05-13-2006, 01:17 AM
A NEW book co-written by a Northside professor claims that many of Ireland’s politicians, artists and scientists may have suffered from mild forms of Asperger’s Syndrome.‘Unstoppable Brilliance’ by professor of child psychiatry, Michael Fitzgerald, and Antoinette Walker, says Patrick Pearse, Samuel Beckett and scientist Robert Boyle showed signs of the autistic-like condition.
People affected by Asperger’s often exhibit high level abilities in certain areas.
While other physical or behavioural traits may also be apparent, ‘Unstoppable Brilliance’ argues that they are sometimes overshadowed by the abilities which others mistake as evidence of genius.
Awareness of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome has been raised by movies such as ‘Rainman’ and books like the hugely successful ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ by Mark Haddon, which won the Whitbread Prize.
Professor Fitzgerald, who lives in Castleknock, explained how Asperger’s affects those with the mysterious condition.
“They tend to be loners with poor social relationships,” he said.
“They lack empathy, they tend to live in their head, have an odd tone of voice and very narrow interests.”
Professor Fitzgerald, an expert on Asperger’s and autism in Ireland, said because sufferers tend to have such narrow interests, they focus on them almost to the exclusion of everything else.
The book sets out to demonstrate how the attributes of many well-known Irish historical figures could be explained by Asperger’s, which could explain their drive, focus and high-level aptitude in particular fields.
Among those featured in the book are politicians Robert Emmet, Pádraig Pearse and Éamon de Valera, scientist Robert Boyle, mathematician William Rowan Hamilton, ethnographer Daisy Bates, as well as writers WB Yeats, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.
The book was launched by MEP Kathy Sinnott, who has campaigned on behalf of those affected by autism and Asperger’s.
‘Unstoppable Brilliance - Irish Geniuses and Asperger’s Syndrome’, by Antoinette Walker and Michael Fitzgerald, is published in hardback by Liberties Press and is available nationwide for e25.
From dublinpeople.com
People affected by Asperger’s often exhibit high level abilities in certain areas.
While other physical or behavioural traits may also be apparent, ‘Unstoppable Brilliance’ argues that they are sometimes overshadowed by the abilities which others mistake as evidence of genius.
Awareness of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome has been raised by movies such as ‘Rainman’ and books like the hugely successful ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ by Mark Haddon, which won the Whitbread Prize.
Professor Fitzgerald, who lives in Castleknock, explained how Asperger’s affects those with the mysterious condition.
“They tend to be loners with poor social relationships,” he said.
“They lack empathy, they tend to live in their head, have an odd tone of voice and very narrow interests.”
Professor Fitzgerald, an expert on Asperger’s and autism in Ireland, said because sufferers tend to have such narrow interests, they focus on them almost to the exclusion of everything else.
The book sets out to demonstrate how the attributes of many well-known Irish historical figures could be explained by Asperger’s, which could explain their drive, focus and high-level aptitude in particular fields.
Among those featured in the book are politicians Robert Emmet, Pádraig Pearse and Éamon de Valera, scientist Robert Boyle, mathematician William Rowan Hamilton, ethnographer Daisy Bates, as well as writers WB Yeats, James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.
The book was launched by MEP Kathy Sinnott, who has campaigned on behalf of those affected by autism and Asperger’s.
‘Unstoppable Brilliance - Irish Geniuses and Asperger’s Syndrome’, by Antoinette Walker and Michael Fitzgerald, is published in hardback by Liberties Press and is available nationwide for e25.
From dublinpeople.com