Comments on: Was Janet Frame on the Autistic Spectrum?

By: Pavel

Pavel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:36:27 +0000

I have read very carefully her tree volume autobiography. It is clear that she had had some tangible, but NOT really sever, form of autism. Yet, I think, had she had an opportunity to meet someone like Frank Sargerson earlier in her life, it could have been different. It seems she could not find a proper friend, and the society then had not been actually ready for people like her. And her childhood, I gather, was difficult, parents, though struggling for daily bread, were not the modern kind of parents who would fall over themselves to provide a maximum psychological comfort for their children. And, of course, the death of sisters and the epilepsy of her brothers added to her state of mind. I also think she had been extremely open and sensitive to what was going on around her.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:22:13 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Janet. Interesting that this discussion has gone on for almost three years.

By: Janet Frame

Janet Frame — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:53:14 +0000

Hi Hilary and Sarah,
Interesting discussion,I particularly liked Daniel Bailey’s response. Its OK to “agree to disagree “, when one has been a public figure it is expected that the readers may have an opinion, informed or not. I like to keep an open mind, as I’m sure Janet the ‘other’ would have also.
Regards
Janet Frame

By: lana marni

lana marni — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:31:16 +0000

Hello …

May I please have Dr Sarah Abrahamson’s email. I am presenting at the 2010 Victorian Austism Conference: One Woman’s Post Diagnosis Story (at 63.5 ‘youthful-mature’ years).

Thank you. Kind regards, Lana

By: Sarah Abrahamson

Sarah Abrahamson — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:57:38 +0000

Hi Caroline:
I’m glad this debate is interesting and maybe helpful to you. I also feel that many other mental health issues, while not necessarily fitting into the strict categories of autism and aspergers, are closely related and should be considered at least partly developmental disabilities: we have a very narrow view of developmental disabilties now, I feel: limited mainly to the intellectually handicapped and some people with autism and ADD.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:14:21 +0000

I just read this page and found it very helpful. Thank you. I believe that many people ( I think I may be one of them) are being diagnosed with a battery of mental health issues when they may have AS. The importance of this if not in the name, but learning effective ways to address the condition and improve quality of life. Realising that prominent people also have this condition, is helpful to both those with the condition and the general public (as shown by the tv ads about depression)

By: John

John — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:52:13 +0000

Andrew asked for a forum site:
Under 16 = http://www.withyoueverystepoftheway.com
Over 16 = http://www.asplanet.info (christchurch-based)
Thanks

By: Sarah Abrahamson

Sarah Abrahamson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:53:55 +0000

Maybe: but as someone who has now spent hundreds of hours learning about ASDs, I don’t think it is so mysterious! The thing with ASDs is that communication with pure written language is often seen by the person to represent their true, best self, as Janet describes in Towards Another Summer: verbal communication may be haphazard and varies greatly with the skills needed and learnt in each situation. Her autobiography is also not so much art, but a stated true account of her life, told much more fluently than if she had attempted to convey this information verbally. Remember the key issue in high-functioning autism is not a complete lack of communication, but difficulty with verbal social communication. Giving formal speeches or performances is often unaffected, and written communication often excellent. Donna Williams is a case in point of this difference: she writes as well as Janet Frame, I think, but writes formally about the experience of having an ASD, and has difficulty with verbal social communication. Her life is remarkably similar in many ways to Janet Frame’s. Another example is the classic “computer nerd” picture: someone who is happy to talk online and by email but not so much in person, typical of an ASD. According to her niece in the book review for Towards Another Summer, Janet was one of the first computer nerds in NZ!
Remember also that the vast majority of adults with ASDs do not yet have a diagnosis: if we look only at those with a diagnosis to compare we see mainly the most severe end of the spectrum, or those who are lucky enough to be diagnosed by, for example, having a relative who is a psychologist.
Thankyou Daniel, for disagreeing politely with me without insults! For some reason those who have disagreed with this article have felt that normal manners do not apply: it is great to see there is someone who can do so rationally, and of course you are quite entitled to your opinion. People seem to have forgotten the idea of rational scientific debate relating to this issue: perhaps having an Arts PhD does not encourage such debate as strongly as medicine!

By: Daniel Bailey

Daniel Bailey — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 02:37:03 +0000

Interesting conversation to have without actually meeting someone. My older sister is the only person I know who is diagnosed as being autistic and she does not use English to communicate, so while I was exposed to Autism while growing up I can’t say I know how an Autistic person places themself in the world – however it strikes me from my limited experience that the further into the scale of Autism one goes the further removed from communication outside world they get yet Janet Frame has offered some of the more elaborately structured communication of feelings and thoughts one may encounter.

Is it truly possible to understand a person by viewing what is essentially their art? How many people would be willing to share the thoughts and fantasies they entertained while going through tough times – and if you did, do you think complete strangers would have sufficient information (or any right) to tell the world what kind of person you are?

Enjoy the fact that her work is here to be enjoyed, as that what was offered. As far as everyone here should be concerned, she is a mysterious talented author who offered her creations for the rest of us to enjoy – perhaps just leave it at that…

By: Sarah Abrahamson

Sarah Abrahamson — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:59:58 +0000

More about Janet Frame: thoughts about “Towards Another Summer”, a rather negative Listener article, and a medical journal letter commenting on this issue. It was suggested that we should leave Janet in peace and not talk about her in this way after she has gone, as this is not respectful and we did not know her personally. I say if she did not want her autobiographies analysed by the general population, including those with all sorts of qualifications and with personal ASD experience, why did she publish them? Why did she agree to such a detailed biography being written about her?
Perhaps she actually eventually saw herself as having AS/HFA, having heard about autism from her great nieceâ€™s diagnosis, and withheld publishing â€œTowards Another Summerâ€ as she knew that it clearly describes the internal mental state of someone with AS/HFA. It is unlikely she would have been comfortable with the publicity she would have received if she had announced herself as having AS/HFA, as we know she did not like publicity. However, perhaps she saw this as a puzzle to be solved by her readers and family after she had gone. I wonder if she wrote anything saying she felt she did, or did not, have an ASD. If she did, and it said she did not feel that she did, surely we would have heard of this by now from her neice.
Has anyone else read this book to comment?