Just a PSA for anyone reading Jodi Picoult's latest book House Rules -

[JESW]

Not everyone with Asperger's is like Jacob!!

I understand that he is a character in a book, but I hope that those who read it will not now think that all people with AS are like that - she took pretty much ALL the characteristics you could have and lumped them into one person.

Jill...Mom to ds15 with AS who can make eye contact, is verbal, gets sarcasm and is extremely affectionate - and whose room is an absolute MESS and does not have his clothes lined up in the closet...ha!

 

[powellrj]

You know I wondered about that too. I haven't read the book yet, because I was a little afraid to. Now I may need to rethink it!

 

[Daisy&Max]

Not everyone with Asperger's is like Jacob!!

I understand that he is a character in a book, but I hope that those who read it will not now think that all people with AS are like that - she took pretty much ALL the characteristics you could have and lumped them into one person.

Jill...Mom to ds15 with AS who can make eye contact, is verbal, gets sarcasm and is extremely affectionate - and whose room is an absolute MESS and does not have his clothes lined up in the closet...ha!

Oh wow I have your son's twin! My ds9 is an Aspie and that describes him to a T. I have often told my son that I wish if he was going to be an Aspie he could have gotten the excessive neat gene! he just laughs and goes back to his mess.

Daisy

 

[kirbydog48]

My ds10 Aspie just thinks the term Aspergers is hysterical (very into body humor these days). He is also very affectionate, makes eye contact and is a complete slob!

 

[JESW]

It's not a BAD book - just would hate if people thought that all Aspies were to the extreme like Jacob...

Jill

 

[2luvmickey]

I too have been on the fence of "to read or not to read" this book.

My DS18 also gets sarcasm, has a messy room, makes fleeting eye contact and is a sweet young man.

When I talked to him about being Autistic, he said he's not, that Asperger's is on the Autism spectrum!

I also told him it's very "in" these days - the show "Parenthood" features a child with Asperger's. I am curious to see how that is handled on upcoming shows.

In the words of Temple Grandin's mom - they are "different, not less."

 

[5lilfish]

My 12 yr old DS has Asperger's. He is mildly affected. He attends public school without an aide (actually, it isn't even on his school record). His eye contact isn't perfect but it it's far from non-existant. He uses and understands sarcasm/humor. He has a normal vocabulary....but sometimes monolagues or speaks a bit flat. He is affectionate. His room, his backpack and his locker are horribly messy. His greatest "signs" of his disorder are, hyper-focusing (lives for NHL hockey), and social weaknesses (he has a nice cirlce of friends but is weaker than most when it comes to dealing with social bumps in the road and has trouble breaking into new groups).

The way you are describin gthe character in the book, it sounds like Picoult should have said he has classic autism (maybe higher functioning?) and not Asperger's Syndrome....especially if the character is non-verbal.

Jess