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Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome
This honest, courageous book, written by a person with high-functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome, offers so much more than the traditional autobiography. Drawing on personal and professional experience, Stephen Shore, who is currently completing his doctoral degree in special education, combines three voices to create a touching and, at the same time, highly informative book for professionals as well as individuals who have Asperger Syndrome. Get a unique perspective on AS across the years!
174 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2002
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206 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 22, 2017
The author has Asperger’s syndrome and the book describes his life, challenges, talents and successes.
The book is excellently written, but unfortunately I could only read about half of it; I found it too boring.
Stephen is gifted and, among other things, has a degree in music. He is married to a Chinese musician, who tells us that Stephen can hear much higher pitches than she can and turns the volume of the TV down so low that she almost can’t hear it. In other words he is extremely sensitive. He has learnt some Chinese from her and her friends and pronounces the Chinese language “with all its tones” very well. He sometimes hides clocks under cushions because he can’t stand their ticking noise.
If you yourself have Asperger’s or are interested in the condition, the book may well appeal to you; I just found it too dry to capture my attention.
The book is excellently written, but unfortunately I could only read about half of it; I found it too boring.
Stephen is gifted and, among other things, has a degree in music. He is married to a Chinese musician, who tells us that Stephen can hear much higher pitches than she can and turns the volume of the TV down so low that she almost can’t hear it. In other words he is extremely sensitive. He has learnt some Chinese from her and her friends and pronounces the Chinese language “with all its tones” very well. He sometimes hides clocks under cushions because he can’t stand their ticking noise.
If you yourself have Asperger’s or are interested in the condition, the book may well appeal to you; I just found it too dry to capture my attention.
May 26, 2020
This is another book found on my father's bookshelves, and I had some severe problems with it. I came at this from the perspective of an autistic person, who is doing worse now than I was as a child, and who has been very active in the autistic community. My main problem is related to the fact that the author recommends Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) which is a highly controversial therapy. There is a large focus on early interventions, a phrase which is controversial in the autistic community. Also, Shore implies that the word "neurotypical" is a slur, which is not true.
There were good points, of course: the writing is engaging and easy to follow, unlike some texts on autism the language isn't clunky or hard to read, and some of the personal stories are relatable and good to hear. But to me, this doesn't outweigh the facts that this spreads some misinformation, and doesn't refute the myth that vaccines cause autism, even after mentioning them early on.
There were good points, of course: the writing is engaging and easy to follow, unlike some texts on autism the language isn't clunky or hard to read, and some of the personal stories are relatable and good to hear. But to me, this doesn't outweigh the facts that this spreads some misinformation, and doesn't refute the myth that vaccines cause autism, even after mentioning them early on.
August 4, 2008
If you want to know what it is like inside the mind and life of an individual living with functioning Autism, read this book. It pin points so many of the daily struggles that these individuals have to face each and every day. The book is very matter of fact, of course written by a man with Aspergers Syndrome, and also uses memiors from people involved in every stage of his life. Non-fiction and very very real.
January 2, 2022
Excellent biography on the author's experience on the autism spectrum.
I especially enjoyed the specifics of how it manifested more severely as a child and less severely as an adult, as he cognitively learned social skills (or algorithms) through the support of his caregivers and mentors.
I also appreciated his diagrams to show the diversity of symptom manifestation on the high functioning end of the spectrum, and his diagrams of the approximation of "neurotypical" behavior as an Aspie learns more social skills.
I especially enjoyed the specifics of how it manifested more severely as a child and less severely as an adult, as he cognitively learned social skills (or algorithms) through the support of his caregivers and mentors.
I also appreciated his diagrams to show the diversity of symptom manifestation on the high functioning end of the spectrum, and his diagrams of the approximation of "neurotypical" behavior as an Aspie learns more social skills.
December 1, 2019
As a person with Aspergers Syndrome, I enjoyed this look into the life of a man with high-functioning autism. From his childhood onward, Stephen Shore explains some of his differences from other children. His writing is engaging and really draws you in and let’s you understand his thoughts.
It’s interesting to read about another person’s experiences growing up on the spectrum. I enjoyed the look into using music to help improve communication. The brilliance of this man is crucial in spreading the knowledge of autism.
I recommend this to those who have autism or want to learn more about those on the spectrum. Keep in mind that if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. Every case is different but that’s what makes us unique!
It’s interesting to read about another person’s experiences growing up on the spectrum. I enjoyed the look into using music to help improve communication. The brilliance of this man is crucial in spreading the knowledge of autism.
I recommend this to those who have autism or want to learn more about those on the spectrum. Keep in mind that if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. Every case is different but that’s what makes us unique!
January 9, 2009
Some great information in this book...it is very enlightening to see it from someone's perspective who has an ASD. I started to lose interest in part of the book when he focuses more on music, which he is very focused on. But it was nice to see that someone with ASD can focus on something and do so well with it...and also use his experiences to help others with an ASD.
November 2, 2008
This book was written by a person that suffers from aspergers. This should make it a MUST read, but unfortunately I had a family member read it and the first words out of their mouth was, "They're robots!" I've thanked my boss several times for giving me this book as a gift!!!! :(
June 18, 2013
A good read, if in a bit of a confusing style, but the author wasn't out to impress anyone but rather explain & educate. I enjoyed the portions on music and autism.
February 20, 2014
I thought he provided a good picture. It was a pretty easy read. I had to read it for my Intro to autism class. Quite interesting.
June 11, 2017
This book was reasonably written, but I couldn't quite bring myself to find it interesting. Some of Shore's specific comments are, but other parts of it just seem like rather pointless minutiae, or else unfounded speculation.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews