Boomer & Me: A Memoir of Motherhood, and Asperger’s

Me: ‘Are you going to be a good boy this year? ‘Boomer: ‘Uh huh. I have no interest in toilet humour. ‘Me: ‘You don’t?’ Boomer: ‘No. No interest at all. I mean, I think “it’s funny” when, in The Bad Book, Terence takes off all his clothes. And when Horrid Henry shows his undies. But I would think to myself, “That is something I should not do”.’

Between juggling work, joint custody and the ordinary demands of motherhood, Jo tries to work out why her son Leo (aka Boomer) is finding it hard to fit in. His wit wins him friends, but the rituals of friendship – like learning to compromise – are proving challenging. Is it because he’s an only child? Could he be gifted? When Leo is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, Jo fears what it means, and sees herself, and her family, through new eyes. Trapped in a cycle of doubt and discovery, she wonders how you can stay true to who you are and fit in. What the hell is ‘normal’ anyway? This is the bittersweet story of a twenty-first-century family, and why being different isn’t a disability – it just takes some getting used to.