Janet Frame's Autobiography Reveals She Suffered Autism
The internationally-acclaimed New Zealand author Janet Frame may have had autism, says a doctor who found repeated signs of the condition in her three autobiographical books. "Janet Frame was an interesting example of what may be achieved by those with strong autistic features," rehabilitation physician Dr Sarah Abrahamson says in today's New Zealand Medical Journal. Dr Abrahamson, of the Queen Elizabeth Centre in Victoria, lists the key features of high-functioning autism in adults as: * Impairment in social and high-level communication skills. * Impairment in development of normal peer relationships. * A special interest, which is abnormal in intensity and focus. Dr Abrahamson said the condition was similar to Asperger's syndrome, although high-functioning autism could in addition involve delayed language development in childhood. She said the features of high-functioning autism showed up in the autobiographies of Janet Frame, who lived from 1924 to 2004. "In t...