Don't judge a book by its cute cat photos (All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome - Kathy Hoopmann)

Member Name: kerrypanda

Product:	All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome - Kathy Hoopmann
Date:	10/08/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A suitable book for people who don't have the time or patience to read up on Asperger's properly.

Disadvantages: See review.

If your primary school age child gets a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (an Autistic Spectrum Disorder), one of the first reactions as a parent is to look around for as much information as possible to explain their neurological differences to both of you and help them understand, and even see their diagnosis in a positive light.

There are a lot of books about Asperger Syndrome on the market now, in fact there seem to be several for every conceivable topic, and its too easy to find yourself on a virtual trolley dash through Amazon! As it's hard to make discerning buying choices about a subject that is unfamiliar to you, the smartest and simplest option would probably be to purchase the most popular and highly rated books.

'All cats have Asperger Syndrome' is seen as a classic for children with Aspergers, it is one of the books you are bound to discover or be recommended to buy after your child's diagnosis.

Amazon says 'All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" takes a playful look at Asperger Syndrome (AS), drawing inspiration from the feline world in a way that will strike a chord with all those who are familiar with AS. Delightful colour photographs of cats bring to life familiar characteristics such as sensitive hearing, scampering at the first sign of being stroked, and particular eating habits. Touching, humorous and insightful, this book evokes the difficulties and joys of raising a child who is different and leaves the reader with a sense of the dignity, individuality, and potential of people with AS. This engaging book is an ideal, gentle introduction to the world of AS. '

When I found our copy of 'All cats have Asperger Syndrome', I was planning to sit down at the computer and write a glowing all-positive recommendation of the book interspersed with some amusing anecdotes about my son Jake and our cat Emily. I even had the title ready to go - 'The purrfect book for your little Aspie.' It would have been an easy review to write.

I bought this book to read with my son after his diagnosis at the age of 10. Not only does he have Aspergers but he also loves cats so after flicking through the pages and looking at the photos at a support group meeting he asked if we could buy a copy for home. I found one for £9.99 on Amazon.

It's a glossy hardback book with a cover photo of a yawning kitten. The pictures inside the book are the same kind, photos of cats chosen to illustrate the text. It's not an indepth informative book and there is not much text.

The author is Kathy Hoopmann. She is an Australian writer whose books are mainly about Asperger Syndrome, including the novel 'Of Mice and Other Aliens,' except for a partner book for 'All Cats' called 'All Dogs have ADHD.' I couldn't find a biography for her unfortunately, so I don't know if she has AS, or her child does, or if she is a professional in the field.

When we first read the book together my son liked the idea that he was similar to a cat, and was affected by the photos, he enjoyed the comical expressions on some of the cats, but there were some of cats looking unhappy and I could see that concerned him. He kept mentioning the sad cats, and he was not enthusiastic about reading it again. We had so much going on I didn't give it much thought, though I remember feeling a bit perplexed as I knew 'All Cats have Aspergers' was widely seen as a fun, positive book and my son was meant to find it helpful and enjoyable, but he hadn't, and the book wasn't read again until I found it to write this review.

I sat down with the book to try and critically review it, and I picked up on things I hadn't noticed before and started to have some concerns. For a supposedly fun light-hearted book, a lot of the content could make a child with Asperger's feel bad about themselves.

My first issue with the text is that some of it is written as statements of fact, but actually would not apply to every child with AS. Statements like 'Routines comfort him. He gets worried if schedules change' and 'he is often fussy about what he eats' might apply to the majority of AS kids, but then other statements such as 'he likes to be near those he loves, but he doesn't want them to hold him' and 'he isn't interested in things other kids his age do' don't apply to my child, and could be confusing. Aspies are individuals like all other children.

I feel a lot of the text is downright negative. 'Other kids make friends but don't invite him to play.. And he may be bullied.... His parents feel sad wondering why they can't understand him... he may feel sad too... he may become a loner caught up in a world of his own.. When he talks he goes on and on about the same topic and bores everyone silly.... Those around him may cringe with embarrassment.'

Even if it were all true, a 'fun' book shouldn't be lingering over and highlighting such negative things. My son wouldn't want to be reminded that he feels different, and has trouble making friends, and that his father and I worry about him (in fact that thought may not have entered his head before he read this book), and that speaking about his interests may bore people!

Asperger's is often accompanied by anxiety or depression, even in young kids. Even if everything is going well for them I don't think it's kind to put ideas in their heads like 'you may be bullied.'

My son happily updates people, even perfect strangers we meet at the shops, on how his latest computer game is progressing, and once he starts talking it's hard to get him away, but I would feel awful if he began to second guess himself, or hesitate. He has enough problems with socialising, it's annoying for a book's text to inform him that he's dull and boring when he cant help it.

The author then tries to turn the mood around by saying that people with AS can and do achieve great things, but she over-eggs the pudding. 'They marvel at his bright intelligent mind.. In many ways his thinking is ahead of his peers.. He invents new ways to do old things... some say he is a little genius.. With his unique perspective, eye for detail, and amazing powers of concentration many an Asperger's child has reached the top of his profession.'

Maybe some AS kids could find that inspiring, but yet others could feel pressured, or not recognise themselves at all in that text. Many AS kids are high achievers academically, but many AS children struggle with academic matters, and they won't be able to live up to those claims.

Comparing the behaviour of children with AS to the behaviour of cats will be confusing to some Aspies who take things literally. There are some similarities, like the way they prefer to initiate contact on their terms. But then cats don't feel frustrated because other cats don't understand them. People with AS may not be able to be as independent as a cat. Because of the book title my son now believes that all cats do have Aspergers, because why would they put a lie on the cover of the book?

'All Cats have Asperger Syndrome' says 'the first signs (of Asperger's) are picked up very young' and this book is probably aimed at younger children who would notice the photos more than the text, but the average age for a child to be diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in Britain is 11, which is old enough for the writing to have quite an impact.

'All Cats have Asperger Syndrome' is currently available on Amazon for £7.49. It would be a good idea for parents to read the books text first before giving it to their child. It could be potentially upsetting for a very sensitive AS child.

I would rather recommend Luke Jackson's books for older children, he is a teenager with AS and handles the subject with humour and empathy. For younger ones 'I am utterly unique' by E.M. Larson and Vivian Strand throws a more positive light on AS.

One line in the book resonated with me 'Sometimes his relatives think they can bring him up better than his parents can.' I would recommend this book to give to those relatives who think your child will be straightened out and miraculously cured if they are given more vegetables to eat or get shouted at a bit more often, that type of person is not going to read a lengthy book about Asperger's and it might give them food for thought to see what a child with AS can go through.

My original (much shorter!) review was probably going to end with the summary line 'A light hearted addition for your AS bookshelf.' This book will no longer be on our bookshelves, as I don't want my son to read it and feel depressed or bad about himself.

Summary: Cats do not have Asperger Syndrome.