Inappropriate Behavior * Pat Murphy

This is the 1st story in the 22nd "Year's Best Science Fiction" anthology. This one is a winner for me, perhaps because of my position as a special ed teacher. I've met all these characters, and have the same feelings for them as the author. NT's are "neurotypicals", the teachers who think all kids should act the same; and in the current Bush climate of NCLBA, all kids should achieve at the same time and at the same level. And they're not kidding when they say ALL. The powers that be feel that even special ed children who are mentally retarded whether because of brain damage or a genetic difference (like an extra 22nd chromosome) should achieve at exactly the same level and timing as the regular ed kids. That's not what this story is about, but it brings up all the issues of the NT's and the fact that they do not listen to anyone but themselves.

The main character in the book has been diagnosed. "All the doctors put their own names on my condition. High-functioning autism, one doctor called it. Asperger's Syndrome, said another. Another one said I was PDD, which stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorders. The first doctor said that wasn't really a diagnosis, it was just a label." Sounds funny, but it's all too typical. Very few of my students, aside from the ones with Down's Syndrome, have a specific diagnosis that more than one psychologist agrees with.

The main character is one of those brilliant thinkers that no one can get along with. This type of student can pass the state mandated tests with 100% score, if they were alllowed to bend the rules a little and try approaching the problem from a different perspective; but the rules are set for EVERYONE for what is considered "equality" purposes. So, these brilliant thinkers are simply forced into failing an otherwise simple exam for them.

I enjoyed the entire story. I know way too many people who are exactly like Dr Rhodes. But what really got me excited was the ending, which I won't give away. Suffice it to say is it gives me the willies, and had me wondering just how NT I really am even if I don't want to be. Am I a Dr Rhodes in some circumstances? Can some forms of physical restraints be deemed "okay" if it is a path acceptable to a young child? Should a young child be allowed to make such decisions, even of they have parents that agree? No easy answers to these questions - which makes it a great read because the story left me with many things to think about.