Not Stupid by Anna Kennedy Read Free Book Online Page B

schools but often they find themselves subject to teasing or bullying. That said, some cope well, achieving good progress, some even going on to further education and employment. Others, like Patrick, just cannot cope and require more specialist, individual attention. However, they are often of average or even above-average intelligence but, sadly, even today, there are few educational facilities for children with the condition.
    Despite his condition, it’s clear Patrick is not stupid, although he has often convinced himself that he is. As with many who have the condition, Patrick’s obsession with dinosaurs and trains has practically made him an expert in each field and it was heartening to read that, because of this side to the condition, many like him can go on to study or work in their favourite subjects.
    The more I read about Asperger Syndrome, the more itseemed I was reading about Patrick. There was his inability to understand a joke; his stilted, exaggerated language and the need to keep sentences clear and concise when speaking to him; the way he excels at learning facts and figures; his lack of social skills or consideration for the feelings of others; and his difficulty in understanding abstract concepts such as religion or literature and nonverbal signals.
    People with Asperger Syndrome usually prefer their day to follow a set pattern – they do not react well to change or delays such as a traffic delay or a late train. They tend to be very punctual and, far from being a handicap in later life, these traits can actually prove to be assets when the child grows into adulthood and is seeking employment. Most employers would welcome an employee who is totally focused on their subject, hates being late, and is dedicated and reliable, wouldn’t they? Of course, all this would need to be balanced by the understanding of employers and work colleagues.
    As for the causes of Asperger Syndrome and autism, well, these are still under investigation. It seems some experts believe there is no single cause for Asperger Syndrome, that it arises from a variety of physical factors that affect the development of the brain. It is not assumed to be caused by either emotional deprivation or a person’s upbringing.
    Autism, it is believed, could be associated with a variety of conditions that affect the development of the brain before, during or soon after birth. Genetic factors are also considered to be relevant.
    So now, at last, I was beginning to understand what Patrick, Angelo, Sean and I would have to spend the rest of our livesdealing with, but one thing common to both conditions was the importance placed on early diagnosis and intervention in order for sufferers to obtain a better chance of appropriate help and support.
    Where on earth was that for Patrick?
    Now, however, I can better understand why it’s so difficult to diagnose autism as the spectrum is so wide. But at least, armed with more information, Sean and I were now in a position to make informed choices for our sons’ wellbeing.
    Of course, so far I have touched on only two aspects of the autistic spectrum’s disorders. There are others, though. The term semantic-pragmatic disorder has been around for nearly 15 years. Originally it was used only to describe children who were not autistic. Features of the condition include delayed language development; learning to talk by memorising phrases instead of putting words together freely; repeating phrases out of context – especially snippets remembered from television programmes; muddling up ‘I’ and ‘you’; problems with understanding questions – particularly those involving ‘how’ and ‘why’; and difficulty in following conversations.
    Children with this disorder have problems understanding the meaning of what other people say, and they do not understand how to use speech appropriately themselves. Soon after this condition was recognised, both research and practical experience yielded two important