of diagnosis, and back then I thought this was an extremely positive book. I recommend it even more now. Why? There is a difference, when you have Asperger Syndrome, between knowing the path and walking the path, and having walked part of the path I understood the author’s message so much more this time.

One of the problems with AS is not only having a lack of awareness about other minds, but also your own, and Appreciating Asperger Syndrome gave me some insights into situations and people with AS that helped me see differences between those with AS and non-autistic people in how we can collect information, understand it, and make use of it. For example, as mentioned in the book, sometimes people with AS give an ‘off’ feeling or only want single-sentence answers, but this just how it looks on the outside. On the inside, it’s the best way we can understand new things, and understanding is crucial.

The book also provided some insights into how we come across to the general public as people who are going out of their way to be rude or problematic when actually we have a developmental disability that is not recognised as one on the surface. It made me think of a few relevant past misunderstandings when I have been confused with people’s responses. The author, Brenda Boyd, called it a ‘relationship disability’ more than a mental one, which I also agree to be more appropriate.

Reading this book now, when Asperger Syndrome has been lumped in with autism as a single condition, has made me see differences that are now being ignored in diagnosis such as severity and public perception of the condition, which I also agree with the author, is important. There are advantages and disadvantages both sides.