Autism Diagnosis
ing eye contact and wishing others good morning . He actually started enjoying the ritual , although I suspect he secretly found it somewhat absurd .
Sammy and I also dealt with the advantages of engaging in social relations . He was troubled by the unpredictability and complexity of people and would often state that getting involved with others wasn ’ t worth the trouble . I tried to help Sammy see some of the benefits and pleasures that can be gained from social interactions and suggested that he might want to form a friendship centering around an area of common interest .
As Sammy was quite interested in science fiction , he actually asked another science fiction aficionado from his class to see a new sci-fi movie that had just been released . It was quite a step to see Sammy get out of his house and go to the cinema with another human .
They began seeing movies as a joint venture and would spend hours discussing the complexities and details of each flick . After a few movies , they realized that the evening could be even more pleasurable if they would discuss the movies over burgers .
Today , Sammy is in a prestigious university studying engineering . He is still interested in rocket science . He has a circle of close friends who share his common interests .
As a clinical psychologist , my work with Sammy reminded me of how complicated and confusing human behavior can be . At the time of his mother ’ s death , Sammy had little access to his emotional
After three years of treatment , Sammy began to reprocess the loss of his mom . He cried in my office . It was the first time that he cried since his mom ’ s passing .
Today , Sammy is in a prestigious university studying engineering . He is still interested in rocket science . He has a circle of close friends who share his common interests .
life . He was operating on an intensive and narrow intellectual band that had no room for feeling or interpersonal contact .
Only after recognizing that Sammy had symptoms of high-functioning ASD were we able to bring him to the point where he could actually deal with the emotional experience of his mother ’ s death . After three years of treatment , Sammy began to reprocess the loss of his mom . He cried in my office . It was the first time that he cried since his mom ’ s passing .
He told me that it is painful to feel things and that a part of him preferred the sterility of life without emotional turmoil . I agreed with every word and offered him the compassion that one human can provide another . We both agreed that sharing mutual suffering in a compassionate and accepting manner is ultimately what defines our humanness .
Stuart Chesner , PhD is an American trained psychologist living in Israel and working with neuro-idio-syncratic individuals struggling to survive in a “ neurotypical ” dominated universe . He lectures throughout the world and has published several books on challenging children . His latest book , ADHD : An Existential Challenge with Practical Solutions , is set to be published in the near future .