Navigating the system-- big mistakes and new perspectives as told to the Asperger Experts team, introduction. Raising someone with Asperger's or autism spectrum disorder can be a very big challenge. I should know. I was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 12 and put my parents through quite the experience.

Here at Asperger Experts, we've dedicated our lives to making that journey just a little bit easier. We believe in learning directly from those who have experienced it because, as I'm sure you're all well aware by now, there is a big difference between lived knowledge and book knowledge when it comes to Asperger's and autism.

So rather than fill this book with a whole bunch of scientific jargon, we're bringing the experiences, mistakes, and stories of fellow parents to you. In the following pages, you'll learn the mistakes they've made, the things they've figured out, and what they wish they could have done differently. The journey of raising someone with Asperger's is tough, but that doesn't mean you're alone in the journey. Together, we can all benefit from each other's knowledge and perspective.

Here at AE, we believe that people do the best they can with the emotional capacity they have, something we call emotional resource theory. It informs everything we do and all of our courses. And at the heart of it, it is all about defense mode. Defense mode is something you'll hear mentioned throughout this book. And to put it simply, it's a state where people on the autistic spectrum often find themselves, where they're very stressed, very scared, and very defensive, hence the name.

The good news is that with the lessons you'll learn throughout this book, you'll be on the right track to help get your child out of defense mode, help them eventually live an independent life, and open up their world. There is hope. Together, we will not only get through this but thrive. Danny Raede and the Asperger Experts team.