Hesgentle，unworldly，highlyattentiveandcharminglyold－fashioned.Thecatch？TheverythingsthatmakeKeithsoattractivetoSaraharesymptomsofAspergers.AnnaMooremeetsthecoupleslivingwiththissurprisinglycommonconditionSarahHendrickxandKeithNewtonsittiltedtowardsoneother，laughingalotanddisappearingdowntheoccasionalalleyofin－jokes，ascouplesdowhentheyrestillinthatearly，besottedstage.
SarahHendrickxandKeithNewtonatSarah’shomeinHove.Hessogorgeoushecouldhaveanyone－butnotforlong，shesays.KeithhasjustarrivedatSarahshomeinHoveandtheyreclearlydelightedbytheprospectofthenextfewdaystogether.Asalways，Keithhasswitchedoffhismobilephonebecause，asheputsit，mytimehereiswithSarah.Theywontseeanyoneelse－Keithhasnofriendsofhisownanddoesntfeelcomfortablesocialising－butplantoeatlotsofchocolate，walkandwatchtelevision.Wespendalotoftimefeelingsmug，saysSarah，becauseweseeothercoupleswhodontlookveryhappy.
Inafewdays，though，KeithwilldrivebacktoWickham，Hampshire，50milesaway，wherehelivesaloneandworksasacomputerprogrammer.Thiswillalwaysbethecase.Despitemeetingfiveyearsago，theywontprogressasothercouplesdo.Theyllneitherlivetogethernorhavechildren.Althoughtheresonlyayearbetweenthem，at39Keithissogangly，gawky，boyishandcutethathecouldbetenyearsyoungerthanheis.
YetSarah－whohadachildat19andhastwomarriagesbehindher－isconfidentthatfewwomencouldputupwithhim.God，hessogorgeoushecouldhaveanyone－butnotforlong，shesays，laughing.Threeorfourmonthsmax…then，whentheconversationturnstohomesandbabiesandbankaccounts，hedbegone！Thetwoburstintolaughter.
Itwasntalwayslikethis.Thecouplemetthroughinternetdatingandthefirststageoftheirrelationshipwasfieryandfraught.ToSarah，Keithwasapuzzle.Hedplainlystatethattheirblissfulweekendswereenoughforhim，thathedneverlivewithherorevenmovenearer.Sarahfrequentlyfoundhimselfish，coldanddistant.KeithfoundSarahhardwork，demandingandscreechy.
advertisementUltimately，onlyonethingallowedthemtostartagainfromscratch－theyuncoveredthereasonforKeithsinsensitivity，hisaloofness，thefactthathecouldseenofuturewithSarahnorseemedtowantone：KeithhasAspergerssyndrome（AS）.
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