I used to stim by twiddling a pawpaw frond, and my mother and maternal grandfather told me I was stupid. My mother thought I should be out playing with kids, but I didn't want to. I did, however, enjoy going to work with my dad when he had to go of a Saturday morning.

I can remember being advanced with my language skills, and we read the stories of Sam, Pam and Digger the dog, and I remember asking my mother, "What about B-I-G-G-E-R?" and she replied, "That's bigger, but you're not up to those words yet." I was bored at school. I had an imagination, but it wasn't nurtured.