I would like to thank everyone for all the kind words and positive comments regarding my first article. I wasn’t sure how my story would be received, and I loved reading all the words of encouragement that you left for me. Several have asked for more of my perspective on Autism and while I only know how it affects my everyday life, I am happy to share more of how I see the world. My parents have told me that there is a saying that if you have met one person on the Autism spectrum then you have met one person on the Autism spectrum. That is most definitely the truth. As I said in my previous article, although there are a lot of similarities among us, each of us are different.
In my case, I take things literally. English can be a difficult subject for me. When I read a story or a book it is all fact to me. I do not really differentiate between an owner’s manual or a novel. To me, the written word is fact. I do not read things and recognize symbolism and I do not infer if something is not explicitly stated. Things are black and white to me when I read. A story is a story, and a character is a character. When I read them, I do not see either the character or story as a metaphor or symbolism for anything else, even though I can tell you the definition of a metaphor and understand what symbolism is.
The same is often the case when I interact with people in conversation. I have gotten better, but I do not always recognize when someone is kidding with me. My daddy likes to tease me if he answers the phone when the school district’s automated system calls about anything. He will tell me things like they called to assign me homework or that they have cancelled an in-service day. But I have gotten to where I can tell that he’s kidding. And no, he’s not as funny as he thinks he is. Also, if a person is being sarcastic when they are talking about something I will not necessarily recognize it. The words themselves are what I listen to and think about, not vocal cues or context.
I believe this is a big reason that I love math so much. It is my favorite subject. Math has concrete rules. A number has a set value, and it does not change. A number does not have more than one definition. The rules of operation for math stay the same. When you are doing math problems or using it in real life, it is the same. Black and white, to use an idiom that I previously employed.
That is also the reason that I like science too. Whether it is my Plant Science class, or Chemistry or Physics, science is based on fact. And even when you are experimenting to prove a hypothesis or see a reaction, there is a concrete set of rules you follow to set up and do the experiments.
I suppose it may not sound right to you that I want to be a proofreader after school, since it seems so close to an English vocation. But checking spelling, grammar and punctuation is right up my alley. Because those things have set rules too. And that is what I like.