Reviews of "No Team Player" by Judith Newton
A newly published Australian account of "a neurotypical's life married to a man with Autism Spectrum Disorder", the author discusses her predicament with clarity and candour, so there can be no misunderstanding about the unusual nature of her life. A bonus is her portrait of how ASD appears in an adult so she answers the question often asked about adolescents, "what is he likely to be when he grows up?' This book may well be the raw material for designing further interventions for young people on the spectrum as they move towards independence and life in the community.
Book in hand Oct 2010 www.bookinhand.com.au
Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder that affects the entire family not just the person with the disorder. Asperger's Syndrome has been described as a merciless dictator: it affects all aspects of the AS individual's and their family's lives. This book along with other narratives as they are published will open the eyes and minds of the public regarding Asperger's Syndrome's actions and behaviours, which have gone un-noticed or unrecognised by Medicine... how these hitherto unrecognised "behind- closed- doors' actions and behaviours adversely affect the NT family members in immeasurable ways.
Resources at hand Oct 2010 www.resourcesathand.com.au
It's a difficult and emotional life being non-AS in a marriage with someone whose behaviour can be completely baffling and sometimes even seems cruel.
MD Junction Feb 2011
This is the first truthful memoir of life with an adult who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Judith writes her experiences with love and compassion for the man she will never be able to reach emotionally and spiritually. The disorder and deficits of ASD make an intimate relationship between a mature neurotypical woman and a man with ASD unattainable. The disparity in developmental milestones reached by the two parties creates an unbridgeable gap. Judith also discusses how the myths, misunderstandings and deliberate propaganda regarding the true nature of ASD currently offered by professionals and ASD support groups has made her search for answers to explain the dysfunction in her marriage even more difficult.
Google books 2010
Autism (Asperger’s Syndrome) has been widely publicized and studied. What’s not known is the way this hidden, unique, complex neurological/developmental/biological disorder negatively affects the other neurotypical family members living daily with their difficulties. This is the first personal account of a wife’s journey to find some answers for the confusion and chaos which is hidden from the outside world. The disbelief, denial and even blame, by the medical and psychiatric community adds to her grief. Karen Rodman has written an enlightening foreword to the dilemma faced by millions caring for their loved ones in the face of community and social opposition to the truth of many people’s lives.
The Critics Bookshelf 2011