This is a very informative book, with lots of topics covered. Dr Tony Attwood is such a kind caring, honest and dedicated professional in the field of Autism, and I love to read his work. Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this great book.

It began with the website called "Autism Hangout" in 2006. The purpose was to provide immediate information on autism containing expert advice from practitioners, medical professionals, researchers, social workers, teachers, and experienced thought leaders. This idea progressed on to books and videos. One of the most popular segments was the interviews with Dr Tony Attwood, who was based in Brisbane, Australia. With close to 300 interviews, this initiative was very well received. Since then, the Dr Tony show has grown in popularity. This book is a transcript of the 2010 program called "Ask Dr Tony." Craig Evans is the interviewer with Dr Tony Attwood the expert authority on autism matters.

The book revolves around 17 top issues, ranked according to Evans's proprietary research in 2012-13. These issues are:

Anxiety (98%)
Self-Esteem/Self-Identity (95%)
Aversion to Change (87%)
Meltdowns (87%)
Depression (87%)
Sensory Issues
Making and keeping friends
Personal Management Issues
Intimacy, dating, sex, and marriage
Emotional availability
Faking it
Getting and keeping a job
Disclosing a diagnosis
Bullying
Choosing a career
Empathetic attunement
Being diagnosed (Living with Autism)
Each of the issues are described in a question and answer format. This makes the book very personable as readers can eavesdrop on some of the most challenging issues as well as emotional ups and downs of parents and concerned family members. The rationale for the book is that people would still need immediate information when they are pressed to find out more about autism. Dr Tony describes his early foray into the field of autism. He was a volunteer at a special school and the way the children behaved struck a nerve in his curiosity. He asks questions about genetics and family history. He looks at risks. He sees successful treatments and outcomes that he wants to share the good news. For that, he redefines some of the successes as learning to accept who we are and the successful ways to enable patients to live well to the full. There are coping mechanisms; dealing with various scenarios; and what parents could do to minimize pain. By dealing with the top issues direct, readers will be able to jump in speedily into the issue of concern to learn critical insights. While this is not a medical journal per se, it is a book that educates and calms any anxieties that might arise. There is also a bonus section that covers some of the most common questions about autism.

For those of us interested in all things autism, Asperger's or any symptoms related to anxiety, consider picking up this book and read through the informative question and answer.

Craig Evans is a former communications executive and a film maker. He has a stepchild diagnosed with Asperger's. His aim is to speak as encouraging as possible on the topic of autism. Dr Tony Attwood is a clinical psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders. He has been a keynote speaker at autism conferences in Australia and other parts of the world.

Further questions about autism can be relayed at www.autism-hangout.com

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Future Horizons and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

This book is based on a Q&A video series from the authors of the book which I believe are still available to view online.

It took a little while to get going with this book, as there seemed to be lots of jumbled up text and images on for the intro but once the Q&A started it developed into a really good read.

The book is set out exactly as the video so is straight forward to read as you know exactly what has been asked without unnecessary text, which will be beneficial to an Aspie reader.

The book covers a variety of subjects that the aspie or carer will encounter during their lives, as well as a large range of age brackets. As an educator, I found there was particularly useful information in the section that covers meltdowns.

I felt that Dr Tony's expertise shone through in the answers that probably wouldn't have even occured to many people, offering solutions and practical advice. further reading material is suggested on many of the questions, and not just the author's own books which I found was a really useful addition.

My 26 year old son had been .diagnosed with ADHD at age 4, we later learned about Aspberger I wish had this book all those years ago. I had to tell my sons school psychologist and teacher about the disorder. This book is so informative and helpful. I loved the conversational style. My son is so intelligent but lacks so many social skills
I cant wait to have him read this book. Thank you netgalley for gifting me this book that will help so many. The opinions are my own

The author did a brilliant job of writing an informative book and obtaining the perfect balance of interesting material and the ability for the reader to easily grasp what they read. I work with children with ASD and this book was thorough in answering many of the questions I have about this disorder. Highly recommend!

I found this very difficult to read due to the format. Conversational style is my least favourite way to read a book - I can't parse the information very well. I am sure there's a lot of good info in here but I just can't access it.

As someone who supports a child with autism in the classroom and also having a grandson with ASD I am eager to read and understand as much as I can so I can support them in a more positive way.

This book was easy to dip in and out of, It was written in a question and answer style which I found easy to understand. The fact that the questions were asked by members of the autism community themselves makes it so authentic and relevant. The practical solutions discussed were invaluable to me.

Dr Tony Attwoods understanding of ASD shines throughout the book and a lot of his advice I will take on board in my everyday life .

The issues covered in the book are extensive and I found myself reading some chapters first which were of particular interest to me.

This book is a must read for anyone seeking greater understanding of ASD. I wholeheartedly recommend it

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this insightful book

Excellent!
This is a must read . As someone with ASD I love it .
Review will be up on my blog for the publication date.
The video still online,well worth watching.