Our family became world-famous in New Zealand when we appeared on 60 Minutes on Monday 12th November 2007. My son, Jonathan, is a savant, who can play the piano very well, is blind and is sort-of autistic. You can see the programme on http://www.tv3.co.nz/VideoBrowseAll/60MinutesVideo/tabid/371/articleID/39910/cat/46/Default.aspx
There's also some extended footage, that gives more idea of his level of cognitive development.
Since the programme has screened we have had many supportive comments about him and our family, which we have really appreciated. Sometimes over the 18 years of his life, it has seemed like living with an alien (An expression I wish to thank my father-in-law for). I have learned many lessons by being his mother, but the one that seems most relevant at present, is the joy of diversity. Sometimes when you have a child who is out of the ordinary in any way, it seems that it is your reponsibility to society to make him or her as "normal" or "ordinary" as possible. We have tried to help Jonathan to develop skills to fit in the regular world, but I am no longer concerned that he will always be out of the ordinary. The programme helped me to celebrate and enjoy his differences.
On this blog I will be sharing snippets and musings of what life has been like and still is like when you are "living with an alien". I hope it will help others who may be on the same expedition.
