StoryCorps: Joshua and Sarah Littman

From: StoryCorps
Series: StoryCorps
Length: 03:09

12-year-old Joshua Littman interviews his mother, Sarah. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: StoryCorps: Joshua and Sarah Littman
From: StoryCorps

Littman_small When he was 5-years-old, Joshua Littman was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. But the condition that has robbed him of many social skills has also played a role in Joshua becoming an honor-roll student at 12. Born in Dorset, England, Joshua and his family moved to the United States soon after his diagnosis. When he was 9, Joshua became a member of MENSA. His mother, Sarah Littman, is a journalist and an author of children's books. She describes children with Asperger's as "born without social genes." They can come across as eccentric, and often develop obsessions -- in Joshua's case, animals. Confronted with the chance to interview his mother at a StoryCorps booth, Joshua eschewed the prepared questions that many participants rely on, and instead created his own. His questions touch on everything from his mother's past to how she really feels about him.

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Piece Description

When he was 5-years-old, Joshua Littman was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. But the condition that has robbed him of many social skills has also played a role in Joshua becoming an honor-roll student at 12. Born in Dorset, England, Joshua and his family moved to the United States soon after his diagnosis. When he was 9, Joshua became a member of MENSA. His mother, Sarah Littman, is a journalist and an author of children's books. She describes children with Asperger's as "born without social genes." They can come across as eccentric, and often develop obsessions -- in Joshua's case, animals. Confronted with the chance to interview his mother at a StoryCorps booth, Joshua eschewed the prepared questions that many participants rely on, and instead created his own. His questions touch on everything from his mother's past to how she really feels about him.

Broadcast History

NPR Morning Edition 3/17/2006

Transcript

J: On a scale of 1 to 10 what do you think your life would be
different without animals?

S: I think it would be about an 8 without animals because they add so
much pleasure to life.

J: How else do you think your life would be different without them?

S: Well I could do without things like cockroaches and snakes.

J: Well I'm okay with snakes as long as they're not venomous and can
constrict you or anything.

S: Yeah, I'm not a big snake person.

J: But the cockroach is just the insect we love to hate.

S: Yeah. It really is.

J: Have you ever felt like life is hopeless?

S: When I was a teenager I was very depressed and I think that can be
quite common in teenagers who think a lot. And that are perceptive.

J: Am I like that?

S: You're very much like that?

J: Do you have any mortal enemies?

S: I would say my worst enemy is sometimes myself. But I don't think I
have any mortal enemie...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Time now for StoryCorps. StoryCorps is the oral history project collecting stories around the country.

It gives friends and family members the chance to interview each another about their lives.

Today ... a conversation between twelve-year-old Joshua Littman <> and his mom, Sarah.

Joshua was diagnosed with Asperger's <> Syndrome -- a form of autism -- when he was five. Soon after, his family moved from their home in England to the U-S. Joshua is now a seventh-grade honor student ... but he has a tough time socially. His mom, Sarah, describes children with Asperger's as "born without social genes."They can come across as eccentric ... and have obsessions -- for Joshua, it's animals.

When Joshua and Sarah came to StoryCorps, it was a chance for Joshua to interview his mom. And unlike most participants who rely on questions provided ... Joshua created his own.

OUTRO:

Sarah Littman with her son Joshua.

To see Joshua's complete question list ... or learn how you can participate in StoryCorps and archived your interview at the Library of Congress visit NPR-dot-ORG.