Juggling the Issues

Book excerpt: Living beyond Asperger's Matthew Kenslow was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is within the autistic spectrum, when he was six years old. He shares its common symptoms, such as lacking social and conversational skills, and having poor eye contact with others. In school he had difficulty with certain subjects, but others (like math and science) came easily to him. He has the ability to remember a myriad of facts and the events in his life-some he would rather forget! Juggling the Issues: Living With Asperger's Syndrome is a collection of short stories from his life. He describes many of the issues that those with autism and Asperger's face each day. He also talks about some of the positive aspects of having Asperger's as well. What is life like living with Asperger's? Matthew describes it as having "an enhancer" plugged into his brain, which accelerates his thoughts and even his emotions. "Asperger's will deepen everything's significance, causing us to take things to a more intense level," he confides. If you want to better understand those living with Asperger's, you need to read this book. The insights Kenslow shares come from his deep experience of living with it and making the most of life's opportunities.