Autism Literature: Part I

By Katelyn McTague, Soft Blog Contributor

There's been an increasing amount of literature about autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and related disabilities published in recent years, due to the increasing diagnoses of a range of developmental disabilities. This is great because it gets stories out there and helps people understand a lot more about what it is like to have and live with these disabilities. However, it has also led to authors just stamping the word autism or Asperger's onto a book to sell copies.

During my time at college I looked at a number of these recent works along with some older works. One book that I read and loved is Not Even Wrong by Paul Collins. In his memoir, Collins discusses both his son's autism, and the ancient history of autism, starting back in the seventeenth century. He tracks Autism through various appearances during the past three hundred years and connects the disorder to common problems and everyday understandable sights. Collins presents autism, which can be unfathomable at times, in such a way that makes it relatable. He gives the reader a sense that Autism is a greater part of our everyday world than it seems to be at first, even when you live with it in your own house.

Collins beings his discussion with the story of Peter the Wild Boy. Peter lived in the 1700s and was found when he was roughly twelve, living in the wild in present day Germany. He was naked, ran on all fours, could not speak, and wasn't mindful of others by any account. In November of 1725 Peter was introduced to the former, "elector of Hanover – a pale little nobleman whom none of his subjects could make any sense of either" (Collins 15). The elector of Hanover had received another official position ten years before, and had become King George I of England. The following year Peter was taken to London and brought to see the court at St. James' Palace. Despite multiple efforts to socialize and civilize Peter, he remained much as he had been when he was found in the forests of Germany. Collins explains that with, "enough prompting, Peter could be made to repeat letters, his name and some monosyllabic words. Curiously, he did not use this language the way one might expect-that is, to express his needs or wants. Words had to be pried out of him, and he ignored further attempts to continue into actual conversation. He was a genuinely friendly and imitative boy with remarkably good hearing; he simply did not want to talk" (Collins 29).

Collins goes on to trace autism through the next 300 years, giving examples of communities for people with disabilities in the 19^th century, describing the discoveries of Dr. Kanner and Dr. Asperger, the negative involvement of Bruno Bettleheim, and even how prison inmates are working to train dogs to help children with Autism. Collins intertwines the history with his own narrative about his Autistic son Morgan, and family's path. This book was educational and informative, and at the same time, written with a sensitivity that is appreciated when you have a loved one with a disability.