A little girl who has always had difficulty reading people's facial
expressions and making friends has been diagnosed with autism. No
surprise there. But this little girl is extra special. Rosie King
diagnosed herself after reading a children's book about autism.
The British youngster had been given a copy of Little Rainman to
help her make sense of her little brother, Lenny's disabilities. The
six-year-old boy is almost completely non-verbal, and his difficulties
in social situations are significantly more pronounced than his
sister's. Their sister Daisy, at eight the middle child, suffers from Kabuki syndrome, a rare disorder that is characterized by - among other things - arched eyebrows similar to those favored by the Kabuki theater performers in ancient Japan. Most of the sufferers have myriad physical abnormalities plus mild to moderate intellectual difficulties.
Rosie's mom said her oldest was always a "little peculiar," but an otherwise "happy and healthy child." Her personality was so different from that of Lenny, who was diagnosed with autism at two, that her parents simply never thought of an autism diagnosis. When Rosie pointed out the child in the book was a lot like her, the Kings made an appointment with a a speech therapist, child psychologist and behavioral therapist. The diagnosis was Asperger's, a form of autism.
Why do I love this story? Because Rosie sounds like the kind of kid any of us would love to have - smart, happy, healthy . . . and still willing to snuggle with mom and read a book. She's a prime example of why autism can't be painted with a broad brush. She's proof that developmental disabilities don't take away from a child's ability to love or be loved, and not every disability affects a child's brain.
Image: Yorkshire Evening Post
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