Behavioral Health

Asperger's Syndrome

• Asperger’s Syndrome – A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Tony Attwood, Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd., London, England, 1998. The author specializes in the field of Asperger’s Syndrome and has worked with hundreds of individuals with AS.  He describes the current state of scientific knowledge in accessible and understandable language.  There is also a good section of frequently asked questions included in this book.

• Asperger Syndrome in the Family – Redefining Normal by Liane Holliday Willey, Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd., London, England, 2001. A wonderful book written by a women who is herself an “Aspie”, or someone with Asperger’s Syndrome.   She also has a daughter with AS.  Liane explains what living life with AS is like:  the implications for the family, practical suggestions, the importance of mutual support, etc.  She writes with humor and lets you see what life is like for her and her family.
• Parenting Your Asperger Child – Individualized Solutions for Teaching Your Child Practical Skills by Alan Sohn, Ed.D., and Cathy Grayson, M.A. Penguin Group Inc., 2005. The authors Cognitive Social Integration Therapy (CSIT) offers practical solutions that enable parents to prepare their children for a fulfilling life of social interaction and success outside the confines of their syndrome.   Areas they identify for therapy are: social skills, perspective talking, conversational skills, special interests, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and rigidity/routines.  Skills are taught both verbally and visually, using rehearsal, role playing, and guided practice.
• Asperger’s and Self-Esteem – Insight and Hope Through Famous Role Models by Norm Ledgin, Future Horizons Inc., Arlington, Texas, 2002. For parents, professionals, and people living with Asperger’s, this book offers hope.  Talent and intellectual giftedness is often associated with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.  Parents should encourage children with AS to read this to recognize the value such individuals have, and have had to our society.  There are genuine heroes with Asperger’s.
• Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships – Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism by Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron, Future Horizons Inc., Arlington, Texas, 2005. This book is written by two people with Asperger’s, and it gives a wonderful look at how they see the world.  They both use life stories to explain the unwritten rules and patterns of social relationships.  They create guidelines for living and working with others and illustrate their infinite applications.  This is invaluable to anyone who has ever felt “outside the norm” in school, work, or when relating to people in general.
• Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence – Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World by Teresa Bolick, Ph.D., Fair Winds Press Gloucester, MA, 2001. This is a wonderful resource book with many useful tips and exercises for adolescents.  Deals with many social issues; how to work with schools to help the AS child learn and succeed; strategies for turning common AS traits into positive strengths; the best ways to talk to your teen about friendship, love, romance, and sex; and other helpful ideas.
• Quirky Kids – Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn’t Fit In – When to Worry and When Not to Worry by Perri Klass, Md., and Eileen Costello, M.D. , Random House Publishing Group, 2003.
• Autistic Spectrum Disorders – Asperger’s Syndrome – Nonverbal Learning Disability – Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Sensory Integration Dysfunction – and more All these are covered in this book about “kids that just don’t fit in.”  This book provides guidance and hope to understanding these marvelous kids.
• A Parent’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism by Sally Ozonoff, PhD, Geraldine Dawson, PhD, James McPartland, The Guilford Press, New York, New York, 2002. The book is subtitled, How to Meet the Challenges and Help Your Child Thrive.  The book helps focus on the talents and strengths of a person with high-functioning autism or AS.  It gives useful case histories and combines both scientific and practical information.  It is also beneficial for older children as well as adults with AS.

Reactive Attachment Disorder

• Facilitating Developmental Attachment: The Road to Emotional Recovery and Behavior Change in Foster and Adopted Children by Daniel A. Hughes. A clinically oriented and powerful approach to RAD.
• Building the Bodns of Attachement: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children by Daniel A. Huges. A book for parents.

Parenting

General

• Boundaries for Kids by Cloud and Townsend
• Why Can’t I Be the Parent I Want To Be? by Elliot and Smith
• The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian
• The Wonder of Girls by Michael Gurian
• Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
• Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim Fay
• Parenting with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and Foster Cline

Attachment

• The Earliest Relationship by T. Berry Brazelton and Bertrand C. Cramer (If you only want to read only one of the attachment books, read this one.)
• Becoming Attached by Robert Karen
• A Secure Base by John Bowlby
• Fatherneed by Kyle D. Pruett

Faith Transmission

• Virtues of Friendship and Loyalty by William J. Bennett
• Virtues of Courage and Adversity by William J. Bennett
• Reclaiming Our Prodigal Sons and Daughters by Larsen and Bendtro
• A Celebration of Children by Edith Schaeffer

Personal Growth

• Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell (This book is considered a parenting book, but deals with the parent child bond, thus helping parents understand themselves, as well as their children, better.)

Marriage

• First Night and Beyond, A Guide To Intimacy and Sexual Fulfillment for Newlyweds by M. Douglas Moore, J. D. and Judith S. Moore, M. D.