Dear My Younger Mum and Dad,
I am writing to you to help you understand more about the difficulties Young Stephen is facing, especially regarding his education.
He will be diagnosed with a condition which causes one to view the world differently. The condition in question also results in the way one may relate to, interact and communicate with other people and the wider world in general. It can cause difficulties for the sufferer to understand different forms of body language, including facial expressions and others’ emotions. They can also fail to appreciate that others can have different points of view about things.
Problems with processing language and information using somewhat different mechanisms to what is expected can be evident too. This can create issues with understanding new concepts, and what it is one may be being asked to do. Difficulties applying new knowledge can be experienced too. More complicated forms of language, like idioms and inferences, can be particularly problematic, as literal views of language can be taken.
Young Stephen is at a good school who will be sensitive and flexible in their approach, and do a good job in accommodating his educational needs. He will make adequate progress, do good pieces of work, achieve marks which you will be pleased with, even though he may never be top of the class. The Professor who’ll diagnose him will liken his case to being in the Pacific Ocean, but close enough to the safety of the seashore, rather than being way out in the Challenger Deep. So overall, he won’t be seen as a hopeless case.
You’ll think up good ideas to support him in his learning and other school projects, particularly in relation to his interests. One of his teachers will be very creative in their teaching methods too. His language and understanding in general will improve in time. He’ll get good at maths(especially mental arithmetic), science and French too. It’s just going to take him a bit longer to get there, with some testing times along the way. But don’t worry. He’ll have the ability to do it. Look out in the church entrance for a message which states, ‘With great love, there are miracles’.
Music will be another interest of his. He’ll learn how to play the piano well, which will give him opportunities to contribute to school life.
And to top it off, despite his difficulty, he will be well liked by the other children at his new primary school, all of whom he’ll generally mix with very well. He won’t be seen as nasty, a troublemaker, disruptive, or anything like that.
Bye for now.
Older Stephen
Hi there, readers! It was just before Christmas 2023 since I last posted on this blog. The holiday season came and went, but rest assured, my creative endeavours have been underway behind the scenes. Today, I'm thrilled to rekindle my digital dialogue and share with you a newfound passion that has been shaping my journey […]
Dear Young Stephen, There are a number of things I want to say to you about your difficulties with learning and schooling. I will start off by saying that things will be difficult for you in your education now as a result of your language difficulties. You are one of those who just happens to […]
In this particular episode of Stephen's Evolution, I share my personal journey growing up on the autism spectrum, highlighting the critical role empathy, understanding, and inclusion can play in the lives of autistic children. Through reflections on my school experiences, I emphasise how small acts of kindness at times from classmates gave me insights in […]
