Love, Partnership, or Singleton on the Autism Spectrum

Luke Beardon, PhD is Senior Lecturer in Autism at The Autism Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Dean Worton has Asperger Syndrome, and runs a successful website that supports adults with AS in the UK. He hosts meetings for its members, and works as a technical officer in the public sector.

A brilliant collection of essays from autistic writers giving us personal insights into thoughts on relationship preferences and also valuable guidance for autistic people and those who love them. Demonstrating that autistic people often want to share their lives with others in a wide variety of set-ups, this book finally puts to bed the age-old myth of autistic people as isolated loners. The wonderful diversity of the autism population when it comes to choosing how to live and who with shines through.

• Foreword. Luke Beardon. 1. Different Loves for Different Folks. Wenn Lawson. 2.Knowing, Being, Living : I Am One. Tracy Turner. 3. Man in Progress. Alex Wilkinson. 4. A Marriage of Two Halves. Sandra Beale-Ellis. 5. Learning to Adapt to a Different Type of Relationship. Joseph Edmonds. 6. True Love, Finding Someone Special Enough to Deserve Me. Lynette Marshall. 7. Benefits and Drawbacks of Relationships in a Different Culture to One's Own. Freddie. 8. Meeting the Train. Alyssa Aleksanian. Appendix 8a. 'Do You Come with Instructions?' Alyssa Aleksanian. 9. Learning From Failed Relationships and Overcoming Sexual Obsession. David Walsh. 10. The Infatuation that Almost Killed Me. Anthony Sclafani. 11. A Relationship is Not a Hobby. It's a Full-time Commitment, Like it or Not! Norman Bridge. 12. Accepting Each Other (AKA Chapter Twelve). Alexandra Brown. 13. How to Build and Maintain an Intimate Relationship. Dr Christopher Wilson. 14. Thoughts From a Late-diagnosed Aspie... and From Her Husband Too.... Joanna Treasure. 15. What Makes an Individual the Right Partner? Lacey Kerr. 16. Finding Out That the Two of Us Share a Place on the Spectrum. C.A. Smart. 17. Welcome to Planet PJ. P.J. Hughes. 18. Will I Get it Right Next Time? Philip Bricher. 19. 'Doing Social' - Every Old Sock Meets a New Shoe. David Smith. 20. Happily Married on the Spectrum. Paul and Elizabeth Wady. 21. Anniversary Flowers - It's the Thought That Counts. Jules. 22. Love (and Sex) is Just a Game. Gwen Greenwood. 23. Relationships - Sublime or Ridiculous? Atul Movelis. 24. Intimate Relationships - Head or Heart? A. Nonny Mouse. 25. Kissing the Frog. Chris Stobart. 26. An Aspie Accord. Planet Autism.