Autism Explained- by a 13 year old boy

The book “The Reason I Jump” is written by 13 year old Naoki Higashida.  Diagnosed with autism, this mostly nonverbal young man used an alphabet grid to write the book.  It’s incredibly honest and both heartwarming and heartbreaking.  The book is broken up into snippets with headings like, Why don’t you make eye contact when you are talking to people?  or Why can you never sit still?  The author describes feeling scared, overwhelmed and losing his “sense of gravity” often and that is the reason he jumps.  It’s a powerful and thought provoking read, as you can see from all the sticky notes sticking out of my copy.  It will change the way you see and think about someone you love with autism.

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