Preface / Luke Beardon -- 1. Opening the umbrella (multicoloured thank you very much) / Alyssa Aleksanian -- 2. How volunteering with Bradford Autism Support gave me confidence and helped me come to terms with my own diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome / Gewn Greenwood -- 3. A new career path: undertaking a PhD: the doctor will see you now / Christopher Wilson -- 4. Becoming a parent is really, really, hard ... who would have guessed? / Becky Heaver -- 5. Autism and music / Michael Barton -- 6. How discovering creative writing opened up a whole new world for the Aspie in me / Andrew Smith -- 7. Lifeline: how I manage my autism to create a positive life experience / Tracy Turner -- 8. Positive experiences of being on the autistic spectrum: personal reflections from Joanna Treasure / Joanna Treasure -- 9. A year in Normandy: learning a foreig language and culture / Dean Worton -- 10. The story behind a story: my novella -- The Atlas legacy / Colin Newton -- 11. My London Marathon experience: walking into a new day / Dominic Walsh -- 12. In an economic climate when the most able in society are having difficulty finding work, what chance do those with disabilities have? Tony's journey / Maggie -- 13. Loyal companions: animals can teach us a lot about happiness and acceptance / Debbie Allen -- 14. Celebrating the autism spectrum / P.J. Hughes.;15. Positive experiences for Sarah (aged 27): enjoying freedom that I never thought I'd have / Sarah Galley -- 16. How our negative experiences can raise awareness of autism andproduce positive results for society / A. Nonny Mouse -- 17. Aspies' experience in theatre / C.A. Smart -- 18. The day I (nearly) became a male prostitute / Atul Movelis -- 19. My radio show: making people happier with my strong music interest and knowledge / Gerard Wilkie -- 20. Turning points: how thinking outside the box helped me overcome hurdles in my music teaching career / Eloise B. -- 21. Why bother? Aiming to create social fairness and harmony / Maurice Frank -- 22. Positives I can draw from experiences as a result of the tragic events of 7 July 2005 in London / Serena Shaw -- 23. Interview with a music lover on positive aspects in his life / Andy R. -- 24. Revelations on Planet Autism / Planet Autism -- 25. Two very different birth stories / Nat Goldthorpe -- 26. Syndromes, spectra and starlight / Barnabear ; 27. Turning a negative into a positive / Alex Wilkinson -- 28. Dream big: there can be another end to the rainbow / Lynette Marshall.;"In this diverse collection, 28 writers describe positive experiences they have had on the autism spectrum and reveal how the most unexpected things can be a source of positivity. Their insights are moving, honest, often hilarious and almost always surprising. From hair-raising travel experiences to dynamic parenting, teaching music to volunteering, running a marathon to taking on a PhD, they show that autism need not limit life."--Back cover.
