The Reason I Jump

The Inner Voice Of A Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism

by Naoki Higashida

2h27min runtime; read by Tom PIcasso, 208 pages

English language

Published Sept. 9, 2013 by Recorded Books.

ASIN:: B00F2QG1E6

(20 reviews)

You've never listened to a book like The Reason I Jump. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within. Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: "Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?" "Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?" "Why don't you make eye contact when you're talking?" and "What's the …

With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights - into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory - are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again.

2 editions

KnitAFett reviewed The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Decent starter book for introduction to autism

3 stars

Ultimately 3.5 stars.

I'm torn on this one. I feel like the information that is presented in this book is helpful to kind of understand some of the thought processes that Naoki has when dealing with traits that annoy or frustrate the neuraltypical people around him.

There's 2 things that really knocked this book down for me a bit, though.

1) The use of "we" when speaking on his thoughts. Now I realize that this was originally published in 2005 and a lot of our understanding of the spectrum has changed since that time. But for people who are trying to understand or learn about autism, I feel like the generalization of "we" will be hard to read by families who have loved ones that are in a different part of the spectrum.

2) I get that Naoki is a very smart kiddo. But I really don't feel confident to …

Ultimately 3.5 stars.

There's 2 things that really knocked this book down for me a bit, though.

2) I get that Naoki is a very smart kiddo. But I really don't feel confident to declare that he wrote this book at the age of 13. Now, I realize that this book was translated from Japanese and I would be highly interested to see if there were some embellishments added during the translating process.i just worry that for people with no knowledge on this subject will have high expectations for their loved ones that could cause more issues.

Andrew (andrewspink@mastadon.green) reviewed The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Review of 'The Reason I Jump' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A very interesting book with lots of fascinating insights. The only criticism I have is that the author a few times too often presumes to speak for all autistic children, when some things he writes are probably personal to himself, but if that is the only fault in a book written by a 13-year-old then that that is quite remarkable. And it is a remarkable book. Well worth reading.

Jack Baty reviewed The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Review of 'The Reason I Jump' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Reading "The Reason I Jump" is the best way I've found to improve one's understanding of how a person with Autism thinks and feels. It's an amazing perspective, described well, by 13-year-old Naoki.

Sonya reviewed The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Review of 'The Reason I Jump' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

The clarity with which I can understand the author's point of view is astounding. This is both a wonderful personal story, and also a way to better understand people whose brains work differently than mine. I was touched and felt so many (generally positive) emotions while reading this. I highly recommend it.

loppear reviewed The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Review of 'The Reason I Jump The Inner Voice Of A Thirteenyearold Boy With Autism' on Goodreads

3 stars

Curiously engaging as a non-fiction personal account of the interior experience of autism. Many layers of translation dilemmas and questions here, but the basic story of fear, disconnection from ones own body and mind, and deep empathy is worth considering.