A student with Asperger's syndrome has written a book to help parents who have children with the disorder.
Joshua Muggleton, 22, a student at University of St Andrews, wrote Raising Martians to help parents understand the minds of their children.
The book has a foreword from from world-renowned Asperger Syndrome expert, Tony Attwood. Opening with the very basics of what autism is, Joshua covers mental health, sensory issues, obsessions and rituals, friendships and social situations, and shopping, travelling, and holidays, before tackling what is arguably the biggest challenge of any Aspie child's life: school - and with it, bullying, homework, and other challenges. Providing the inside track on Asperger Syndrome in childhood, he describes practical ways in which parents and teachers can help, and offers a wealth of advice and helpful hints and tips for approaching common difficulties.
Josh, who is from Surrey and is a member of the National Autistic Society, said the book title came from the idea that "raising a child with Asperger's can feel like raising an alien".
The fourth-year psychology student said: "People with Asperger's have a lot to contribute to society but there is very little education out there for parents and teachers. Education is something of a silver bullet when it comes to helping young people with the condition and without it, deep-set problems can develop at school age.
"My book offers a more personal insight because it's been written by someone with the condition and not a clinical psychologist. Every child is different but I try to put the parents in the child's shoes and facilitate some understanding."
He has been signed up to write a second book to help make research into Asperger's more accessible to parents and teachers.
He said: "The way I see it, I could either lash out or try to make a difference. There are kids out there having a harder time than me, and adults too, and if I can help just one person, this is my chance to give something back."
"There is lots of information in the book, and I really hope that people take that on board, but to me, what is more important is that they gain an understanding of, and an insight into life with Asperger Syndrome. If you understand someone with Asperger Syndrome, then knowing that it is named after Hans Asperger is redundant. While that sort of information might be interesting, it is far more useful to know how the person with Asperger Syndrome thinks: what he or she might find hard and why, what things might set them off, and what things will calm them down, what things they will be really good at, and what things they might struggle at."
Source: PA, JKP Publishing
Find the book on http://amzn.to/2dmGsT3>AmazonUK or at JK Publishers
Tania is an experienced broadcast and print journalist & author. She also runs a PR, web & social media consultancy, SocialOro Media.
Tania is a rare disease & chronic pain patient advocate with Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
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