Look Me In The Eyes Book Summary
Look me in the Eyes: Book Review
Astrid E. León
California State University, Monterey Bay
Look me in the Eyes
Introduction
The mental health profession has made impressive strides in the diagnosis of various mental illnesses. The present situation contrasts sharply with the state of the profession in the past when practitioners were stunned by illnesses that they could not diagnose. In his book, Look me in the eyes, John Elder Robinson provides insights into the struggles endured by those ailing from Asperger’s syndrome. He details his experiences with this condition while giving focus to his inability to properly interact with others and respond properly to various situations (Robison, 2008). The book also highlights the failure of the mental health profession to deliver appropriate …show more content…
Instead, it is bundled together with other conditions that are collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Among the symptoms that an individual is required to exhibit to be diagnosed with any of the conditions in this group of disorders is abnormal social approach (APA, 2013). Essentially, this means that the individual should be unable to behave properly in social situations. There are numerous instances in the book where John demonstrates abnormal social behavior. For instance, he learns about the death of Betsy, a friend of his mother’s (Robison, 2008). The normal response to bad news is sadness and some expression of sympathy. Instead of responding in the manner that a normal individual would, John smiles. John does not understand why smiling is not acceptable. He tries to rationalize his response. He thinks that since he is not dead and all his parents are not dead either, he has no reason to be sad (Robison, 2008). John’s response to the news of Betsy’s death adds to the other symptoms already discussed to make the case that he is definitely ailing from Asperger’s
Astrid E. León
California State University, Monterey Bay
Look me in the Eyes
Introduction
The mental health profession has made impressive strides in the diagnosis of various mental illnesses. The present situation contrasts sharply with the state of the profession in the past when practitioners were stunned by illnesses that they could not diagnose. In his book, Look me in the eyes, John Elder Robinson provides insights into the struggles endured by those ailing from Asperger’s syndrome. He details his experiences with this condition while giving focus to his inability to properly interact with others and respond properly to various situations (Robison, 2008). The book also highlights the failure of the mental health profession to deliver appropriate …show more content…
Instead, it is bundled together with other conditions that are collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Among the symptoms that an individual is required to exhibit to be diagnosed with any of the conditions in this group of disorders is abnormal social approach (APA, 2013). Essentially, this means that the individual should be unable to behave properly in social situations. There are numerous instances in the book where John demonstrates abnormal social behavior. For instance, he learns about the death of Betsy, a friend of his mother’s (Robison, 2008). The normal response to bad news is sadness and some expression of sympathy. Instead of responding in the manner that a normal individual would, John smiles. John does not understand why smiling is not acceptable. He tries to rationalize his response. He thinks that since he is not dead and all his parents are not dead either, he has no reason to be sad (Robison, 2008). John’s response to the news of Betsy’s death adds to the other symptoms already discussed to make the case that he is definitely ailing from Asperger’s