ABSTRACT
Linda was initially seen by a child psychiatrist who made the diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome and recommended intensive psychotherapy. Her parents were seen fortnightly by a colleague and brought her regularly and reliably throughout. When she was referred for assessment, "Linda" was 5 years old. At school her behaviour was unmanageable, and she was considered to be odd and difficult. She could not play with other children, respond to their initiatives, or enter into any kind of ordinary exchange with them. Linda's teachers agreed with the educational psychologist that she was intelligent, but she seemed unable to learn in an ordinary way. Instead, she garnered facts that she assembled into random collections of information that others found difficult to relate to. She always insisted that the light must be switched on, no matter what time of day was. She behaved as though she were in a nightmare place.
