The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Since I’m in the mental health field I have an understanding of how autism works. We’re taught to recognize the symptoms, numerous theories to explain the behavior’s , medications for irritability and then therapy to help develop social skills. Social skills required to adapt and survive in a neurotypical world.

This book is the rare explanation of how it feels to be autistic , from the ‘inside’. Explained by a 13 year old autistic child. How he searches for what to reply by searching through his memory of previously similar situations , and sayin the sentence nearest possible to the appropriate answer. this is often deemed gibberish to the typical listener. the writers desperation in how his body and words does not respond the way he wants it to. Despite being deemed to generally not understand social cues the author often writes about how he knows that the people close to him are frustrated and disappointed.

Throughout the book one message repeated over and over again. ‘We need your help. Don’t leave us’



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