Letters to the editor

This page is available for readers to throw brickbats or bouquets, to sound off on any subject that has provoked their ire or promoted their admiration, and generally to share with the rest of us.

There is no shortage of space!

Dear Joe

Thanks for the email and the attachment. I read it with interest. I would
agree with Fitzgerald in that Wittgenstein may have had Asperger's Syndrome.
I have read about him. Other candidates include Albert Einstein, Isaac
Newton, Andy Warhol and Glenn Gould. In Gould's case I would say he almost
certainly had it. I wouldn't have thought that either the 'mad monk' Sir
Keith Joseph, the Irish revolutionary (destined to become the Free State's
first Prime Minister and subsequently President) Eamon de Valera had AS.
They had to deal with crowds, people in their work environments,
interruptions, disruptions, and didn't have routines and obsessions as far
as what is known, but we can't test either of them as they are now dead!
Ramanujan may have been a case. Yeats and Carroll are two other people I
don't know enough about. Perhaps they may have had traits but not enough to
be fully diagnosed, although they are both dead too! As for Hitler, I know
he had Parkinson's disease in the last year's of his life. Hitler was
manipulative and able to con people, something that people with AS usually
aren't very good at. I would believe he was either a sociopath, who was good
at doing that, or had narcissitic personality disorder.

As for nurturing my own potential, well I don't believe I am doing as well as
I could, but have carved out a niche in my own area. My website has been
designed to help other people who have read about my experiences and
history. They may say to themselves 'Oh I recognise myself there' or will
write to me for advice.

From Sarah Disley, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK , December 9, 2003. [Regarding material and activities in connection with learning disabilities in the third age.]

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is primarily concerned with social research and 'Services for older people' is actually a Findings (research summary) from the full report detailed at the bottom of the Findings. The report and Findings were published in 1998. Most of our Findings can now be downloaded free of charge and each Findings should also contain links to other related Findings.

I suggest that, if you have not already done so, you look at these first of all. The JRF is currently working on an Older People's programme of research which is likely to conclude in terms of publications in 2004/5. Research published recently in this area can be found in our online catalogue via the following link:

Many of these publications can be downloaded free of charge from the site by clicking on the pdf icon next to the report details.