John Robison

John Robison was born with Asperger's Syndrome. However, when he was born, the condition had not yet been recognized as part of the vast array of maladies associated with autism. Early on, John displayed bizarre and socially unacceptable behavior. He did not play well with other children. Other children steered clear of him because of his odd comments and demonstrated flashes of violence.

John's home life was a further burden on the troubled boy. His father was depressed and an alcoholic who became mean and abusive when he drank too much. His mother had the expected protective nature of a mother; that is, until she became psychotic and paranoid and had to be institutionalized. Over the years, John's parents did seek therapeutic help for him but the counseling was ineffective. He spent years undergoing therapy with a psychologist named Dr. Finch. But his time with this therapist...