As Christopher journeys through the struggle to become independent, he discovers that his father killed Wellington, to express his built-up anger at Mrs. Shears (Haddon 121).2 In his frustration, Christopher fled to his long-lost mother's, Judy Boone, house in London, where she lives with Mr. Shears. Christopher left in a frantic hurry, flustered with a mix of emotions. This was a spur of the moment decision, partially linked to his autistic condition and intellectual skills. Although it was definitely corresponding to Christopher's longing to run away from his troubles, the situation also directly corresponded to the "neurological origins" of his conditions (Douglas 24). However, Christopher's level of intellect in this situation, to run away from home and find someone's house in London, made it seem unrealistic that he was autistic. .
0For years, experts have studied the effects of autism on cognitive abilities using different tests such as the Sally-Anne paradigm and Block Design test (Douglas 30). Christopher's intelligence and experience can convince the readers that he is not autistic. The paradigms, which are normally used to test the cognitive abilities of individuals who may be challenged with autism, seem as though they would be easy for Christopher to pass if he were given the opportunity to attempt them. This illustrates how some works of literature may not thoroughly and accurately depict an autistic character. .
In all, Haddon received more reviews regarding his diagnosing Christopher with a condition than any other matter. In a The Huffington Post article by Greg Olear, it is mentioned that Haddon's work was purely a "gimmick novel". Olear identifies the negative stereotypes that define Asperger's and other similar conditions; he agrees to an extent that Christopher has "behavioral difficulties," but definitely not a more severe condition (Olear).
