"Anything But Typical" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

I enjoyed this book for teens enormously. It is written from a  first person perspective about Jason Blake, an autistic twelve year old.

Jason Blake is autistic and finds the neuro-typical world around him, but especially school, over-stimulating, often unfathomable. Most days it is just a matter of time before something goes wrong, before he either does something or says something others find "weird" or unacceptable, or before one of his classmates (and sometimes even his teachers) find him amusing or react negatively to him. Jason's one comfort and “time out” is the Storyboard website, where he can be himself, where he can write his stories and be creative. The story he writes about a made-up character Bennu  parallels his own life as in Bennu’s world he is also different from what is typical. When Jason actually makes an online friend on the website (Phoenixbird, whose real name is Rebecca), he dares to dream that they might be friends. But when Rebecca is going to be at the same Storyboard convention as Jason, Jason is concerned that once she actually meets him, she will, like most others, only see him as someone who is "anything but typical."

 Jason is a believable character that we can’t help have empathy for.

"Neorotypicals like it when you look them in the eye. It is supposed to mean you are listening, as if the reverse were true, which it is not:Just because you are not looking at someone does not mean you are not listening. I can listen better when I am not distracted by a person's face:What are their eyes saying? Is that a frown or a smile?Why are they wrinkling their forehead or lifting their cheeks like that?What does it mean"

"...my occupational therapist has taught me:look people in the eye when you are talking(even if this makes it harder for you to listen),talk even when you have nothing to say(that's what NT's do all the time).."

"even though it is harder for me to talk than to listen, even though it is also hard for me to listen, I think it is much harder for NTs to listen than it is to talk. This is something I have observed over the years. "

"People don't mean everything they say, my mother has told me. So has my physical therapist. Then why do they say it? Why do people say things they don't mean? So far no one has given me a good answer."



 "This is what I notice: NT's will lie. And its not that I can't. I could. If I wanted to. But even when everyone who is listening knows it's a lie, they can pretend it's not, and then everybody is lying. The listeners and the tellers. And its hard for me to tell what is real and what is not."

"It was noisy in the restaurant. Every time the door opened, I could hear cars driving on the road. I heard a dog bark outside, and I heard the wood floor creak when someone walked by the doorway to the kitchen. my occupational therapist was teaching me how to try and block out all these sounds. She taught me to hear them one by one and then send them away. Hear them. Hold them. And then let them go. Until finally all I saw were the words on the page an all  heard was my own breathing. And I knew I was calm."

Working with an aspergers child

Last year was a difficult year for Toby. His occupational therapist says that 7 is an age when boys are frequently “picked up” as having sensory issues. The regime we established of regular brushing/bone bumping and deep pressure all helped considerably. I think seeing a psychologist was also beneficial as it helped me to step back from situations and be more focused in my observations + I think it helped Toby by equipping him with tools he could choose to use in certain difficult situations.
Over the summer hols. we were less rigid in our routines and yet “meltdowns” were few.
One practical difference was Toby having a room of his own. To be able to have a space he owns as his (even if shared with 4yo brother) + can choose how it is ordered has almost literally made him stand taller! Also beneficial has been giving him a chore that is just his to do: feeding + watering the silky bantams + the new black hens + collecting their eggs.
Physically too he has made great strides. He self corrects his posture in piano and violin playing more and more and his handwriting is developing into a more confident style.
Still the difficulties that come with being this “personality” shade will not disappear. Last week issues were demonstrated to remind me of this:
1. a very fidgety T. during piano lesson; cause: tag on top irritating him. Solution: remove all tags from clothing!
2.a wriggly T during violin practice; cause: sand or grit between toes. Solution: take a break in practice and clean toes!!
3. a large “meltdown” during a playtime with other families. Cause: uncertain, possibly others not keeping to the rules as he perceives them. Solution: at the time big brother Caleb successfully used re-direction and several other wonderful friends of Toby were also happy to be involved in this. I have since spoken to T, and suggested that we take a bag with us(to include his favourite book he is reading, special soft-toy that Dad brought back from Alice, a snack he likes, maybe the Draw-write now books or some other alternative). If he feels he needs a quiet time he is to go and get the bag(or maybe Caleb and I to get it for him)+ take it to a quiet place until he feels able to join in again. I reminded him that at least one other member of our regular group often feels the need to be by herself and that this is an acceptable and reasonable alternative to a “meltdown”.
I am grateful to God for giving us Toby. Each person is made wonderfully and Toby is no exception. I would not want him to change or be anyway less than the Toby God has made him. Our role as parents is to equip him to be just that!