Pat Thomas - I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism

First edition for the United States and Canada published in 2014 by Barrons Educational Series, Inc. First published in 2014 by Wayland Text copyright Pat Thomas 2014 Illustrations copyright Wayland 2014 Wayland is a division of Hachette Childrens Books, a Hachette UK company. www.hachette.co.uk Concept design: Kate Buxton Series design: Paul Cherrill for Basement68 Editor: Victoria Brooker All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. All inquiries should be addressed to: Barrons Educational Series, Inc. 250 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, New York 11788 www.barronseduc.com eISBN: 978-1-4380-9286-7 Do you know what it feels like to be worried or nervous or scared or to feel different from other people? We all feel these things sometimes.

But people who have autism feel these things a lot. You probably know someone with autism. It could be someone at school, or in your neighborhood, or even in your own family. You may have seen them behaving in ways that seem strange to you, and wondered why they do these things. But even if you asked them, they might not be able to explain. Autism is something you are born with its not something that you can catch from others. Autism is something you are born with its not something that you can catch from others.

When people have autism, it affects the way their brain works, making them behave or react differently from others. Nobody knows exactly what causes it, and figuring that out isnt easy because the way our brains work is very complicated. Our brains help us make sense of the world. They help us learn from the things we do and see. They help us understand that if someone is smiling, that means they are happy. Or that the green pencil works just as well as the red one.

Or if you put the peanut butter on first and then the jam, it tastes the same as if you put the jam on first. What about you? Do you know someone who has autism? Can you say what you think autism is? But for people with autism, their brain works differently from other peoples. They may look the same as everyone else on the outside, but inside they can feel like everyone around them is speaking a different language or from a different planet! People with autism may find big crowds or loud noises very frightening. They may repeat the same words over and over again or move their bodies in ways that look strange to you. When you talk to them they may not look at you, and you may wonder if they are hearing what you say. Even small changes can be very upsetting to them.

Thats why they may always want to sit in the same chair, or read the same book, or use the same cup. These habits help people with autism feel safer and more able to deal with all the things they are feeling. What about you? If you know someone with autism, what are some of the habits that make them feel safe? Do you have habits that make you feel safe, too? Most of us are pretty good at finding ways to ignore things that we dont want to see or hear or do. But for people with autism, it can be harder to ignore things. All the sights and sounds and smells around them come rushing into their brains like a giant wave. People with autism arent bad or behaving wrongly; they are just different. And sometimes being different is a good thing. And sometimes being different is a good thing.

Some people with autism have amazing talents and skills. They may be good at music or painting or remembering things. They may be really good at math or understanding computer programs or fixing things. When people have autism, it can be hard for them to understand jokes or use their imagination or play pretend games. Being with more than one person at a time may be upsetting, and it could be hard for them to make friends. But we all need friends to love and support us.

So if you know someone with autism, try to be a good friend. Be kind and patient and dont expect him or her to grow out of it. That wont happen. He or she will always see the world a little differently from others.