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| Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories Of College Students With Autism | 
| Author: Dawn Prince-hughes
Publisher: Swallow Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $9.95
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New (8) from $9.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 63586
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 152
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.5
ISBN: 0804010544
Dewey Decimal Number: 371.94
EAN: 9780804010542
ASIN: 0804010544
Publication Date: November 30, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
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 Job Difficulties, Asperger, highlighted in Aquamarine Blue 5, Dawn Prince-Hughes May 10, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As one of the contributors to Aquamarine Blue 5, I know employment is a not only a matter of difficulty for people with Asperger syndrome, it is frequently a matter of sheer injustice.
The movie Independence Day strikes such a chord with me because at one point, a B-2 stealth bomber launches a thermonuclear stand-off missile at the space ship over Houston. Except for General William Grey (Robert Loggia), the military leaders are sure they nailed it. Until the ground crew verifies that the ship's shield withstood even a nuclear warhead.
It is aggravating to throw the best you have at something like searching for a job and full adult community participation, like your mates from college and graduate school, but to be restricted from full participation. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't just fighting African American injustice. Once I was an oppressed Caucasian man.
Later, however, another solution does work to eliminate the aliens from Earth.
My story does have a happy ending. I did not get to use certain parts of my Asperger mind for the specific occupational purposes of planning and executing research studies or for multivariate analysis by computer. But I have used the same parts of my mind for identical mental tasks: planning, writing, and executing computer programs and Web pages, and the ability to handle quite a few software applications beyond SPSS, and even beyond Access: SQL Server. And it may be better paid than the first career.
There is plenty to challenge everyone with autism and Asperger. Full employment does not make that fact go away. Namely, it might be hard finding someone to share your well-earned joy and success with. And we will never completely eliminate occasional prejudice from the human race. Because challenges persist for life so must our understanding and support. Indeed, we have become more sympathetic as human beings thanks to life experience, and our life experience often helps us be thankful spiritually too.
I recommend Aquamarine Blue 5 for its emphasis on issues relevant to the young Asperger adult.
 I wish I could have read a book like this ten years ago... January 28, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a collection of writings by college / university students on the autistic spectrum, talking about both their challenges and their gifts, as well providing an insight into their lives. This will probably be of most use to those planning to go into higher education who might want to get a better idea of what it will be like and what situations they may face, but will be of interest to anyone who enjoys reading about the experiences of others. The only thing that disappointed me a little was that many of the contributors were studying similar courses and had similar experiences, so it didn't cover the wide range of experiences I hoped it would, but it was a good read all the same.
The inside story of Autistic students in college October 26, 2005
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book contains about a dozen essays written by high-functioning autistic people who have made it to the university level of education. These are their stories, and, as the editor makes clear, she spent little time in editing them -- confining herself basically to grammar issues. "Normal" People who deal with autistics are always wondering what's it like for them in our society and this book makes it clear how difficult it is.
Only the highest-functioning autistic people will make it to a university and that population is the one that is addressed by this book. The editor is herself autistic but has received her Ph.D. and is a professor at a university. So, the message is that autistic people can "make it" in "normal" society but it is not easy. Her essay concludes the book and describes her own personal journey to get to where she is.
When autism is mentioned, the image that frequently arises is of the person who is non-communicative, withdrawn into their own world and perhaps makes noises or weird motions. But there is another stereotype that can come into play. This being "the absent-minded professor." in this stereotype the person is frequently so engrossed in their affairs or research that they do not wear the latest fashions, may have unique eating and hygiene habits, and are frequently seen meandering around with a lost look on their faces. I have known such university professors as academia seems to both draw them in and nourish their mental needs. This stereotype also describes people who are on the autism spectrum. Today, many younger people are diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who show such traits.
So, there is a place for high-functioning autistic people in such places. Areas where they can contribute significantly to society even if "normal" society considers them strange. A place where they are not seen as abnormal but are tolerated in a very fond way.
In this book, we hear the personal recollections of twelve students as to their roads to get to a university and even graduate from it with degrees. In every one of the stories, the elementary and high school experiences are described as absolutely rotten. Which points out how bad their experiences are with the "normal" members of society. It is not hard to envision and even feel the sadness of these teens as they are ostracized and picked upon due to their unique habits and needs.
Not all the stories have a happy ending. Several of the essays in the book show that some of the autistic people retreat into their own worlds and shut down from the rest of the world. Even though that is a small portion of the essays given here, I believe those essays probably represent the majority of autistic people who attempt university. And, conversely, the majority of the essays represent the minority of the people. But, even given that, it was encouraging to read about the sometimes heroic struggles that these people went through and to realize how much they accomplished in a world and society that is not set up for them.
This is a good book to read if you are involved with autistic children and wonder what will happen to them once they are past the stage where the state and family try to cater to their every need. It points out one desireable path that they can take in which they will end up accepted and even welcomed as productive components of society. For that reason, this is a recommended read.
Understanding the college scene when you have AS October 12, 2005
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Since my son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome 7 years ago, I've watched the information on this issue explode. Information about adults with AS is just appearing on the market. This is one such book. Written by college students with AS, each essay contributes a unique understanding of what it means to enter adulthood with AS.
The editor, Dawn Prince-Hughes, consciously maintained the intergrity of each writer's unique style. At times the use of train of thought might be a little tricky for a neurotypical person to follow. But this is a lesson in and of itself: The person with AS has a different perspective of the world and we need to learn to embrace those differences.
Any parent with a teen with AS and any teen/college student with AS should read these first hand accounts of the lives of real people with real issues.
Making Sense of the Senses August 23, 2004
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book that explains what adults with autism/Asperger's contend with. This book is composed of essays by university students who provide personal accounts of what living with autism/Asperger's means and how they have coped and made giant steps forward.
I like the passage about synesthesia, that is linked sensory modes. One contributor explains how numbers and letters have colors; henceforth the title "Aquamarine Blue 5." She explains how certain sounds can have colors; this sensory condition has until very recently received little press.
Synesthesia can take on many forms. For certain people on the a/A spectrum, synesthesia is part of the sensory package. Some people can taste and smell certain words; colors can have an auditory component and in some cases, people have reported being able to see music.
How I wish I had this book when I was a university student! This sterling gem of a book helps clarify so much of what the Autism/Asperger's experience is all about for so many people.
I wish I could rate this one even more stars. This book is truly outstanding.
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