The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen Year Old Boy with Autism, by Naoki Higashida is a slim, immediately readable journey into the mind of a thirteen-year-old autistic boy. The book is arranged as a series of answers to 39 questions–such as “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” and “Why do you love water?” The book takes its name from one of the more common behaviors of autistic children, a behavior that is often frowned upon.
The Reason I Jump was written by Higashida using an alphabet grid designed by his mother to help him communicate. Much of the book centers on the subject of communication; despite the terrible difficulties he experiences in attempting to communicate with others, Higashida writes, he wants desperately to be understood. Language is difficult for him; forming words is excruciating.
What comes across most clearly is the child’s isolation and desperation. He pleads with parents of autistic children to understand that the greatest pain the child experiences is the knowledge that their caregivers suffer. He asks that teachers and other children be patient with behavior that may seem odd or off-putting. Autistic children do not choose to behave differently, he says. They are hardwired to do so.
Higashida’s intense experience of the world and his precise, often lyrical observations are a reminder that autistic children have much to offer. This edition includes a forward by David Mitchell (The Cloud Atlas), who, as the parent of an autistic child, found Higashida’s unique story to be a welcome counterpoint to the growing library of books about autism, most of which are written by parents and psychologists.
Poignant, honest, and highly informative, The Reason I Jump should be required reading not only for parents of children on the autistic spectrum, but also for teachers. Parents could also read this book with non-autistic children in order to foster understanding and compassion for their autistic classmates and peers.
Pub date: August 27, 2013, Random House Publishing Group
ISBN-13: 9780812994865
Buy from Amazon Buy from Barnes & Noble Buy from Indiebound