Why I Jump is one of many questions that the author of this remarkable book sets out to answer. Naoki Higashida, a Japanese boy with autism, invites us into his mind through a text he composed with his mother's help, using an alphabetic grid.
For years, experts and laypeople alike have tried to explain the behavior of autistic people—to interpret it, to make sense of it. In his answers, Naoki reveals something far more intimate: the reasons behind certain behaviors, particular difficulties, but also his emotions, his feelings, his fears, his way of seeing the world. In doing so, he dismantles several myths about autism, especially the stubborn belief that autistic people are isolated, withdrawn, and incapable of real connection with others. What makes the book remarkable is Naoki's evident maturity and depth—all the more striking when you learn that he was only thirteen when he wrote it.
David Mitchell, a writer who has an autistic son of his own, discovered this text and had it translated into English by his Japanese wife. In his lengthy introduction, Mitchell tells how the book changed his life, helping him understand so much about his own son and deepening their relationship in ways he hadn't thought possible.
Franco Antonello and his son Andrea offer a thoughtful and illuminating preface. Worth reading.
Rita Massi, 2014