One Of The Most Popular Special Interests... (Model Railways).

My father, who came from Birmingham, had a great interest in the GWR.  He had quite a few books on the subject, and would get a magazine, the name of which I can't remember. He had a shed built especially for his model railway collection.

Although he was never diagnosed with autism my chosen daughter noticed a good number of shared characteristics between him and me. I wonder whether he had the broad autism phenotype.

He had a very short spell as an army officer before switching to work at the Foreign office. I remember him telling me that he passed the written exam to join the fast track 'A stream' but failed the oral part. That smacks of someone intelligent enough, but lacking the diplomacy skills that were required at the highest level- future ambassador material . I can see how that could easily fit with him having had autistic traits. In the end he had a fairly successful career. He chose  to retire early and stay in Atlanta , where he had been British consul general, than become what what was then Ambassador to the Gabon etc. 

I wonder how many autistic people/ people who fit BAP, with a very high level of intelligence, don't do as well professionally as  neurotypicals with  the same or lower level of intelligence.

My father, who came from Birmingham, had a great interest in the GWR.  He had quite a few books on the subject, and would get a magazine, the name of which I can't remember. He had a shed built especially for his model railway collection.

Although he was never diagnosed with autism my chosen daughter noticed a good number of shared characteristics between him and me. I wonder whether he had the broad autism phenotype.

He had a very short spell as an army officer before switching to work at the Foreign office. I remember him telling me that he passed the written exam to join the fast track 'A stream' but failed the oral part. That smacks of someone intelligent enough, but lacking the diplomacy skills that were required at the highest level- future ambassador material . I can see how that could easily fit with him having had autistic traits. In the end he had a fairly successful career. He chose  to retire early and stay in Atlanta , where he had been British consul general, than become what what was then Ambassador to the Gabon etc. 

I wonder how many autistic people/ people who fit BAP, with a very high level of intelligence, don't do as well professionally as  neurotypicals with  the same or lower level of intelligence.