The Key That Unlocked a Mystery

In the rolling green hills of Ireland, in a beautiful country village there was a loving Irish family of 3 girls and 2 boys. The younger of the 2 boys was Mark. Although Mark seemed normal to his family, he was just a little more difficult to reason with. Autism spectrum disorder was hardly heard of, and very rare, not many people would have spoken about it, known about it, or even understood it, and Aspergers certainly was not even a word back then in the early 80s. Mark went to a mainstream Catholic primary school along with his brother and sisters, in a little village in the Irish countryside. Little do his parents know Mark had a very difficult time in school, but he always kept that to himself. He struggled with the everyday things that we all take for granted. Yes, he could talk and was very verbal but could only talk about his special interests. Thats when he seemed normal and a good conversationalist, and sometimes you would even really like him. But when the subject was changed or another person joined the conversation, thats when you realize he was different. Mark was unable to follow what was happening, and become nonverbal, and quickly other kids would notice this, and when asked of his thoughts on what they were talking about, they were left with a blank stare. This is where Mark come unstuck and would have no idea what was going on, and thats when others would begin to make fun of him. Mark preferred to be alone, but there is no escape in a small country village where every one knows your business. This exciting book reveals how Mark overcomes the struggles of his childhood and his teenage years, and the many different careers he slogged through, to become the fi ne young married man and father of two he is today. His insight into autism spectrum disorder is phenomenal and this is a must-read book for those trying to comprehend the disabling nature of this syndrome. Mark reveals how he got diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of 31 after the birth of his first child who was diagnosed with Autism. For Mark this was the key that unlocked the mystery of why he struggled to fi t in all of his life.