Tony Attwood

Dr. Tony Attwood (born 1952 in Birmingham, England) is an English psychologist who lives in Queensland, Australia, and author of several books on Asperger's Syndrome. His most famous book &mdash; listed below &mdash; provides information on diagnosis, problems of social relations, sensory issues, motor control and other typical issues which face people with Asperger's and their support networks.

Asperger syndrome and certain interests
Attwood notes a strong association between certain types of interests and Asperger's Syndrome (AS). In a talk for partners of people with AS in 2000 he illustrated what he describes as the "courtship" phase of AS by reference to Star Trek conventions, calling them "reunions for people with Asperger's" -- a classification he also extended to train spotters in the UK similarly characterised. These statements have been repeated since.

Although intended as illustrative of a class of readily-identified behaviours, these statements give to some the impression of being a mass diagnosis of a pervasive developmental disorder merely because they are fans of a particular television program. Attwood has stated that it is focus on the interest itself over and above the people who share that interest which he considers as a marker.

Publications

 * Attwood, Tony. Asperger's Syndrome. A Guide for Parents and Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1998. Foreword by Lorna Wing. ISBN 1-85302-577-1.
 * Attwood, Tony. The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006. ISBN 1-84310-495-4.