Radkovová I., Hořejší J.: ASPERGER'S SYNDROME. Life under Social Pressure. Galén, Prague, 2018, 165 pp. ISBN 978-80-7492-386-9.
In seminars on bibliotherapy, it is recommended that books and other artifacts devoted to the lives of the sick, the disabled, and those struggling hard be read first and foremost by their loved ones, caregivers, nurses, teachers, and healthcare professionals, because they will learn a hundred times more from them than from textbooks and lectures. And also by those affected, so that they see they are not alone.
This applies one hundred percent to the cited book; moreover, thanks to the detective work of Jaroslav Hořejší, the information on the whole issue is much broader, and the afterword points to further possible connections concerning the origin of difficulties and a possible therapeutic intervention through dietary adjustments and the intake of certain probiotics.
At the beginning was the author's interest in sharing her childhood, adolescent, and adult experiences with readers. The publisher had maximum understanding for this effort and provided the author with an experienced confidant from among healthcare personalities and their patients, and a very interesting dialogue arose, introduced by the history and doubts about the radiant character of their godfather.
The dialogue between the author and the journalist begins with a reference to this not entirely clear history, and the reader must be immediately captivated by the author's capacity for self-reflection when in the first lines of the text she writes: "When in contact with such people (= those suffering from Asperger's syndrome), few can resist the feeling that they are being emotionally blackmailed by them, that they are their extended hand into reality, that they become their servant." It is precisely the courage to see one's own behavior through the eyes of others that turns a subjective account — which such a text could be — into a dramatic picture of the life of an affected individual and his or her immediate surroundings. This vivid portrayal allows us to glimpse the tensions and conflicts while at the same time enabling an understanding that, with an equally critically open-minded view on the part of the reader, can mean a substantial improvement in managing challenging situations.
Awareness of difference comes as early as preschool age, and films about similar children, which moreover convey the information that it is a matter of being different, not mental retardation or a defect, help one find one's place in the world. Even at this age, a child appreciates being left a protected territory in which his or her different life unfolds. "I was never comfortable in a children's group — the author writes — some children were too interactive for me." Here arises the daily difficulty of fitting in. In connection with learning, the author clearly describes what a problem it is for autistic individuals to place information into context. This is a direct lesson for educators and special educators (they presumably already know this) as to why some things remain stuck until the child or adolescent figures them out on their own.
Adult adaptation is aptly described as follows: "...in workplace relationships, a certain degree of superficiality must prevail so that people do not wear each other out. You really do not need to know everything about everyone. And so you can focus on earning money, which is the common goal of all." In this way, gradually but always with insight into both worlds, the author maps out her challenging journey through life.
I love Křička's poem One Divided by One, which ends with the words: The world would be beautiful, dear people, if / according to teacher Štěpnička each of us thought of our neighbor / You are one divided by one / except for those spelling mistakes. I think the author demonstrated this convincingly in her text.
MUDr. Radkin Honzák psychiatrist Author's blog: http://blog.aktualne.cz/blogy/radkin-honzak.php