In My Mind: From His Life with Autism, Alex Answers All Your Questions

From the creator of the YouTube video "In My Mind" - viewed by over 1.3 million people - Alex Olinkiewicz brings a depth of understanding, the analytical skills, and a sense of humour and pathos to the task of describing who he, as a person with Asperger's syndrome, is. He augments his insights with graphics that not only illustrate his visual thinking, they also create a different way for readers to understand Asperger's.

While the multiple graphics in the book give it a great sense of metaphor, they more importantly paint a vivid picture of what its like to be someone with Asperger's. This very personal revelation results in a clarity and a recognition of the similarities and characteristics common to any child diagnosed with Asperger's, even though they all cant be squeezed into having the same diagnostic symptoms.

Alex initially explains the eight symptoms of Aspergers, laid out by Hans Asperger who identified the condition, and illustrates how these symptoms are pertinent in his life by sharing numerous unique experiences -- from not being able to drive -- to the more common difficulties those with Aspergers have in their personal social development.

The second part of Alex's book is a recounting of his life experiences, explaining how he relates to his family; defining the things that relax him and those which may cause him near panic; and illustrating the difficulties found in his school and social experiences. The reader can be brought to tears in his recounting of the unpleasant experiences, while other episodes create moments of great hilarity because they are interwoven with the comedic. From each experience the reader can assess the lessons Alex learned and how they relate to the children he/she may know.

In the addendum, significant family members and friends assess Alex's Asperger's diagnosis. This is extremely helpful in that many of the problems children with Asperger's/autism deal are similar to Alex's. Alex believes that every child with Asperger's has some gift and that his gift is his ability to articulate the core symptoms and his experiences with Asperger's Syndrome in such a way as to enlighten the reader.