April is Autism Awareness Month . Many may better know the term as Asperger syndrome. Autism is a spectrum diagnosis which usually involves remarkable focus and persistence, aptitude for recognizing patterns, and attention to detail. All of which are traits needed for an excellent detective and problem solver which makes for a great novel character.
Gifted authors often balance these traits with others often signature to Autism or Asperger syndrome such as difficulty with social interactions, restricted interests, desire for sameness, and distinctive strengths. Hypersensitivities to light and sound, difficulty with give and take of conversation as well as nonverbal conversation skills, and uncoordinated movements (or clumsiness) are also characteristics of the Autism spectrum.
With this, one can clearly understand the importance of representation in literature for Autistic heroes and protagonists. In addition authors have the opportunity to create character with complexity, depth, and interests.
In honor of the upcoming Autism Awareness month, here are three books with Autistic protagonists or heroes:
Charlie is a 17-year-old young girl, with Autism, on her way to esteemed college M.I.T to study data analytics when her boss is murdered at the sandwich shop in which she works. Charlie must solve this heinous crime before she can whisk off to her dream college.
Christopher is smart, funny and equipped with mastered social skill techniques taught by his middle school teacher. He knows all of the all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057. When his teacher challenges him to write a story, he proceeds to tell us (the reader) how he solved the mystery of who killed his neighbor's dog.
Edward is thirty-nine-years-old and has his routine exactly how he wants it. He starts his therapy sessions on-time no matter what, and watches the same episode of his favorite show at the same time each night. When a new nine-year-old neighbor threatens to disrupt his perfect schedule, Edward hilariously takes the reader through the 600 hours of his life in which he learns to open up to his new neighbors and confront his own estranged parents.
Have you read any of the above novels?
What is your favorite read with an Autistic main character?
Happy Reading Friends!
Xoxoxoxoxox,
ROTR
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