Reviews
Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida
aizataffendi's review against another edition
5.0
Hugely gripping, what I would consider a series of letters from a side of the world that is relatively unknown (i.e. what goes on in the minds of non-verbal autistics). Naoki spells out the dos and don't on how to handle autistic people, most of which are in particular to how parents should deal with their autistic kids. There is a disclaimer within his writings though, which mentioned that not unlike neurotypicals, no two autistic people are the same and what works for him may not work for another. That said, I still think that his writing would be of great help not only to the people who deal with autistics on the daily but to us everyday humans who would most certainly will encounter one person within the spectrum at some point(s) in our lives.
The key messages that I get from Naoki is that neurotypicals bruise just as easily as we all do. More often than not, they also understand what we say and are more likely to internalize these words especially when they don't have the means to articulate themselves (which gives rise to their self-loathing tendencies). Also, remember not to reprimand them in public whenever they're experiencing a meltdown, as these are usually beyond their control especially when there's an overload of information/thoughts in their brains. Best thing to do is just to give them space (whilst avoiding the natural tendency to stare or scold) while they calm themselves down. Act normally and treat them as you would normal people because no one likes to be singled out and/or put on the spot (yes, even neurotypicals! - something that people like us can't seem to wrap our heads around most times).
PS : I get the feeling that the publisher of the English translation of book doesn't really want to highlight the name of the writer (which was placed against busy graphics unlike the translator's name). I wonder if this was this intended
The key messages that I get from Naoki is that neurotypicals bruise just as easily as we all do. More often than not, they also understand what we say and are more likely to internalize these words especially when they don't have the means to articulate themselves (which gives rise to their self-loathing tendencies). Also, remember not to reprimand them in public whenever they're experiencing a meltdown, as these are usually beyond their control especially when there's an overload of information/thoughts in their brains. Best thing to do is just to give them space (whilst avoiding the natural tendency to stare or scold) while they calm themselves down. Act normally and treat them as you would normal people because no one likes to be singled out and/or put on the spot (yes, even neurotypicals! - something that people like us can't seem to wrap our heads around most times).
PS : I get the feeling that the publisher of the English translation of book doesn't really want to highlight the name of the writer (which was placed against busy graphics unlike the translator's name). I wonder if this was this intended
line_magnus's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
dumbash's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
av3rag3av3's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
As someone who attempted to find work helping counsel children on the autism spectrum, who struggled to consistently gather the right energy to positively influence these children's lives, Mr. Higashida's book provided me with hope that I may one day be able to attempt to find this type of work again by bettering my understanding of how to relate to neuro-atypical children. While I have read before about autism being best interpreted as more of a permanent aspect of personality, rather than an illness to be remedied, this book greatly furthered my understanding of why that is the case. Higashida illuminates many complex, deeply personal emotions and insights through a series of short reflections, and shows that readers should not write off or box in him or others on the spectrum because of their diagnoses. This style he employs, using short chapters of personal introspection, successfully conveys aspects of Higashida's thought processes related to his diagnosis. However, he also displays great range of thought and creativity through interspersing beautiful poetry and a longer dreamlike short story. This short story, in particular, was one of the most memorable parts of the book for me because, even though it depicted themes specific to those on the autism-spectrum, it also contained messages that would surely resonate with anyone who has reflected on aspects of the human experience that keep all of us more or less contained within our own minds as individuals. Lastly, I personally connected with the way he begins and ends the book with expressing his desire to show gratitude to his mother for all she has done for him throughout his life. Higashida's story is very inspiring, and one I would definitely recommend for those on the autism spectrum in their lives, and anyone who wishes to better their understandings of what connects us all as humans.
jolee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
thora_b's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5