Abigail Pogrebin

Jun 2010

I want to thank Jack Russell for giving me his blessing to let me share this remarkable letter he sent me.  Not everyone can write so movingly and beautifully about something that can't be easy every day.  I hope this spurs others to share their stories or even to offer Jack some advice.  I love the last line of his P.S. especially because it resonates with so many pairs I interviewed. 

 

First off, I'd like to thank you for your wonderful book.  It has given me great insight into the special relationship between my five year old identical twin boys and at many times in the book (I listened to it on CD during my commute) I found myself quite moved for reasons I couldn't entirely explain.  No doubt you find yourself innundated with twin stories since publishing your book, but I'll add one more anyway.
 
My boys were diagnosed with autism at age two, and later the diagnosis was changed to Asperger Syndrome.  They are now doing quite well and attending a typical kindergarten in the fall with no additional supports.  For obvious reasons this has become the focus of our parenting with special concern to developing social skills and learning how to make friends, etc.  Because of this the "twin issue" has really been downplayed and prior to your book I don't think I was fully appreciating how their twinness would/has impacted their development aside from autism.
 
There seems to be very little research, in terms of pyscology or development, in this area.  The few studies I can find are mainly around the study of concordance, but I think there is a fascinating area of research on how the impact of being a twin with an autism spectrum disorder affects long-term prognosis.  For us I believe it is a double-edged sword.  The boys are incredibly gifted intellectually with pronounced hyperlexia and photographic memories, which they flout equally.  Because of this their "play" is of a type that excludes any typically developing five year old.  If you can't list all 10 chapters in all 43 Magic Tree House books, or name every book illustrated by Maurice Sendeck you just aren't of interest to them.  So, because they get the feedback they need in their selected topics of interest they don't branch out at all.  But on the flip side they have developed a true friendship with their brother.  They communicate in real ways that would not be expected in an individual with Asperger's.  They have learned the skills required for friendship and I really believe without their twin they simply would not have done so, at least not at this age.  They don't extend it to other children (they do with adults) yet, but at least I know the twinship has given them the "skills" to do so at some time in the future.
 
Anyway, I just thought I would share and ask if by any chance in your studies for the book you had come across people looking into this issue, or who might be interested in this kind of question.
 
Thanks again for your work,
 
Jack Russell
 
P.S. The boys were premature and spent about 6 weeks in the NICU.  When one was upset the nurses would simply put them together and they would curl together and calm.  Because they were always on monitors you could really see their heart rates syncronize.  It was quite astonishing.  It is therefore hard for me to deny that they didn't know each other already.

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One and the Same

My Life as an Identical Twin and What I've Learned About Everyone's Struggle to Be Singular

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