Author: Jennie Roberts

Publisher: James Clarke & Co.

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9780718829353

Tom was born with Asperger (or Asperger's) Syndrome, a form of Autism that affects both mental and physical development. He changed from a happy, achieving nine-year-old to an uncommunicative adolescent requiring psychiatric treatment after years of bullying by his peers because he was different. A minor shoplifting offence and the resulting court case brought the psychiatrist's report to the attention of Tom's parents. Failing to recognise bullying as a probable cause for Tom's behaviour it blamed instead his parents for "poor understanding of their son's limitations, consequently they have placed unrealistic expectations upon him leading to his deep sense of failure." Very alarmed by this, the parents were further disturbed on being refused a meeting with the psychiatrist to discuss their concerns, a major result of which was the mother's decision to write this book. Written as a series of letters (mainly fictional to highlight the author's frustrations) to Tom's psychiatrist, Dear Psychiatrist is Jennie Robert's perspective on her son's case history; a perspective that details not only the difficulties that Tom suffered through his handicap, but also the extra (and perhaps more disabling) difficulties imposed by the bullying and the unhelpful attitudes encountered from some members of the teaching, medical, psychological and psychiatric professions. This intensely moving mother's account of the childhood and adolescence of her handicapped son is a must read for those working with special needs children and their families, or for parents in the same position as the author. Having first-hand experience, Jennie Roberts recognises that parents should be considered a valuable and indeed, vital source of information when any sort of discussion about their child takes place. In her Foreword, Baroness Warnock's concluding hope is that "The book should be compulsory reading for anyone entering training whether as a teacher, doctor, social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist". It is no less an essential source of support for parents who are having difficulties with the professional help they have received. These sentiments are given poignant endorsement by the tragic circumstance of Tom's suicide in November 1994, his final letter making it clear that his unhappy school experience was a major contributory factor. Read the Foreword by Baroness Mary Warnock here. Read the Introduction here.