storycorps video

This is really beautiful. A 12 year old with Asperger's syndrome interviews his mother:

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I never cease to be fascinated by people on the spectrum. And what a wonderfully open and loving mother!!

I liked the clip very much and all, but am nagged by one question: why does the mom have an American accent and her son have a British one?

Possibly, she is an American who married someone British and/or lived in England for some time? So, while she has an American accent, her son was exposed to and immersed in a different accent which he picked up?

Another very interesting thing about kids with ASD is that many learn how to speak from watching television. And many are obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine in their formative years. So, sometimes they pick up interesting accents. I had a student with a slightly British accent from it. And there is a specialist in Asperger's, Tony Attwood, who is from Australia who says many of the kids he sees there have American accents from the television they watch.

Chances are, with this kid, it's the first theory...that his father is British and they lived in England, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the second theory either!

That is really fascinating Mel, the 2nd theory I mean.

I find most things about people with ASD fascinating!