Uticopa Blog

The way the human mind works is still unfathomable, even by the most eminent neurophysicians.  For that reason, there are many adults walking around today who, although displaying typical symptoms of being on the autism-spectrum, have never been diagnosed.  The spectrum is wide, ranging from mild Asperger's to full-blown autism.

Asperger's is a state of mind that typically affects the male ‘systems' part of the brain, rather than the female ‘emotional' areas.  Amazingly, it was not even commonly recognised as a disorder at all until 1990.  So, when a male child asks a question such as ‘how do the traffic lights know the cars have stopped?', warning bells should ring in parents' minds.  It is a typical ‘aspie' query, based as it is on a slightly skewed sense of the world. 

There is still general ignorance about the disorder, the average parent typically laughing at their child's odd question.  Their son could not possibly have anything wrong with him because he is so quick with maths and computing, often displaying a manic sense of humour.  One father was discussing society's increasing problem with his wife:  ‘If there were 100 people in a room, one of them would have Asperger's'.  Their ‘aspie' son, overhearing this, quickly retorted ‘You'd never get the aspie in the room!'

But, increasingly, modern IT jobs are filled with men whose logical computing brains are ideally suited to the task. However, many are undiagnosed ‘aspies', struggling to cope socially in an unforgiving world.  Sufferers have to painfully learn how to interact, forcing themselves to look their colleagues in the eye, but never somehow learning about such things as social empathy with others. 

Even years ago, now we come to think about it, many of us can remember that odd man in the office who would never mix with anyone and seemed to spend hours of the working day twiddling with a set of paperclips.  He was probably an aspie too, long before it was even recognised, let alone identified or diagnosed.

But the ASD spectrum is wide.  While sufferers with a mild form can learn to live and work as adults, those at the other - more severe - end of the spectrum are in great difficulties. It took one woman, Polly Tommey, years of selfless pushing against an uncaring world before she successfully formed the Autism Trust two years ago.  Her own son Billy, now 13, was so profoundly affected by autism and attendant stomach problems that he spent his first few years screaming and banging his head against the wall and floor.

Polly knows that the future for both carers and sufferers is one fraught with uncertainty. For this reason she is desperately trying to raise £10m to build the first outreach centre where autistic adults can be supported to work.  Her ideas include centres with working farms and a business centre for mentors.

For some reason, even highly-educated people seem to think that ASD - especially Asperger's - only affects children.  From such first - skewed - childhood questions such as the one about traffic lights, the syndrome can now be correctly diagnosed wherever the sufferer may be on the ASD spectrum.

But it is as adults that society must now concentrate its efforts.

Let us hope, therefore, that Polly Tommey is successful in her campaign to help adult sufferers.