One of the more moving and surprising stories I read this week was an interview with a woman diagnosed with autism, and how that has impacted her relationship with her children (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dena-gassner-autism-diagnosis-mom_us_5706ad8ce4b0b90ac2719d08).
This is just yet one more example of the true diversity of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yes, there are folks who will have to be taken care of for the rest of their lives. And yet others like this woman in the interview not only can have productive lives, but to care for others, to have a partner, and to have children.
And that’s what I tried to do when writing the character Laura and her father Peter, who has had to care for her as a single father for most of her life. Their journey is unique to them. Laura may or may not be able to eventually raise a child, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the instinct to want to care for others, or to experience all the emotions and desires that neurotypicals have – even if someone with ASD like Laura may not always be able to express such desires in a seamless and “natural” manner that neurotypicals take for granted.