The Reason I Jump: one boy's voice from the silence of autism

That change within yourself can help your autistic loved one(s) flourish just as the author manifestly stated by thanking his teacher and “Thanks to… my mom.”MUST READ for those who have autistic loved ones. Question 23 made my heart sink but question 58 and the “Afterword” lifted my spirit again.I always dreaded reading material containing technical/medical terminology describing everything regarding autism because I didn’t want to learn my child could get worse with age--- a form of denial. I especially dreaded reading material regarding a person’s specific experience because it is just that…specific to them. With that said, this was the perfect required dose of both. The book is largely a set of 58 questions one would expect a curious non-autistic person to ask an autistic person. The autistic person’s answers are concise and meticulous at the same time. Concise because he doesn’t provide long-winded “So it all began when…” answers; yet provides responses that help you understand why an autistic person may generally behave in a manner and why he specifically does or doesn’t. For example, “Is it true you hate being touched?” begins with “Personally, I have no particular problem with physical contact…” and ends with explaining for another autistic person “being touched by someone else means that the toucher is exercising control over the person’s body…”. At times, he delves into a deeper contemplation such as, “There’s also a dread that by being touched our thoughts will become visible.” Extremely insightful. It is difficult to provide a review without becoming long-winded myself. I hope this book helps you become more mentally and physically self-aware of your interaction with your autistic loved one(s) as it did for me.

I cannot stress enough how much this book has impacted me. I am the mom of a two year old daughter; we are currently looking into a potential autism diagnosis with. This book spoke to me so deeply. Even with my child being a girl, being very young, and without an official diagnosis, the parallels between the author and my daughter are undeniable. It made me feel like I am having a much needed conversation with her. I immediately purchased copies for family members and insist that everyone in her support group read it or listen to it. A complete mindset and perspective changer. All professionals in this field should take the time to engage with this book. I am so grateful to everyone who made this book happen. It will forever be a piece of my toolkit in navigating this space. As much as I am an everyday Amazon shopper, I RARELY leave reviews. The way this book has made me evaluate my outlook on my daughter and our circumstance left me wanting to ensure all other parents struggling to navigate know that this book exists, and is worth the purchase.

Very revealing! Recommended.

I wanted to learn more about Autism from a nonverbal Autistic person’s viewpoint.Very informative book! I totally recommend it to parents or caregivers of Autistic individuals.

Brilliant. I'd recommend for anyone who has autistic people in their lives.