Mark Haddon has written a wonderful book that has become a bestseller and won the Whit bread Book of the Year and Whit bread Novel awards. Mark Haddon himself is said to have exclaimed during the creation of this book: "Who on earth would want to read about a fifteen-year-old boy with disabilities?". He had no idea that it was a fifteen-year-old boy with a handicap that made his book stand out, win awards and become a bestseller. The book is called "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and the Boy is Christopher".
Christopher is an autistic scholar. He can name all the countries of the world and their capitals. He has a photographic memory and a genius in math and science. Despite his unusual intelligence, he cannot imagine, understands word formations, and has a penchant for jokes. He also doesn't like places where there are a lot of people and people touching him. People who are autistic savants show both characteristics common between people with autism and people with savant syndrome. Autism is one developmental disorder from the group of autism spectrum disorders. This condition is mainly characterized by impairment of socialization, imagination and communication. Savant syndrome is characterized by very low overall intelligence, but extremely narrow intelligence, usually in math, music, art, and memorization.
In the story, Christopher's parents are separated. His mother has decided to leave Christopher and his father because she can no longer handle the demands of having an autistic child. Parents who care for special children, such as children with autism, are likely to experience higher levels of stress compared to most parents. This is mainly because their children have special needs, unusual behaviors and different abilities compared to other children of the same age. These children will most likely have difficulty communicating, which will lead to unusual responses. An example of this is when an autistic child cries and starts hitting for no apparent reason. Most likely, something is making him feel upset, but he can't express what it is because he doesn't know how. Some autistic children with sensory integration problems may be either hyposensitize or hyposensitive to touch, pressure, movement and sound. They will exhibit certain behaviors that are sometimes difficult to understand, such as avoiding certain types of food and drink, pinching or hitting, repetitive movements, and screaming. Some of them may also show strong adherence to certain routines and fear of new places or people. Adapting to the needs and coping with the behavior of these children is not easy and therefore can lead to a lot of stress.
Autism can significantly limit a child's world. They thrive on security and should avoid anything they perceive as a threat to their safety. However, many factors, situations and demands of society make them insecure and being forced to deal with them usually makes them very anxious. Children with autism unconsciously and unintentionally have a constant feeling of anxiety about anything that is new or foreign to their understanding. Just like in the book, when Christopher had to leave the city he knows, he was physically sick and scared. Unlike most children, children with autism cannot easily adapt to new environments or situations. The process of learning to understand and accept what was previously unknown to them leads to higher levels of anxiety.
Despite what appears to be a difficult task of adapting and managing autistic children, much has been studied and published about proper management that will not only reduce children's anxiety but also their parents' stress. Some methods, such as cognitive behavior modification, behavior modification techniques, and environmental modification techniques, have been shown to be effective in changing inappropriate behavior and improving learning skills in children with autism. Some who have conditions other than autism may need additional treatment as recommended by their doctors. Autistic children who also suffer from manic depression due to their frustration at being involuntarily trapped in their self-defensive behaviors may need more therapy than previously mentioned. In this situation, a consultation with a psychiatrist is strongly recommended, and additional medications it can be prescribed.
Christopher's story ended with him being able to overcome the issues that caused him too much anxiety, and his mother decided to return to take care of him. Just like in this fictional novel, the same can be achieved in real life when it comes to managing stress and anxiety in families who need to cope with this condition. With the right treatment, medication or therapy, stress and anxiety between parents and autistic children can be effectively addressed.
You must be logged in to post a comment.