Peter Vermeulen trained as a counsellor and educationalist and has worked for many years with autistic children. At present he is Autism Consultant and Lecturer at Vlaamse Dienst Autisme, where he edits a bi-monthly magazine Autisme, and a freelance lecturer and trainer. He also works freelance at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences and the Department of Sociology at the University of Leuven. He is the author of I am Special, also published by Jessica Kingsley, and has written extensively on autism.

The humour adds greatly to the text and results in a light-hearted and enjoyable read. This does not detract from either the seriousness of the condition or the information provided.Peter Vermeulen intends the book to counter the often negative view of autism. He does this admirably without presenting an idealised picture of the condition. The idea that people with autism are not inferior but unique is a central theme. However he refers to autism as a disability and not just an alternative mode of thinking.

• Foreword, by Francesca Happé. 1. Just describe me as a computer: About this book. 2. Humorous mechanics: About humour and artificial intelligence. 3. When the sign says red you have to stop: About autistic intelligence I. 4. When life is a dotted line: About social behaviour and identity. 5. The button man: About communications. 6. Applefries: About rigidity. 7. Making coffee is not a 2 + 2 problem: About problems and problem solving. 8. Between the lines: About autistic intelligence II. 9. End notes: About the references in this book. Bibliography. Index.