The Asperkid’s Launch Pad: Home Design to Empower Everyday Superheroes

For Asperkids, home is both their protected lair and their launch pad into success in a neurotypical world. Jennifer O'Toole provides parents with all the help they need in planning their home environment to encourage their Asperkid superheroes to soar.

The Asperkid's Launch Pad is a visually-led guide to preparing a home environment that supports the development of children with Asperger syndrome. From a bedroom light switch that the child can easily reach, to a tucked-away safe place that he or she can retreat to when feeling overwhelmed or anxious, small changes in the home can boost the child's self-confidence, independence, comfort and life skills. Award-winning author Jennifer O'Toole gives readers a walk-through tour of the home, showing, room by room, how physical surroundings affect Asperkids and highlighting the learning opportunities in every space and object.

Beautifully presented with color photographs throughout, this functional and fun book will win a place in the homes and hearts of all parents of children with Asperger syndrome.

Jennifer Cook O’Toole has Asperger syndrome and is the mother to three young Asperkids. She graduated from Brown University, and attended Columbia University’s Graduate School of Social Work. She has previously worked as a social worker, and a teacher in both special needs and mainstream education. She has also served on the Family Advisory Board for Levine Children’s Hospital, North Carolina, and regularly gives presentations on special needs parenting. In 2002 she was nominated for Disney’s Teacher of the Year Award. More recently, she has been honored with the GRASP (Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership) 2012 Distinguished Spectrumite Medal, as well as the 2012 Temple Grandin Award for ＂outstanding accomplishment and contribution to [her] family and community＂. She is the author of Asperkids and The Asperkid’s (Secret) Book of Social Rules, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina.