Books on Asperger’s Syndrome

Knowledge gives hope

When I found out that my husband had Asperger’s I felt hope for my marriage and my happiness for the first time. Up until then I had been unable to understand him or figure out why I felt my marriage was widely different from my friends’. I also couldn’t figure out why he treated us the way he did.

When I found out he had Asperger’s I spent 2 years reading every book in the library system I could find on Asperger’s. I was desperately trying to save our marriage, family, and my sanity. After reading, I wrote down the title of each book in my journal and I share that list with you now. I don’t remember every one or necessarily recommend every one, these are just the ones I read. The ones I definitely remember being a HUGE help are the ones with asterisks. I recommend those ones!!

The other ones were all helpful in some small way or another. They all gave me knowledge about AS. And with that knowledge I had hope that now that I understood AS, and he could understand himself, I felt we could work together to make changes we needed to have a happy marriage. That didn’t pan out because he wouldn’t read the books or go to counseling so we ended up divorcing, but that’s a different story.

Favorite Resource on Asperger’s Syndrome

My all time favorite resource about Asperger’s is Dr. Kathy Marshack. Check out her website: www.kmarshack.com and blog posts. Amazing! I found her books first and for me, she hit the nail on the head. It’s the first time I read a marriage book that I felt the author knew my marriage. The only marriage book that described my husband. I connected with her immediately and felt loved and understood by her even though of course she didn’t know I was reading her book. I found her meetup group and listened to recorded teleconferences while I went for walks. Hearing others call in about their experiences was really helpful for me too. It was life changing for me. I hope if you’re as desperate and hurting as I was, she’ll change your life too.

Excellent Books on Asperger’s Syndrome to Help Your Marriage or Loved One

*Going Over the Edge? Life with a Partner or Spouse with Asperger Syndrome By Dr. Kathy Marshack

*Out of Mind -Out of Sight: Parenting with a Partner with Asperger Syndrome by Dr. Kathy Marshack

When Empathy Fails: How to Stop Those Who Are Hell- Bent on Destroying You by Dr. Kathy Marshack 

*Asperger Syndrome & Relationships: Everything You Need to Survive A NeuroDivergent Life by Dr. Kathy Marshack

*Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage by Natalie Hoffman (Not necessarily AS, but SUPER helpful to me)

Asperger’s Syndrome- That Explains Everything: Strategies for Education, Life, and Just About Everything Else by Stephen Bradshaw

*The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch

Loving Someone with Asperger’s Syndrome: Understanding and Connecting with Your Partner by Cindy N. Ariel PhD

Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships by Ashley Stanford

22 Things a Woman Must Know if She Loves A Man With Asperger’s by Rudy Simone

Asperger’s From the Inside Out by Michael John Carley

Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey

Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger’s Love Story by Jerry and Mary Newport 

Raising Cubby: A Father and Son’s Adventures with Asperger’s Trains, Tractors and High Explosives by John Elder Robinson

Alone Together: Making an Asperger Marriage Work by Katrin Bentley

Different Not Less (Stories of achievement and employment from Adults with ASD) by Temple Grandin

The Essential Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome by Eileen Bailey

The Essential Difference: Male and Female Brains and the Truth About Autism by Simon Baron-Cohen

Our Socially Awkward Marriage by Tom and Linda Peters

Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim

Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse by Gregory Jantz

Codependent No More by Melody Beattie

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men By Lundy Bancroft

Becoming the Narcissist’s Nightmare: How to Devalue and Discard the Narcissist While Supplying Yourself by Shahida Arabi

Books About Parenting A Child with Asperger’s

Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide to Helping Your Child Thrive at Home and School by Melinda Docter

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism by Ellen Notbohm

Getting a Life with Asperger’s: Lessons Learned on the Bumpy Road to Adulthood by Jesse A. Saperstein

The Asperger’s Answer Book: Professional Answers to 275 Questions Parents Ask by Susan Ashley

The Best Kind of Different: Our Family’s Journey with Asperger’s Syndrome by Shonda Schilling

Quirky, Yes, Hopeless, No: Practical Tips to Help Your Child with AS be More Socially Accepted by Cynthia La Brie Norall

Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism by Jenny McCarthy

Healing and Preventing Autism: A Complete Guide by Jenny McCarthy

Parallel Play: Growing up with Undiagnosed Asperger’s by Tim Page

Autism Breakthrough: The Groundbreaking Method That Has Helped Families All Over the World by Raun Kaufman

Asperger Syndrome and Your Child: A Parent’s Guide by Michael Powers

Eating For Autism: The 10-Step Nutrition Plan to Help Treat Your Child’s Autism, Asperger’s, or ADHD by Elizabeth Strickland

The Asperkid’s Game Plan: Extraordinary Minds, Purposeful Play… Ordinary Stuff by Jennifer Cook O’Toole

Books on Asperger’s for Kids to Read

Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson (a 12 year-old, great for kids to read)

A User Guide to the GF/CF Diet for Autism, Asperger Syndrome and AD/HD by Luke Jackson

The Asperkid’s Secret Book of Social Rules by Jennifer Cook O’Toole

The Social Survival Guide for Teens on the Autism Spectrum: How to Make Friends and Navigate Your Emotions by Lindsey Sterling

The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens by Yenn Purkis