URL Link
Full Citation
Higashida, N. (2007). The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thireen-Year-Old Boy with Autism. New York: Random House.
What diversity/subjectivity topics are they discussing?
The author (in translation from Japanese to English) addresses common questions about what it is like for him to be on the spectrum.
Your summary or comments on the article
An affirmation of neurodiversity, along with a candid descriptions of negative feelings about some aspects of having ASD. Beautifully expressed by someone who does not have spoken language.
Abstract
Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights—into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory—are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.
Resource contributed by:
Tom Holman
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