Neurodistinct™

Tim's Reading List

My intention is to list the books I have gotten a lot out of. I will try to categorize them and write a sentence or two about it. If you click on the title, you will be taken to the books page on Amazon.

General - A great place for everyone to start

Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

By Steve Silberman - The ultimate bible which explains the history and range of this condition we call autism. 

If you are looking to get up to speed on autism, how ASD, Aspergers, HFA, and they are on the spectrum fit together and why it took so many decades to even realize there was a high functioning verbal version. This book covers many examples of high functioning individuals with Aspergers who have changed the course of the world. This book can do the same with you and give you a holistic understanding of autism in adults.

High-Functioning Autism and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Reducing Meltdowns

 By Brenda Smith Myles, PhD and Ruth Aspy, PhD

While the examples are mostly children and school settings, the key points as well as many of the worksheets are equally appropriate to adults. As an "A"SD Lister (someone who has ASD or acts so similarly you can't tell the difference) I found the illustrations and scenarios were easier for me to connect with the core issues than those using more complex adult examples. A very fast read that delivers insight far beyond the size of the book

Getting and Keeping Jobs   -   A frequently challenging area even for the high functioning.

Geeks Guide To Interviews: 15 Critical Items for the Technical Type: Simple Steps to Win the Technical Interview

By Tim Goldstein

This book explains how to give the type of answers most interviews are looking for. Oriented to the autistic and neurodiverse tech leaning population this book both lays out concepts as seen by an autistic person and then gives 15 specific approaches to being successfully in the interview. Also gives the interviewer a peek into the challenges the autistic and neurodiverse candidate has to overcome.

Helping Adults with Asperger's Syndrome Get & Stay Hired: Career Coaching Strategies for Professionals and Parents of Adults on the Autism Spectrum

By Barbara Bissonnette

If you want to coach someone with ASD on how to get a job and keep from losing it, this book is manual you need. Unlike so many books which are written about ASD and children, this one is specifically for adults looking to overcome their job challenges. Barbara explains the thinking underlying many of the challenges the "A"SD Lister faces in the job market. She also does a great job in helping you understand many of the specifics to look at when considering a job. Finding a good job fit is as important to keeping the position as social skills.

Managing with Asperger Syndrome

by Malcolm Johnson

A very deceiving title for a good book. The book is about the author who has Aspergers. He got a degree and took a job in a management track at a large firm. In the book he explains many of the things he had to learn to become an effective manager.

Female Oriented - Great learning for everyone 

Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life

By Cynthia Kim

 Very interesting perspective. Cynthia is a freelance writer who was diagnosed with Asperger's as an adult. In this book she writes about her experience of learning about Asperger's and how it shapes who she is. Great learning for both women and men and one of the few books written by a female with autism. 

Life With a Partner or Spouse With Asperger Syndrome: Going over the Edge? Practical Steps to Savings You and Your Relationship

By Kathy J Marshack, Ph.D.

The book presents vignettes covering multiple aspects of relating to people with ASD. The scenes cover both the neurotypical view and the neurodiverse Asperger's view. The book centers around a family with the father and one child having Asperger's and the mother and other child being neurotypical. The general format is to present a scenario and then analyze it with the help of a therapist.

Relationship  -  These have been good for more than my marriage. I find huge amounts of the information transfers directly to relating with people in the workplace.

Asperger Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and Long-Term Relationships: Fully Revised and Updated with DSM-5® Criteria Second Edition

By Ashley Stanford (pen name)

A very interesting approach to viewing a long term NT/ND, ASD relationship. The author works through each section of the DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and illustrates various ways each diagnostic criteria surfaces in an often seemly unrelated way. For the neurotypical partner this is very helpful in understanding the range of what can be normal for an "A"SD Lister (like the term aspie, this refers to people who think this way, not a medical diagnosis) in a relationship. 

The author also explains various ways that traditional relationship books for NT/NT relationships can be completely the wrong approach in a NT/"A"SD Lister relationship. Coming from the autistic side, I learned some interesting ways to explain my thoughts and behaviors, but did not feel it was as impactful as other books on the subject. But if you are the "normal" one in the relationship this could be a clear winner for you.

_{*If you purchase from the title links, you pay the same and I make a few pennies from Amazon.}