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This page updated 6 March 2022

 Learn about - and buy - ASK's
Beyond Diagnosis: Welcome to the Autism Spectrum!
An informative Booklet of welcoming anecdotes from people on the autism spectrum.

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For more information or to purchase a “Beyond diagnosis” booklet, please contact Aurora Collective NZ (the new managers of these booklets) by emailing
welcome@auroracollective.nz – with the subject line of “Beyond diagnosis booklet”.



REVIEWS & QUOTES BELOW

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Also popularly known as our WELCOME BOOKLETS, they are Great value.
Read about them below.

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Who would Benefit from ASK's Welcome Booklet:
Written by adult autistic members of ASK, the Welcome Booklet was initially aimed at the newly diagnosed adult.  Fortyfour pages explain, caution and empower. 
Who else would benefit:
The Welcome Booklet will also be of great value to the families of autistics and those who work with them.  Within its pages, the daily life and social difficulties of those on the autism spectrum is revealed in a concise and highly readable form.  Knowing how autistics can, do and must interact with others in the world, will open doors of understanding to those who care for them, who try to understand them, and to those who love them. 
The Contents in a nutshell:
The booklet contains an informative introduction, followed by anecdotes from several authors who describe their personal journeys of self-discovery, and finishes with a large list of further literary resources.
     A review, and extracts from the Welcome Booklet follow below...
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"Beyond Diagnosis: Welcome to the Autism Spectrum!" 
This"Welcome Booklet" as it has come to be popularly known (pictured below), was first published by ASK (Autism Spectrum Kiwis) in 2010.
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Recommended for: 
Autistics, Aspies, parents, caregivers, mentors, professionals, educators, counsellors, NGOs, government, media, libraries, etc...
A Review ~ "... explains well ... the diagnosis ... in a way that ... the triad of impairments really cannot..."
“This booklet will help people recently diagnosed on their journey forward as a person on the Autism spectrum. In addition to valuable reference material, it contains a wide and healthy range of perspectives about diagnosis, meaning, feelings, disclosure, and other key topics”.

“Above all… the stories reassure. They show how so many others have ‘been there’ also. The booklet offers powerful insights into common shared life experiences of people with Asperger’s Syndrome and Higher Functioning Autism, such as misunderstanding and bullying, yearning for acceptance if not just a more normal life, and the everyday challenges of socializing and making sense of the world around us.”

“The booklet makes it clear how the autism community is flourishing, suggests positive first steps to participation, gives a pathway to meeting and respecting others after such a life-changing diagnosis, acknowledges it is just as OK for us to be ordinary as gifted, explains well what the diagnosis all means in a way that a recitation of the ‘triad of impairments’ really cannot,     and much more”.
[John Greally, Founder/Information Coordinator, Asperger’s Syndrome New Zealand]
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Selected Quotes from "Beyond Diagnosis: Welcome to the Autism Spectrum!"

     Unqualified “support” can lead people in the first flush of excitement with their diagnosis into alienating others, sometimes those closest to them. [p3]

     Many of us feel relaxed in a social situation for the first time as we have explicit permission to be ourselves.[p3]

     ASD diagnosis will give you peace of mind and permission to work with your own sensibilities and special needs rather than against them. [p4]

     Those who were initially so ardently opposed to my news have now become my most understanding and compassionate advocates and champions. [p13]

     One of my closest friends remarked that since accepting my diagnosis of Asperger’s, I have been more relaxed, joyous and interesting to be with. [p14]

     There was often a suspicion that some interests of mine were pointless, but doing something staved off boredom while I waited around for “reality”. Yeah, that sounds nuts, I know, but I bet I’m not the only Aspie who has had these feelings. [p20]

     To stand up for myself I find so hard to do, but I hate being treated like a Robot, wouldn’t you? [p30]

     So if you were to write me a letter, you would find we’d communicate much better, for then when I lose the plot, I can go back and start at the top. [p31]

     Following on from my own ownership and recognition of my diagnosis, my son agreed to have a diagnostic assessment. On our homeward journey he stated that he felt a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. [p34]
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