payment page
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was published at the turn of the twenty-first century, and touches on a very particular global health phenomenon that came with the new millennium: autism. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the number of reported cases of autism skyrocketed to unprecedented rates. Naturally, as the number of diagnosed children increased, so did scientific research and public interest. None of the characters in the novel explicitly name Christopher’s condition, but he demonstrates many of the behaviors associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, such as impaired social interaction, groaning and rocking, and repetitive, obsessive behavior. When the novel released in 2003, the global conversation about how to diagnose and treat people living with emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders was shifting and shedding its taboo nature. Mark Haddon, the author, has insisted that he is not an expert on ASD, but Christopher’s story remains an important component of the autism conversation and a catalyst for understanding the perspectives of people with autism.
