….“Oh”, he replied and apologized to her. I then explained to Mrs. Spaulding that Jonny had autism and sometimes he understood things quite differently than you or I and this is true whether Jonny is listening to someone read to him or when he’s actually reading something because he tends to look through or around the words or the words look distorted when he reads. He didn’t mean to hurt her; he was just not used to sitting. It was like a light bulb went off in her head and she said, “oh, you’re right, I had taught a child with autism once before. I forgot that it could look differently and I wasn’t even thinking that could be the issue here. Thank you for reminding me”
I tell you this story because I think it demonstrates how through clear and concise communication, relationships are built. Yet it’s virtually impossible to run around and explain Jonny to everyone in the hopes they will understand. But by sharing with all of you about the importance of understanding and communicating about autism, you can help me to get the message out. This is also the reason I wrote my first book, Little Rainman, to help people see autism through the eyes of a child.

Fin