About six months ago, I was sitting in the waiting room of my therapist's office. She was a member of a large mental health practice. Seated in the middle of the floor was a young woman, say 16 or so, who was rocking back and forth, and repeatedly picking at her T-shirt. Her eyes were closed, or nearly so. I watched her closely. Nearby, seated in chairs, were a man and a woman, whom I believe were her parents. They glared at me. I smiled back, and returned to observing the young girl, consciously putting on the kindest expression I could muster on my face. The parents seemed to relax, understanding (I hope) that I was not watching the girl because I thought she was a freak, but because I thought she was a human being - a person I wanted to understand. Inside that girl is a spirit, the same as mine. Inside her is a mind, one that works differently from mine, but probably not all that differently. When I went in to speak with my therapist, I immediately told her what I had seen in the waiting room. She told me, as I suspected, that the young lady was autistic.
I am a writer. As such, I am fascinated by people, and the stories of each person. As time has passed, I have tried to educate myself about autism. I learned a lot from Temple Grandin. Her words have opened up a whole world to me, given me a new and different way to see the world, and to view my own experience of it. And so I would like to write a story with the main character being autistic.
I need a lot of help. I need to deconstruct my own world view, and reconstruct one that is consistent with autism. Of course that is very hard, as autism is not one thing, but rather (1) a group of behaviors identified by professionals, and (2) a way of experiencing life and the world as a primary subject, which one or several of the aformentioned professionals has identified as autistic.
So I hope I can establish a dialogue, ask some questions, and hopefully not be regarded negatively. With the help of the good people in this virtual community, I may be able to craft a really good story that helps the world-at-large understand the world inside that young lady who so fascinated me. That world has value. I could feel it.