The Reason I Jump

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

Link to purchase from Amazon

Title: The Reason I Jump
Author: Naoki Higashida
Publisher: Knopf Canada, Hardcover
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Genre: Memoir, Biography, Parenting and Relationships, Health, Fitness and Dieting, Special Needs


Written in a Q&A style, with a handful short stories also included, this was a really great read! It's a very short book and easy/quick read, but still manages to pack a punch. If you didn't get it from the extended title, this is the behind the scenes look into the mind of a child with autism. Naoki Higashida writes the book at 13 years of age using a unique method that his therapist/instructors have developed to help this child who is unable to speak due to his disability.

There isn't a whole lot to say about this book, other than it is a productive read for essentially anyone. Although there seem to be endless varieties of learning disabilities on the spectrum, and a plethora of different symptom combinations on top of that, this memoir does answer a lot of the questions that parents/families/teachers etc always have concerning their child who cannot adequately communicate their thoughts and feelings (for example, why autistic kids often jump). Higashida comes across as incredibly intelligent, which is a good reminder of the level of maturity that often resides in the mind of special needs kids... at one point, he begs people not to talk to him like he's a child.

So yes, I would recommend this book to anyone. There isn't much to it, but in the interest of understanding and being well-informed, this one is very useful. Four stars only because it did feel somewhat incomplete (but an entire 5 stars to the final short story at the end of the book!).