A big part of my clinical practice is with kids and teenagers with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism. I’d like to share an anecdote about one of these children that I find endearing and heart-warming. Almost two years ago, my son was born. In the weeks and months leading up to that event, I had been letting the families with whom I worked know that I would be taking about 6 or 7 weeks off to be with wife and newborn son. Just before going on parental leave, I had my final session with a boy with high functioning autism, who was then 10 years old. He said, in his characteristically sincere and intense manner, that he had something to tell me. He stood about 4 inches away from me — which was also very characteristic of him — and said, “If your wife is as nice and as smart as you are then your son is going to be the nicest genius in the whole world!” As I was beginning to glow from his comment, he continued, “And if she’s not as nice and as smart as you are, well, then he’ll have some of each of you!” We are tremendously fortunate in our son, who is happy, healthy, spirited, energetic, curious, and good-natured. And we couldn’t have asked for a better birth wish than we got from my kind, spirited, good-natured, generous client. When I thought about his words, I realized that I would have never heard such a wish had my client not had Aspergers or High Functioning Autism. This child, like many with this disorder, doesn’t screen or filter out his thoughts to nearly the extent that other children do. He is fairly oblivious to social norms and niceties. He said what was in his heart. After his comment about my son being “the nicest genius in the whole world,” he added the portion about our son’s prospects if my wife were not as nice and smart as I am because he does not think in terms of tact and etiquette. Again, he spoke directly from his heart. And I’m so glad he did.
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