Michael's Story

Michael Edge was one of the few children to be diagnosed as autistic, at a time when few in Britain had heard of autism. His mother was told to lock him away in an institution. Here is an extract from the story of Michael’s remarkable and poignant life as appeared in the Observer Magazine in November 2011, written by journalist Christopher Stevens...

Diagnosed at the age of four, Michael was one of the first British children to be recognised as autistic. That was in the 1960’s where such children were generally placed in institutions. They were seen as unmanageable and untreatable. But Michael was different. His parents, an ordinary working class couple from Essex, vowed that their son would stay with them and be brought up as one of the family. Fifty years on, Michael lives as independently as possible under the eye of carers he regards as close friends, in our secluded residential home, Barnes Lane.

Michael, now 53, has been part of the Barnes Lane household for more than 20 years. Mandy Gibson, Manager of Barnes Lane, has worked with Michael for all that time; “When he first came here, he found it very difficult to understand where he was, what he could expect of us. So he wouldn’t interact with anybody. And it was our aim to get him out into the community, to go shopping, swimming, to take part in different activities. It’s been a long, slow process, but he’s got there. He’s changed so much – if he’s got a problem he can find the words to tell us. He copes with so much, that year’s ago, he couldn’t manage at all: going to Tesco, visiting local attractions, taking a drive round the countryside with staff. He’s doing exceptionally well.”

Michael also returns to Essex for regular visits with his Mum, Joan; “We kept all his old LP’s and his gramophone, though it’s broken now, Joan says. “He used to play them when he came home, but only two records each day. That was his self imposed routine...except at Christmas. On Christmas Day he could play them as many times as he liked!”

Joan concludes, “I think he’s happy these days. He’s much more relaxed, because he can do everything in a set order. When he visits me at home, he has to go round each room, touching the doors so many times, and then he feels safe. And every Thursday evening we talk on the phone – not a proper conversation but he can say lots of words now.. And at the end of every call he’s got this routine we have to follow before he can out the phone down: he says, ‘See you,’ and I have to say ‘See you.’ And we repeat it eight times.

He lives in the past, always talking and thinking about things long ago. Those things can’t change you see. When my husband died, Michael couldn’t understand at first, but he talks about Daddy Edge now. Autistic children are quite childlike, but they’re lovely. Staff at The Wessex Autistic Society have helped him along more than I could have believed possible. Michael could be a lot worse. A lot of good things have happened too. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything really.”