4 Quotes & Sayings By Tony Attwood

Tony Attwood is a clinical psychologist and a retired research fellow at the University of Exeter, UK. He is author of 'Autism—A Different Approach' and 'Beyond Autism' and co-author of the books 'Asperger Syndrome: The Complete Guide', 'Diagnosis and Treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorder', and 'Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Thinking'. He has written many articles for journals both professional and general, including the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders , Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , British Journal of Medical Psychology , Journal of Psychiatric Research , Behaviour Research and Therapy , Clinical Psychology Forum , Australian Psychologist , Journal of Special Education , Child: Care, Health & Development , Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders , International Journal on Disability & Developmental Disabilities Education , The Journal of Educational Psychology .

1
Universities are renowned for their tolerance of unusual characters, especially if they show originality and dedication to their research. I have often made the comment that not only are universities a 'cathedral' for worship of knowledge, they are also 'sheltered workshops' for the socially challenged. Tony Attwood
2
When the anger is intense, the person with Asperger's syndrome may be in a 'blind rage' and unable to see the signals indicating that it would be appropriate to stop. Feelings of anger can also be in response in situations where we would expect other emotions. I have noted that sadness may be expressed as anger. Tony Attwood
3
On occasions the person may appear ill-mannered; for example, one young man with Asperger's Syndrome wanted to attract his mother;s attention while she was talking to a group of her friends, and loudly said, 'Hey, you! ', apparently unaware of the more appropriate means of addressing his mother in public. The child, being impulsive and not aware of the consequences, says the first thing that comes into their mind. Strangers may consider the child to be rude, inconsiderate or spoilt, giving the parents a withering look and assuming the unusual social behavior is a result of parental incompetence. They may comment, 'Well, if I had him for two weeks he would be a different child.' The parents' reaction may be that they would gladly let them have the child, as they need a rest, and to prove a point. . Tony Attwood