'The Reason I Jump'

A good friend of mine recently recommended the book 'The Reason I Jump' written by a 13 year old Japanese boy, Naoki Higashida about his experiences of Autism - some of you might have heard extracts from it on Radio 4's Book of the Week 10th - 15th June.

Some feedback from readers is that they have laughed and cried, found it the most accessible writing about Autism they have ever heard and see it as essential reading/listening for anyone choosing to work with or wanting to begin to understand people with Autism. (I've just bought a copy and agree totally with these comments). And, as someone keen to use the Language of Safety with all people it reminds me to seek clarity and shared meaning with individuals rather than assuming certain behaviours mean certain things.

One example Naoki gives is that some people make an assumption that people with autismn prefer to be on their own. In Naoki's experience, 'the truth is we'd love to be with other people. But because things never, ever go right we end up getting used to being alone without even noticing this is happening.'

Whilst I appreciate that all people with autism are individual, I also appreciate that being able to hear what it is like directly from someone with autism helps me to recognise that there can be other reasons why people feel, think and behave the way they do. The challenge therefore is to find a way to help people communicate using a Language of Safety.

Hi Again,
Following this link will take you to a news story on the BBC website which once again seems to underline the need for a' language of safety' - amazing to think that some people think they know best and the voice of the individual is ignored.
SA

The 'language of public sector professionals' often seems oblivious to the very people the professionals are trying to communicate with, resulting in a one-sided, disempowering monologue in place of a person-centred two-way dialogue. As a teacher, I occasionally need reminding at times to communicate 'normally', as the government flavoured education-jargon occasionally prevails as a default setting, especially in my written work.

This story is such an incredibly articulate example of that. It really does highlight the need for a 'language of safety', and also for society to create a culture of people feeling listened to, especially by professionals who invite them to share their voice.

Thanks for sharing this link, Sally Ann.
judith