I second the suggestion! I hope that the discussion leaders for classes will be knowledgeable--especially since the word autism is never mentioned. Susan Linda Walling wrote: > I thought you'd be interested in knowing that the wonderful book, > The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is the book all > freshmen at USC will read and discuss this fall. The following is an > article from The State newspaper about the book. If you haven't read > it yet, I recommend that you do so! Linda > > Posted on Tue, Jul. 19, 2005 > > USC hopes autism novel inspires freshmen > > By CLAUDIA SMITH BRINSON > > Columnist > > Across South Carolina, and here and there and elsewhere, about 3,600 > 18-year-olds should be carrying around a little red book. > > The readers are USC's incoming freshmen. The book with the bright red > cover is Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the > Night-Time." > > For the first time, all freshmen are participating in USC's First-Year > Reading Experience. Before, participation was limited to several > hundred students in the S.C. Honors College or University 101, the > school's college introduction course. > > During summer orientation, each freshman is being handed a copy of > Haddon's international best-seller. At 8:30 a.m. Aug. 15, all will > gather in the Carolina Coliseum to talk about the adventures of > Christopher John Francis Boone. > > But first, they will hear from Mary Meghan Martin, 20, a > second-semester junior from Bothell, Wash., who is majoring in > biology. Mary Martin's younger sister and two cousins are autistic, as > is the narrator of Haddon's novel. > > Mary Martin's participation marks another first. Eleven years - and > books - into the program, this is the first time a student will be the > featured speaker at the student welcoming. Martin will share the stage > with associate provost Karl Heider and English professor Ed Madden. > > When Dan Berman, USC's director of University 101, heard of Mary > Martin's deep and personal connection to the subject matter of "The > Curious Incident," he took the leap. "I know it will be inspiring for > other students," he says. > > Mary Martin is still working on her speech. Right now, she has three > versions. But in any version, she's a fierce advocate for her sister, > Kristen Martin, and "The Curious Incident." > > She sees an opportunity to dispel stereotypes: "Most books or movies > about autism show extreme cases, like in 'Rain Man.' '' > > She sees an opportunity to better describe autism, a neurological > disorder affecting 1.5 million American children and adults. Autism is > described as a spectrum disorder because it affects individuals in a > variety of ways, at a variety of levels, from severe mental disability > to extreme intellectual or artistic gifts. > > Most people with autism do experience difficulties communicating, > socializing and dealing with change. Christopher explains, "... when I > am in a new place, because I see everything, it is like when a > computer is doing too many things at the same time and the central > processor unit is blocked up and there isn't any space left to think > about other things." > > In Mary Martin's family, one cousin is classically autistic. Another, > like the narrator of "The Curious Incident," has Asperger syndrome, > sometimes described as high-functioning autism. Kristin Martin's > diagnosis is PDD-NOS, which stands for Pervasive Developmental > Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified. > > Kristin Martin, 18, also has Turner syndrome, which delays puberty and > inhibits growth. She is deaf and mentally disabled. > > "My first memories are of her in the hospital," Mary Martin says. "We > didn't expect her to live past her first birthday, so every year is a > shock and amazing and wonderful. > > "Of course there were times I didn't understand what was going on and > wanted her to be normal. But I've learned a lot from her. She has > always been a blessing, except for a few years in elementary school, > when I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, I have a sister who is handicapped.' '' > > Kristin Martin has shaped not only her big sister's past but her > future. Mary Martin names handicapped children her passion and hopes > to earn both a medical degree and a Ph.D. to combine research and > teaching in that area. > > Mary Martin already has practice, attending medical appointments, > adding her point of view at meetings about her sister's public-school > education. > > "My family, the way we get things to work is we're all involved," she > explains. Her father is a senior systems administrator with a > pharmaceutical company who goes to work before dawn so he can be home > in the afternoon. Her mother works at home for Hewlett-Packard. > > Among their most important offerings is "regulating life so there's a > constant balance," Mary Martin says. "I am absolutely awed by my > parents and how much they do." > > Much is needed, she notes. "Like any little sister, my little sister > hugs you, laughs and plays - but on her terms. If you introduce her to > a new situation or a new person, and she wasn't prepared, she will go > into a temper tantrum." > > Mary Martin particularly likes how "The Curious Incident" depicts the > stress families endure. She offers as a personal example a Christmas > Day spent in the emergency room. The Martins had visited relatives; > Kristen Martin, unable to handle the variety, threw daily tantrums, > needing medical assistance to stop. > > This is the sort of thing, Mary Martin notes, that estranges > relatives, ends marriages, results in violent responses. "The Curious > Incident" tackles just such problems in a tender and surprising way. > > "The best thing about the book is it's fictional," Mary Martin says. > "If it were nonfiction, you wouldn't get the whole story" because real > people wouldn't tell how tough it actually gets. > > Berman notes "The Curious Incident" is difficult to put down. "It's > deceptively simple but really loaded with powerful issues." > > He says expanding the First-Year Reading Experience should challenge > students to do "something academic during the summer." > > He reflects on the book's quality, as well as the persistently upbeat > Mary Martin, and adds, "The only thing I'm worried about is: How do we > follow this up?" > > For more information about the First-Year Reading Experience and a > reader's discussion guide, go to www.sc.edu/univ101. > > (c) 2005 The State and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. > > http://www.thestate.com > > > > > > > Linda L. Walling > Columbia, SC > 803/779-4127 > http://www.libsci.sc.edu/facst/lw.htm > > "Our choices are always made in the > context of the stories we tell." --Alan Jones