The art of being (ab)normal : A phenomenological study about growing up with Asperger syndrome

The main purpose of this thesis is to define the essential in how four persons with Asperger syndrome remember their childhood. As part of this purpose, the essay also refers to evince how these persons mobilise a collective memory and a historic consciousness. The purpose realises through a phenomenological approach and a qualitative content analysis of four autobiographies, written by persons diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Four comprehensive terms are compiled to summarize the essentials of the authors’ childhood memories. The first term is Alternative perception and shows the authors had an unusual strong perception. The second term, Own time, shows the authors had an essential need to be alone. The third term Alienation, evince that the authors experienced different kinds of alienations during their childhood. Term four is called Incomprehension and shows how the authors´ childhood have been incused of a great incomprehension, for instance in relation to themselves and in social interactions. Considering the author’s memories as use of history, it is also made clear these memories create a general pattern of experiences that turns into a collective memory. This collective memory creates a foundation for persons diagnosed likewise, offering meaningful contexts to recognize and formulate their identities. The essay’s overall analysis also establishes how difficult the boundary can be to discern, of when something generalized merges into something specific, and how invisible and intangible Asperger syndrome seems to be for the environment