Reflection on The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

               The author of this book is a thirteen-year-old Japanese autistic boy, and the book is him basically answering questions about himself and autism. I am really glad I read it, as it is an awesome introduction to how autistic people see the world and even though it’s really short, I feel a lot more able to treat autistic people well in my interactions with them and understand them after reading this book. I hope that I will be able to use this understanding for good!

               One really important point that Higashida makes is that the people with autism are usually the ones suffering the most in any given situation. So even if somebody is annoying you or acting weird, you have to remember that they are the ones going through the worst of it, since they’re usually embarrassed. I managed to understand that autistic people have trouble dealing with lots of stimuli. It seems like all the colors, noises, smells, and other sensations that hit us all every day are harder to deal with for autistic people. They also really like repetition, since it makes them feel more secure, knowing what comes next. For example, commercials on TV can be reassuring because, as Higashida writes, they’re like “old friends.” You can also help autistic people by giving them little “prompts” like cues to do things. Higashida writes, “For example, even after we ask for a glass of juice and are given it, we won’t actually start drinking until someone’s said ‘Enjoy’ or ‘Go ahead and drink, then.’” He compares it to going at an intersection. You need to see a green light.

               In conclusion, this is a good book to better understand people (especially children) with autism. I aspire to be more kind, understanding, and accomodating in my future interactions with autistic people, and hopefully I can do so with the help of this book.