Tony Attwood's opinion on autistics and relationships...

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Contrary to GP on's point of view, here is what Tony Attwood actually has to say about autistics and relationships...

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http://www.faaas.org/doc.php?29,358

Tony Attwood, Ph.D.

A Word from Tony Attwood

"I would like to state quite clearly that having a diagnosis of autism orAsperger's syndrome does not render a person automatically incapable ofbeing a good partner and parent. Indeed, many of the people I know with autism and Asperger's syndrome as clients and friends are exceptionally goodparents and partners. Should a separation occur between partners and a Court examine the issue of custody of children and access then in myopinion, any decisions should be made on the basis of the abilities of each parent and not simply assume that a parent with autism or Asperger'ssyndrome is incapable of being a good parent.

"The term "Cassandra Affective Deprivation Disorder" has been coined by Maxine Aston. It is not an official diagnostic category. I do know that stress within a relationship between an adult with Asperger's syndrome and their partner can lead to the neurotypical partner having signs of aclinical depression. Effective relationship counselling by a counsellor knowledgeable in the area of autism and Asperger's syndrome can significantly improve the relationship and help alleviate the signs ofdepression.

"According to my knowledge, there is no research to suggest that people with autism and Asperger's syndrome are likely to be violent in a relationship to any greater degree than a typical person in the general population. I do know that a significant proportion of the clients that I see in my clinical practice express to me their concern in their ability to manage their temper but we now have programs such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to help those with autism and Asperger's syndrome manage feelings such as anger. Problems with anger management also occur in the ordinary population but the nature of the treatment of difficulties with anger management must include an appreciation of the different experiences and cognitive profile of someone with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

"I have presented workshops for FAAAS for couples where one of the partners has a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome and in all my presentations, I have approached the issues in a very positive way examining strategies to make asuccessful relationship."

"by Tony Attwood via email, May 8, 2009"