Dannie's Dilemma

ISBN: 978-1-84747-676-0
Published: 2008
Pages: 66
Key Themes: aspergers, autism, female child, parenting, work-book

Description

Can Dannie make the right decisions with your help?

‘Dannie’s Dilemmas’ is a series of books designed to show the difficulties that children with Aspergers Syndrome face on a daily basis. These books are an interactive way for readers to get involved with ‘Dannie’s Dilemmas.’ The reader has the ability to choose the way the stories end. This makes them unique in their own way.

Dannie is an eleven year old Aspergers child, she is smart, friendly and very helpful, but due to the Aspergers she finds it difficult to assess situations, work out what people think and really mean, make daily choices and understand emotions and sayings.

Like most Aspergers children Dannie does find herself in trouble quite a few times for taking people literally, especially with idioms. ‘Dannie’s Dilemmas’ tries to explain as many idioms as possible.

Seeing life through Dannie’s eyes shows us all how emotionally difficult it is for Aspergers children to understand the world that we take for granted every day.

In ‘The Shopping Trip’ Dannie has some pocket money to spend and Dannie’s mother has promised to take her shopping for a new toy.

Dannie has problems organising herself to get ready to go out and constantly gets distracted and sidetracked.

Dannie’s mother explains to her that they have to go to a few shops before her shop. During this time Dannie gets impatient and bored, all she wants to do is go to her shop.

While in a sweet shop Dannie finds it difficult to understand the shop assistant and takes what the assistant says literally and finds herself in trouble.

Dannie eventually makes it to the toy shop, she is overwhelmed by the amount of toys to choose from and thus Dannie’s Dilemma begins, should she ask for her mothers help or should she choose for herself? The reader will choose her decision.

In ‘The Right Shoes,’ Dannie has to go shopping for some new shoes for school. Dannie hates shoe shopping as she finds it very stressful, therefore is not looking forward to this shopping trip.

Although Dannie has many pairs of new trainers, she insists on wearing an old pair of pink trainers that are falling apart. Dannie’s mother refuses to leave the house until Dannie has changed her trainers. Dannie has to choose one of her new pairs of trainers to wear which she does methodically and reluctantly. Dannie feels very uncomfortable in her new trainers but perseveres with them. Outside the shoe shop Dannie’s mother tells her that she must behave and listen to what the shop assistant tells her to do. Dannie does not approve as she believes the only person who knows Dannie’s feet and what’s best to wear is herself.

While Dannie is waiting for the assistant, Dannie’s mother takes the assistant to one side and explains that Dannie has Aspergers. She explains that Dannie may take a little longer than other children to choose the right shoes and asks the assistant to show her a little more patience.

While Dannie’s mother is looking around the shop for some shoes for Dannie to try on, the assistant doesn’t show any patience towards Dannie but instead speaks down to Dannie and treats her like an infant.

Dannie takes offence to the way she is being treated and retaliates against the assistant. Dannie cannot understand why she is being treated this way and gets angry.

The assistant and Dannie argue back and forth until the assistant puts her foot down and calls Dannie’s mother over to fix the problem.

This is when Dannie’s Dilemma begins, Dannie has to decide whether to tell her mother how she is being treated or to keep quiet and say nothing. The reader will decide the outcome.

About the Authors

Carol Haldane was born on 17th January 1972. She is the youngest of two. Her early years were spent in Scotland. Her early upbringing was more affluent than some, both her parents worked.

She started a Catholic Primary School at the age of four, where she had to learn very quickly rules and boundaries.

Life at Secondary School was more pleasant and this is where her love for writing began.

Her daughter was born in 1994, they left Scotland in 1995 and spent a brief time in Bristol. They are now happily settled in Kent.

‘Dannie’ was a highly intelligent child which hindered her diagnosis for many years. It wasn’t until ‘Dannie’ turned seven that she was finally diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.

Carol spent a great deal of time researching internet sites and books, which gave her the ability to parent slightly differently. Through trial and error She has a better understanding of Aspergers. This understanding has come mainly from the day to day tasks and living with ‘Dannie’.

Karen Jones was born on 14th September 1968. She is the eldest of four. She has lived in Kent all her life. Her early up bringing was the same as everyone in her street, one of her parents went out to work.

She started in a local community primary school at the age of five, where she had to learn about rules boundaries.

Life at secondary school was not good due to constant bullying.

Her whole life has been in caring for people from the young to the old. She has two children that attended the same school as Dannie. This where she met Dannie and her mother.

She met them at the children’s local primary school in March 2001. And since has helped to care for Dannie on a daily basis.

Book Extract

It’s Saturday today and I’ve been up since seven o’clock, I’m very excited. I’ve been saving up all my pocket money for three weeks and mum said she would take me to the shops today.

“Are you dressed yet?”

That’s mum, always calling when I’m in the middle of doing something.

“Just putting my jeans on,” Dannie said hopping round the bedroom trying to get her leg into her jeans.

Today I’ve decided to be a tomboy, my friends said that you are either a ‘girly girl’ or a ‘tomboy’ but I’ve decided to be both because sometimes I like to dress like a girl and wear lipstick and sometimes I don’t, so I like being both.

“Now where did I put my trainers?” Dannie rummaged through her toys and clothes, throwing things over her shoulder.

Why is it when you put things somewhere safe where you’ll remember, when you need them you can’t remember where that safe place is. I always do that.

“Think, think, and think,” Dannie scratched her head. “Where did I put them?”

“Dannie are you ready yet?”

“I’m just looking for my trainers, I can’t find them.”

“Well where did you have them last?”

Dannie stood with her hands on her hips.