I work as a tour guide at Highgate Cemetery, and a couple of days ago, just before I was due to take the tour, I felt the calling to wander on paths I have never ventured before, and to my amazement I stumbled on the grave of Opal Whiteley.
Opal Whiteley (1897-1992) became famous for writing a diary of her childhood, called 'The Story of Opal', it became an instant best seller, in the United States (where she lived) and here in England.
Opal went on to write another book called, 'The Fairyland Around us'. Which was a natural history book for children with many mystical and imaginative overtones. She became a huge success, even Theodore Roosevelt, the president of France and the Queen of Belgium would agree she was an extraordinarily gifted and highly imaginative writer.
Sadly, no sooner had she achieved this success, she was soon to be completely forgotten by a public that felt extremely uncomfortable with Opal's behavior and complex idiosyncratic personality.
Her fall from grace was dramatic, she was diagnosed as having schizophrenia and spent most of her life locked away in a mental asylum near St Albans, north of London where she was to die at the age of 89.
Much has been written of Opal having AS, in fact the list of characteristics is very long indeed, too long to mention here, but for those who are interested just click on the link below and scroll down until you find the relevant section.
http://members.efn.org/~opal/
We know that Opal struggled with social situations and was very much a loner and like many people on the spectrum had a complex identity.
Many psychologists today say that Opal suffered from co- comorbid conditions directly related to having high functioning autism and from being forced to over-adapt to a world that was and sadly remained alien to her autistic sensibilities.
Like many people with AS who have had extremely dysfunctional or wounding experiences, there is a higher likelihood of 'identity diffusion' and ones sense of self being overly fluid...........these defence mechanisms were seen as signs of schizophrenia rather than highly developed adaptive skills from someone with AS.
I am aware of the great contribution Donna Williams has made in this field of autism and psychology, with particular regard to identity and personality problems with people in the spectrum, but we still have a long way to go until we can fully understand just quite how wide the autistic spectrum really is and yet also how deep the prejudice and ignorance still is amongst the many professionals working in the field of autism today.
Highgate Cemetery has been my special interest for many years. I spend hours researching and studying the many people who are buried here and yet I had no idea Opal was buried just a few yards from where I start my tour each monday afternoon.
Wishing you all well from London.
Last edited by quaker on 18 Jul 2012, 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
18 Jul 2012, 5:30 am
