Discovering My Autism: Anxiety, Aggression, Depression and ADHD ¿ A Biopsychological Model with Guidelines for Diagnostics and Treatment - Softcover

Schneider, Edgar

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1853027243 ISBN 13: 9781853027246

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1999

Synopsis

In 1978, under immense pressure at work, Edgar Schneider suffered a nervous breakdown. After convalescing, he returned to work, but within a few months he was again suffering from problems involving short-term memory and concentration. He was described as eccentric, tangential, illogical and hallucinatory; and misdiagnosed as schizophrenic.

Sixteen years later, the chance reading of an article on autistic savants alerted Schneider to the possibility that he had been misdiagnosed. This proved to be the case: he is believed to be a high-functioning autistic, with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Suddenly, many apparently paradoxical or inexplicable elements of Schneider's life made sense. He calls the discovery of his autism 'liberating'. Schneider attributes his autism to brain damage caused by infectious diseases in early childhood. In Discovering My Autism, he reflects on his experiences and his memories of his childhood and teenage years as a clever and artistic loner. He explains how in order to experience 'emotions' such as grief, sympathy or desire, he must intellectualise or aestheticise them. Dispassionately, he examines his difficulties with relationships, his high pain threshold, his lack of concentration and his highly absorbant intelligence, all of which are related to his autism. He also describes the pleasure he derives from art, music and literature; the importance to him of his religious beliefs; and his work with parents' support groups. As an account of how it feels to be a high-functioning autistic, this book should be read by parents of autistic children, professionals working with them, and people with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, or ADD themselves.

About this title

From the Author:

I have Asperger's Syndrome, the highest-functioning form of autism, and found it out approximately four years ago, as a result of reading a magazine article. Following that, at the suggestion of a priest friend (who had been a psychologist before that), I wrote an explanatory autobiography about my discovery, how it has explained my whole life (which had been, before that, a mystery to me and everyone who knew me), and my thoughts on autism as well as other topics, which show how the world looks to the autistic mind. Through the Internet (and via "snail-mail"), I had sent it, upon request and without charge, to parents of autistic children, professionals (including teachers and therapists), and to high- functioning autistic people themselves as well as their significant others. Many to whom I have sent it have told me that it gave them new insights into autism. The story of how his book came to be published commercially is quite interesting. One recipient, in England, sent it to the publisher, who then e-mailed me offering to publish it.

About the Author:

Edgar Schneider was diagnosed as a high-functioning autistic in 1995. Formerly a mathematician and computer programmer, he is now married and continues to write and to develop his interest in the arts. He lives in Florida.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1853027243
• ISBN 13: 9781853027246
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 126