I am Henry's Grandad Bromley and although I remember happy family times with Henry as a younger child, I failed to appreciate or understand the changes in his behaviour as he was growing and regret now that I didn't realise he had developed Asperger's syndrome.  I , like many other people who are ignorant about this awful disability,  failed to have the patience to support him sensitively.

I want to share something with you in the hope it might increase awareness of Asperger's Syndrome and it's effect on whole families.

I failed Henry hope it will be useful for others like me to know of my regret, so if I may, I am sharing with you just 'one time. I badly let down Henry and his mother, (my daughter Katie) but, most of all, I let down myself...

Henry and Katie had travelled over 200 miles to visit me and we were at the lunch table.  Henry was withdrawn, uncommunicative a slouched over his food shovelling it into his mouth.  I did not learn until a few years later, that this was one of many Asperger's syndrome traits and I, in my ignorance, interpreted it as 'rudeness' or 'bad table manners' and chastised him.

This had a devastating effect on Henry and Katie too.  She started to cry, Henry wouldn't eat any more and shortly afterwards Katie, undoubtedly disappointed with me, curtailed their visit and left earlier than planned.

From that time on, Henry never wanted to visit again and now, it is too late to say I'm sorry.

So, if ever you are in a restaurant or café and you see a mother struggling to control what appears to be an unruly or 'naughty' child, please, please try and understand that there might be a another reason and don't condemn them.

Thank you for reading this.