Today we all piled in the car and turned on NPR - Talk of the Nation was on and they were interviewing the author of Born on a Blue Day. Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant - who is gifted with languages and a relationship with numbers. It was an amazing interview, I hope it will be podcast and available on Itunes. The book is available at Amazon - I'm having one sent right away.
For me, autism is a parrallel process. There is the facination with a condition that has such a variety of manifestations, symptoms and intensities. For a child development person, there are really interesting aspects. Listening to Daniel Tammet reminded me, his relationship to numbers is really like he has the ability to understand and process numbers in ways that are outside of normal experience. The other aspect is the daily, very emotion laden, challenging process of supporting the development of my lovely son, Nathaniel. He was diagnosed beginning at age two, and his symptoms were at their most severe when he was three and four, two years in which he rarely slept and had some really challenging behaviors. At almost six, Nathaniel is a sweet and very connected boy. He does not speak, but is still trying. Communication is by far his most severe disability. But his desire to be with people and to interact is a great strength. We just love him, and struggle to know the best supports for him.
Anyway, I can't wait to read Daniel Tammet's book. Be well.
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