(no subject)

[quidditchgrrl]

An annoyance that has developed over the past few months, since I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime:

Do readers not understand that Christopher has Asperger's Syndrome? And that it is, in layman-type terms, a sort of high-functioning autism?

I found Christopher's character development okay; he's not from a family that has a lot of money or spare time. His mom is flighty and moody and his father pleading and taciturn. It's not the shiny, we're-so-happy-to-have-an-abnormal-kid-and-everything-is-wonderful family. That's what bugs me - a lot of readers criticize Christopher's parents. Bet they'd have just as hard a time dealing with a very intelligent child that has a limited way of interacting in the world.

I blame Corky for the delusion that love conquers everything.

Maybe it's because I have to talk to one of my staffers this week about his recent attitude, and I have to think about how to do this correctly. It would be easier to say, "dude, chill out" than "we need to discuss your behavior," and "straighten up" than "When you feel angry, you need to think about why you are angry and you need to decide how you will deal with that."

It would be easier to turn off the mentoring part of my mind, and assume that he should know how to handle being upset, and give him the what-for. That's the American Way, right?

Anyone else read this? Thoughts, good or bad? Theories about Milky bars and why Christopher ate them even though they were yellow?

Comments

[photosinensis.livejournal.com]

I'll have to read that.

However, no book can accurately describe the hell that is living on the wrong side of an Asperger's brain. The closest thing I can use to describe is that it's like everyone around you is some kind of alien, and they don't usually speak your language. Even then, that's a very rough, not-quite-accurate description.

Omnia vincit amor is the greatest lie that man has ever been told. It's also one of the oldest. I think it's because we want certain "problems" to be solved, but the reality is that the percieved problem isn't the actual problem.

And now I'm probably confusing you. Honestly, I'm not sure of what I'm saying myself.

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

You have to realize that his Mom took off, and that his Father said that she was dead. That'll play with your mind. I wish I new more about the Sherlock Holmes books, there were lots of Arthur Conan Doyle refs.

I rooted for Christopher, and wanted him to succeed. Having a child who can't function if he doesn't line up the pots and pans on the stove correctly or pitches a fit if a glass is not properly on the dining room table gives it perspective.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I LOVED Curious Incident. A co-worker's son (his only child, actually) is probably high-functioning autistic and I've promised to bring the book to him so he can read it. I caught on pretty quickly that Christopher had Asperger's, but maybe that's because I know someone else (a girl) who does.

That's what bugs me - a lot of readers criticize Christopher's parents. Bet they'd have just as hard a time dealing with a very intelligent child that has a limited way of interacting in the world.

Right in one. I thought it was a fairly interesting way of having the family deal with the stressors of raising him, rather than making everything all hunky dory. (Besides, this is fiction; if there's no conflict, there's not much action, is there?)

[jaffa75.livejournal.com]

I have trouble reading books with anything about intellectual disabilities. Due to the fact that I have worked in the disability industry for many years. Some things can be spot on in books, and movies. But I have yet to find something that has really made me think wow yeah thats how it is for people with disabilities and their families. But then having a disability can be such a differing experience for each person that has one and the people around them. I guess though most people don't have an understanding of Aspergers, when they think of Autism they think of the movie rain man. So to see and here of someone who is to a certain degree functioning withing society, I think they just comprehend. Most people that I have worked with that have had Aspergers have been incredibly bright in some areas. But when it comes to interacting with others they just can't do it. I think most people would see that type of behaviour as anti social, but not necessarily having anything to do with having a disability. Its nice to see someone else out there have some sort of knowledge about it, as it really is not widely known about.
But I guess I have gotten off the track about the book, I probably won't read it as I really would get upset about it and it would probably make me tear up a bit. Heck the time travelers wife did that to me cause I associated Henry's time traveling gene with my husbands Epilepsy. I am hopeless with things like that.
Well I hope this makes sense and that there aren't to many spelling mistakes as I am buggered and haven't read over it again. So pardon the mistakes I am sure there are plenty of them.

[quidditchgrrl.livejournal.com]

I've read about it, because I want to be able to communicate effectively and ease as much psychic tension as I can (which, I realize, is practically impossible, as I am human).

I hate the idea that having a child with a disability automatically means that your behavior has to be or will always be above-board. People have tended to criticize Christopher's parents in this book, because they are human, have frailities, make HUGE mistakes. That makes people uncomfortable, but I can't see why.

[quidditchgrrl.livejournal.com]

I think that is what bothers me: a lot of the poor reviews hit Christopher's parents very hard, as if people who have a child with special needs are automatically given strength, courage and the moral fiber to make the right choice every time.

I think Christopher handles things fairly well, and he understands that his father, and later his mother, love him, even if he doesn't understand their motives for what they did. I liked Christopher.

[quidditchgrrl.livejournal.com]

I really liked the whole dynamic with the parents, having them be working-class, not college-educated, because not everyone is (outside of the people that are paraded on TV, those martyrs of private tutoring and home health care).

I think it makes people uncomfortable when they read about people yelling at their disabled kids, getting angry at them, because people don't want to think about having to live up to such a standard (see martyrs above).

I know I couldn't do it, and the only interactions I have are with a staff member under me (and even then, our initial interactions were supervised by a coach from the program he was enrolled in).

[quidditchgrrl.livejournal.com]

I think one of the toughest things people with AS deal with is BEING very intelligent, but lacking in social and verbal skills.

So many people forget that there are so many pieces to personality, that when one is missing, it's a big problem! I specifically address this with all of our new staff, how to interact with this particular person, because he's not going to say, "hi, I have AS, nice to meet you." It has to be done for him, in a sense, so people understand that he's not anti-social, he just needs a little more space and more specific questions.

Who knew one would be required to think when interacting with another person!?

Yes, parts of this book were very upsetting. I found it worth the read, if only to understand the pressures of raising a child with disabilities/special needs, and how that child perceives the world around him.

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

",,,as if people who have a child with special needs are automatically given strength, courage and the moral fiber to make the right choice every time."

I can say from personal experience that isn't the case. We're all supposed to be superhuman, in fiction and in real life.

I've read two recent works of fiction in which a child with autism is the key to the plot. Both books were written by the mother of an autistic child. They both would have been better as non-fiction.

Christopher is a good kid. I hope no yellow cars are outside the window on his side of the bus today.

[jacyevans.livejournal.com]

I have a bit of an odd view on this book, as I had to read for my Cetacean Communication class and write a 5 page paper on how it illustrates communication, according to the guidlines we'd learned in class (good God, but that was a mouthful). I'm probably going to re-read it for my own enjoyment, and just read it as a book rather than a project.

I really liked the book - I thought all of the characterizations were very good. I don't personally know anyone with an Autistic child, but from what I've learned (in classes), I thought Christopher's characterization was spot-on. I also think that I am one of the few people who actually liked that his parents screwed up so badly. Okay, so I thought that his father telling him his mother was dead was wrong. No, his mother shouldn't have left him - but that's what made the book so real to me. Like someone else said in your comments, not all parents of disabled children are full of strength and "moral fiber" - some of them just can't deal, so they run away, or lie their way through things because it's just easier then facing the problem. After watching my parents deal with my brother (who has Tourettes and is bipolar) growing up, my father fighting depression himself, I know that it's always hard and never easy.

Okay, that went in a completely different direction then I meant... but yes, I liked the book alot.

[rebeccasama.livejournal.com]

That book is actually on my list of things to read... I've heard nothing but good things about it.