Dear Readers,

I'm excited to announce the release of More Than Little Professors: Children with Asperger Syndrome, In Their Own Words. This book represents the work of 70 children and teens with Asperger syndrome. Through their quotes, stories, poems, and artwork, they give the rest of us a glimpse into how they experience the world and the people around them.

Researchers often say that children with Asperger's have poor "theory of mind," meaning they have a poor ability to discern what other (neurotypical) people are thinking and feeling. For a moment, let's turn that theory on its head. How good are you at guessing what's going through the mind of a child with Asperger's-especially when he's having a meltdown, interacting in an odd manner, or performing a behavior repetitively?

To be an effective parent, teacher, or therapist for a child with Asperger's, you have to become an interpreter. But just as a French-English interpreter needs to be fluent in both languages to be effective, you need to understand how a child with Asperger's thinks if you're going to effectively interpret the neurotypical world for him. And if you want to understand how children with Asperger's think, who better to help you than the children themselves?

In More Than Little Professors, dozens of children and youths with Asperger's share their thoughts. Some may startle you with their unique perspective. Other stories may sound like they could have been written by any child. Because, despite any diagnosis, these are still kids who love their families, who crave friendship, and who get excited, lonely, and depressed. They might be smart kids who have a tendency to lecture, but they're far more than just little professors.

I hope that you will enjoy reading these children's contributions as much as I have. They are awesome kids, and I'm honored that they have allowed me to include their work in More Than Little Professors.

--Lisa Barrett Mann

My favorite AAPC books are...

	Sibling Stories: Reflections on Life with a Brother or Sister on the Autism Spectrum by Lynne Stern Feiges and Mary Jane Weiss; Foreword by Sandra L. Harris
	Embarrassed Often...Ashamed Never by Lisa Elliott
	Right Address...Wrong Planet: Children With Asperger Syndrome Becoming Adults by Gena P. Barnhill

The following are excerpts from Elizabeth's online journal.

7/16/04

128·128
137(^2)73
What is the magic sum of a 19x19 magic square?
14(14)
11x53
[2^20(4^10)]/8^5

You should be able to do each of these problems easily. The
only one I wouldn't expect you to do in your head is the
magic square one. Have fun. Now the questions I can't answer
I'll go get from Jacob-for my SLP hw. How am I supposed
to learn to tell what the difference is between a tired
face and a sad face and a frustrated face? Then there's happy
vs confused vs anxious vs (on and on). Don't take that ability
for granted. I work and study a ton and am no better at
it than a preschooler (literally). Now with math, you study
and you get better ... and you can be taught how to do all the
above problems easily.