An Email from Tony Attwood

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:49 pm

Holy cow!!

Well, in back reading, it is obvious I was proud of Beorn getting accepted to the Cambridge program and wanted to share his essays. But, I went a bit overboard, and emailed Tony Attwood about them. I didn't send them to him unsolicited; I basically described what the four essay prompts were and how I think his essays are pretty good synopses of the way AS personally affects him.

I received this in email today...

Dear Pam

Thank you for your intriguing email and I very much would like to read your son’s essays. I agree that the four questions would be extremely challenging for someone with Asperger’s syndrome and particularly the first one, ‘If you were someone else, would you be friends with yourself? Why/Why Not? I think this could be a question incorporated in the diagnostic assessment of teenagers with Asperger's syndrome and also for adults.

If you can, do send me the essays as a word attachment to an email. I share your pride in his accomplishment.

Best Wishes

Tony

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: FanofPern@aol.com [mailto:FanofPern@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 14 March 2007 5:47 AM
To: anthonyattwood@xxx.com
Subject: Essays

Dear Mr. Attwood and Ms. Sheahan,

My thirteen year old son, Beorn, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when he was ten years old. He is doing very well with knowledge and accommodations in place for him at school and synagogue, although he still has never had a friend. He even did everything to lead the three different services at his Bar Mitzvah this past September!

After an intense couple of months, we have finally decided on, and he has been accepted into, a local (Gainesville, FL) high school magnet program overseen by the University of Cambridge in Britain. Part of his application was to write four essays. The four prompts were:

1. If you were someone else, would you be friends with yourself? Why/Why not?
2. What do you want to be remembered for? Why?
3. What is a mistake you're glad you made? What did you learn from it?
4. What are some words of wisdom you always try to live by?

He wrote these essays over a week to 10 days. His inability to think beyond the literal prompts kicked in big time, and my husband and I had to talk him through various ideas to get him to a point where he could then take off. But, the finished products aren't bad, in my opinion. They're definitely better than I could do.

The thing that really stands out to me is that if you want a synopsis of how AS affects Beorn socially, these four essays sum it up pretty succinctly. And I know he didn't set out to write that.

Would you be interested in reading these essays? I could email them to you as attachments in Word, or cut and paste each essay into the body of four separate emails.

Obviously, I am very proud of his accomplishment. But, I am thinking perhaps these essays may be helpful to a greater community than I can even imagine.

Sincerely,

Post by **Waddley** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:22 pm

Well do we get to read the essays?

I know that that's not why you posted this, but I would be interested in reading them.

And congratulations, that's really neat that he replied with interest.

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:23 pm

That's pretty exciting Menolly! Maybe Beorn's essays will end up as some of the personal stories that his book cover says his books include!

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:29 pm

Wadds, I am more than happy to send them out via email either as a Word attachment, or each one c&p into the body of an email. I don't want to post them to message boards yet, in case Mr. Attwood wants to do anything with them...

Thanks Jenn. I am hoping the essays may be helpful to others.

Post by **Waddley** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:33 pm

Thanks, Menolly

My email addy is m.clark42 AT gmail DOT com

Thanks!

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:49 pm

Email sent, Wadds!!

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:51 pm

Me too! Me too!

cameramanjenn@hotmail.com

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:23 pm

Jenn, you should have mail as well!

Post by **Seareach** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:15 pm

I'd love to read them too Melony. robynhb2 AT gmail DOT com

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:06 am

Congrats Menolly.

--A

Post by **Wyldewode** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:37 am

Congratulations! That is so exciting!

Post by **Alynna Lis Eachann** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:50 am

That's good news, Menolly. Can I read those essays, too? Email is busby.angel AT gmail DOT com

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:07 pm

Sent, Alynna!

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 3:52 pm

Menolly! Tell Beorn all of his essays were great. I especially liked essay 2. Essay 4 made me miss my Dad and inspired me to call him on the phone. Excellent work!

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:33 pm

Cameraman Jenn wrote:Menolly! Tell Beorn all of his essays were great. I especially liked essay 2.

Thanks Jenn. I'll let him know.

Cameraman Jenn wrote:Essay 4 made me miss my Dad and inspired me to call him on the phone. Excellent work!

Awwww...

I think essay 1 is my favorite, although it's kind of sad. But it is so...well...Beorn!!!

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

An Email from Tony Attwood

An Email from Tony Attwood