Aida
The young author of the book, Robyn Steward, is a woman with an admirable drive, determination and fierce intelligence. She has travelled the world as a public speaker, and has in the process both at home in the UK and abroad engaged with people in the autism community. She has worked as a mentor, consultant and a trainer with and for people with autism and her passion and dedication for her work is truly admirable. Due to this extensive knowledge and experience Robyn is also frequently interviewed by the media.
Robyn has a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome (AS), and, by taking note of her own first-hand experiences, but also through investigating those of others, she has written this book about women on the autistic spectrum and how they can maintain a high level of personal safety.
The book contains ten chapters regarding safety issues and concerns that women may face, alongside helpful strategies in dealing with situations where one might not feel fully comfortable. The book aims to cover information on the phases one might go through when developing a romantic relationship with a partner, as well as a range of other circumstances where personal safety may be an issue.
The book is intended to provide the reader with information that will help them do things more safely, in the areas as covered by the chapters. Due to the subjective viewpoint of the writer the book is written in a manner which, I imagine as a neuro-typical, would appeal strongly to women on the spectrum.
The ten chapters in question are: friendships; sex; romantic relationships; drugs, alcohol and other substances; preparing to go out (when leaving one's home); internet, mobile devices and digital information sharing; money; work; mental health and wellbeing; and useful skills and strategies for multiple situations. In writing the book Robyn states she was conscious of the need not to miss out important information that she felt women needed to have. Accordingly, the book is not only based on Robyn's own opinions and personal experiences but also on information shared by other individuals with AS who took part in her online survey, some who were interviewed, and also the opinions of those professionals working in the relevant fields. It is a comprehensive information-gathering approach that provides the reader with input on matters on safety, from a number of sources.
Robyn has written a very clear, fully encompassing and astute book. I found it both engaging and a joy to read. The appeal of the book for me lies in the clear and consistent writing style. Each chapter has a logical and structured layout that complements the subject at hand. Any aspects that might have a hint of ambiguity are tackled by Robyn and broken down into logical and clear-cut notions. I found this approach refreshing and quite reassuring even for people regarded as neuro-typical. In addition to this and the helpful tips and advice presented in the book, the reader is also given information about additional resources at the end of each chapter. These are for individuals who might seek additional information about specific areas – having this on offer ties each chapter up neatly.
Robyn's personal insight into the kinds of explanations that may be needed by readers with AS has been insightful for me as a professional.
Sue
It was very clear to me that this book was written by a person with AS, as the openness of the writing style, and clear need to include every detail has a comfortable, reassuring familiarity to it.
This book is predominantly aimed at the less experienced AS person, as it intends to provide knowledge of what to do when a new experience occurs, in order to achieve a good outcome. Due to the clarity of the writing, it achieves this well. As a person with hard-learned life experience, I can definitely say that there is a great deal of information which would have been very useful to know a great deal earlier in my life.
There is good focus on how to approach new situations, and achieve the first stages of a friendship or relationship. However, I was a little disappointed that there is limited advice on how to sustain relationships into the longer term, as some comprehensive insights into that arena are also very much needed. Perhaps Robyn will expand that topic in a future book.
It is a very positive aspect of the book that many topics where there is a potential safety issue are included. Some of these might not often be discussed openly with a person with a disability. The comprehensive and meticulous coverage of the topics chosen certainly provides excellent and interesting advice of the multi-faceted kind that many with AS will appreciate. At the same time, the more literal-minded, timid, or very inexperienced should be reassured that many people would not encounter every situation mentioned.
Anyone on the spectrum who reads the book will add to their knowledge base, and hopefully have more positive experiences in life, and fewer unsafe ones.
