Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
A truly mind-boggling account of autism from the inside by an exceptional woman with Asperger syndrome, who was able to overcome her autistic features to a large extent, and can tell about her memories of what her life was like as a child and young woman. It confirms the idea that people with autism really do see the world differently. I learned a lot from this book about the very able person with autism who can become well adjusted through huge effort and intelligence. Gunilla longed to be a ‘real person’ and, remarkably, she succeeded. She has become an expert on autism and Asperger syndrome, and still remains somewhat of an outsider.
Your next book, A Real Person by Gunilla Gerland, is written by someone with autism.
Yes, but she is rather atypical because most people with autism don’t write their own books, although a few have done that. She wrote this when she was in her 20s and no longer severely autistic.
I think people may not sufficiently realise this, but the behaviour problems brought about by autism can go away, or at least it is possible to learn strategies to overcome the problems. Gunilla managed to do this and she convinces the reader that she has an exact memory of what it was like to be autistic when she was a child. Through her memories we can glimpse the utterly different world of an autistic mind.
Some of the things Gunilla writes about are hard to imagine and for me were quite shocking to read about. For example, how unbearable a simple touch can be. When Gunilla touched a metal button her stomach turned over and she felt a sharp noise that would creep up her spine. She gives a really detailed description. So to have this kind of first-hand experience is amazingly revealing.
She influenced my work because she made me think about what it must mean for such a person to reflect on herself. This is one of the most difficult things to do for someone with autism. Amazingly, she is able to do this and, as the title says, she did become ‘a real person’.
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Uta Frith is Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Visiting Professor at Aarhus University where she participates in the ‘Interacting Minds’ group. She is well-known for her pioneering work on neuro-developmental disorders, especially autism. She has contributed some of the major theories explaining the enigmatic symptoms of this condition and has published numerous scientific articles and books. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
