{Look Me in the Eye for educators}

When I wrote Look Me in the Eye, I thought I was simply writing a work of entertainment. But to my surprise, my early readers found it to be much, much more.

Readers who work with autistic children saw my book as a window into the minds of their own non-verbal kids. Without realizing it, I had brought something new to the world simply by being what I am: I am autistic enough to know how it feels, but at the same time, I am articulate enough to be able to express my autistic/Aspergian feelings in written form.

“A robot with feelings,” as one reader described me.

I’ve brought a whole new insight to common phrases like, “Leave him alone. He’s got Asperger’s, and he prefers to play by himself.” You’ll think twice about much of the conventional wisdom about autistic kids once you’ve read my story. There’s some sadness in my story, but there’s humor, too. Some people even laugh out loud at parts of the story. Most people say it’s an easy book to read. I’m no judge of that, of course, since I wrote it. It’s printed in a clear and legible manner. I’m 100% certain of that.

With Wrong Planet founder Alex Plank

Readers who work with children and young people may appreciate the message of tolerance and understanding contained in my book. I talk about the loneliness and isolation that many kids feel, and what I did to find my way in life. My Asperger’s may have set me apart from other children, but the feelings and thoughts I express are common to us all, at some level.

This past year, there have been some very unfortunate news stories concerning young people with Asperger’s and violence in schools. My book will make clear that Aspergians are not naturally violent, and it explains some of the sources of frustration that drive a few Aspergian kids over the edge — the same sources that pressure countless other kids in school every day.

Look Me in the Eye offers real inspiration and hope for any young person struggling to find his or her way in life. I made it, and they can too. And not only did I make it, I truly made my dreams come true. Not just once, but four times. And those dreams — joining a big rock and roll band; designing electronic games; fixing and selling exotic automobiles; and becoming a successful author— are shared by millions of young people today.

My book is all about growing up, and making a good life doing things that any kid today could do, too. There’s nothing “unattainable” about my story. I’m not an astronaut, or the President, or the pitcher that won the World Series. I’m just a regular guy. A regular Aspergian guy, that is. Eccentric, but not weird. Definitely not weird. I talk about how I found people who could appreciate and mentor me, how I avoided being dragged down by drugs and liquor, and how I learned to focus and concentrate to achieve my goals.

At Drew University with Jim Hala and Cynthia Bronco.

Those of you who want to use Look Me in the Eye to teach autism and Asperger’s at a college level will want to refer to Dr. Kathy Dyer’s teaching guide to the book. Dr. Dyer is teaching my book as part of her courses in autism and speech pathology at Elms College and the University of Massachusetts. We’ve worked together to develop the guide.

If you want to use Look Me in the Eye in a Middle or High School environment I recommend the Leader’s Guide that I developed in conjunction with The Monarch School of Houston, Texas.

My educator support materials are only available in English at the moment, but Look Me in the Eye itself is published in hardcover and paperback, in over 20 editions that are sold in 60+ countries as of 2010.

I currently serve as an adjunct professor in the department of Communication Sciences Disorders at The College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, Massachusetts. If you are near New England, I invite you to join me for my Asperger Mind course, held every March on our Chicopee campus. If you’d like to sign up online you can do so from the Elms College site. The Asperger Mind is course ASD671 if taken as a graduate course, or ASD671X if taken for continuing education or professional development credit.

For spring 2011 I will have courses in using Be Different and Look Me in the Eye in middle and high school classrooms as well.

I do my courses in one long day on a Saturday to accommodate people who travel from far away. If you plan to attend and you need lodging I recommend the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. Just mention Elms College for the academic rate.

Elms is the only college in New England to offer a Master’s concentration in autism.

Finally, I encourage teachers, students, and anyone else to follow my blogs on blogger and Psychology Today and to interact with my communities on Twitter (@johnrobison) and Facebook (Johnelderrobison).

I hope that teachers and students everywhere find my works entertaining, inspiring, and helpful.

John Elder Robison