Mary-Anne - Interview 25  

Mary-Anne - Interview 25

Age at Interview: 32
Sex: Female
Background: Mary-Anne, a full time carer, lives with her son who is 11 years old. Ethnic background/nationality: White other.

Brief outline:Mary-Anne’s son, Arthur, was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, Tourettes syndrome and elements of ADHD and OCD three years ago. He attends a special school which he enjoys.

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Mary-Ann gives an example of Arthur interpreting things literally.

 



Well I can give you an example. At Christmas time we were over at my brother’s house and my brother, my brother has kids as well, two daughters. And they had all been in his house, and they had all been playing tag and running around and while I wasn’t there apparently they had decided that there was to be no more running in the house. Well Arthur as I said doesn’t sit down. He doesn’t keep still and he paces a lot. And my brother has got a big dining room and then a door and the lounge. So there is quite a long area to pace. And Arthur goes up and down. And anyway, Arthur, we were in the lounge and Arthur and it really bugs my brother actually because that constant movement it can get too much and for my brother it gets too much. Anyway Arthur was running up and down it, because there is a like a little steps and he would run and jump. Okay. So my brother turned round to him and said... What did he say? He said, “Stop running, Arthur.” So Arthur went into slow motion. So my brother turned round and said, “Are you taking the mickey out of me?”
 
And you know, he really made it as if, Arthur had deliberately, was deliberately being obtuse and was trying to show my brother up in some way, you know, which is just bizarre for me, knowing Arthur. Yes, may be, yes, he didn’t listen. Yes, you know, he went into slow motion. I said to him, I said, so I turned round to my brother, I said, “[brother] you need to be… “ I said, “He is not trying to show you up. He is not taking the mickey out of you. You have got to be specific. Tell him to walk. Don’t tell him stop running, because he has stopped running. That is not running.” You know. “You have got to tell him to walk.” And then my brother in law jumped down me, “Oh so you are saying that Arthur is right, and [brother] is wrong and …” and this and that. And you know and it blew out into total thing… and then they were like, “Oh you should have waited and told [brother] later that you have got to be more specific.” And I said to Arthur. I said, “Arthur what were you …” He said, “Well I slowed down. And you just don’t want me to run, because it is not safe going fast. Well I wasn’t going fast.” [laugh]

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