Thanks so much for reading my posts, first of all, and for your thoughtful comments and clarifications. I read Strange Son just when it came out and have been thinking about different ways in which to write about it. I more than appreciate your highlighting your use of fairy tales and other mythical references in the book; I have long found much in ancient mythology (of the Greeks, in particular) that has helped set my experiences raising my son Charlie into context, and that have shed much light.

It does seem to me that the changeling myth contains echoes and references, some under the surface, that do not sit so well with the autistic adults I have been in communication with; the use of this myth can certainly be further investigated. But I do sense the power of these stories and how they provide a kind of framework for thinking about and through some very difficult moments in the life of an autism mother—in the feelings that parents have when (as you write in the early parts of Strange Son) they are just discovering “autism.”

I saw much of my own son Charlie in your descriptions of Dov, and of Tito—certainly the lovely eyes and the tremendous struggles to express themselves, until the right medium is found.

I am writing an autism book and literature is wound up into i; certainly I would more than appreciate learning what you think of it. Thank you so much for your kind words, and, too, for your work.

Many regards from Kristina Chew

When my son Dov was diagnosed with autism I felt the same sense of helplessness and the same need to stubbornly believe that something better was possible, in spite of the devastating advice to “give up” that was being foisted on me by the “experts”. I felt once again like I was faced with an impossible situation, one that I could not understand or have an impact on. Hence my analogy to the fairy story where the girl is required to spin gold from straw by dawn in order to get her infant returned. I know you are opposed to the ‘changeling myth’ metaphor, but that was my personal emotional experience when my one-year old child stopped responding to me entirely. It took me many years to get to know him again after that because he is nonverbal and he had no means of communication, not even nodding his head or a gesture. But as you probably know, if you read my book, Dov began to communicate at the age of nine. Again, this felt to me like a magical event and it has been a joy beyond words to get to know him. There were a many more fairytale metaphors and references in my book that were cut out of the final version.

One clarification regarding mythological references – trolls in particular, which you mention in reference to the changeling myth in my book ‘Strange Son’ – in one of your previous posts you say: “images of a human child stolen in the night by trolls and replaced with an ugly, non-human child” — I do not actually make any reference to trolls in my book and I never describe my son as ugly or non-human. I have never seen him that way or described him that way. I love him very much and I think he is an exquisitely beautiful person.

Kristina, again, thank you for all your very interesting and insightful posts and the wonderful connections you make. Have you considered writing a book about autism as it relates to literature and vice versa? It would be great to see your ideas woven together in one over-arching work. I know I would read it!

Wishing you well, -Portia Iversen