Autobiographies Report Autism Spectrum Disorder

However, there are those who have made it through the process and are willing to change the narrative. Examples of such individuals are Stephen Shore and Lawson Wendy. Their autobiographies reveal that by accepting their different perceptions of life, they are able to interact and relate to the rest of the world. This paper will compare and contrast the autobiographies of two adults who live on the autism spectrum. As such, the paper will analyze the autobiographies of Stephen Shore’s “Beyond the Wall” and Lawson Wendy’s “Life behind Glass”. Furthermore, Wendy’s childhood was met with irritating activities and disruptions meant frustrations which were a dead end to her life (Lawson, 1998). Wendy’s life has been a world behind the glass early on in age.

As a young girl, Wendy comes out as calm, quiet with few people involved in her life. She, however, remembers one nurse that acknowledged her and allowed her to express her desires without ridicule. Similarly, the early life is a painful memory for Stephen Shore. Dr. Shore, is a public speaker and a professor at Adelphi University. He has had the chance to interact with different types of people in a different settings. Perhaps it is through the basic interaction that enables him to advise, and give clear explanations regarding life and experiences having Asperger Syndrome. On the other hand, Wendy’s life has less social interactions as she describes her personality as an onlooker, who is occasionally a participant in actions; her life is behind the glass.

To her, agreeing to every question and statement seemed to make people happier. Her efforts to socialize with others were traumatic, due to her inability to capture the essence of interaction rules; a common factor among Asperger teens (Lawson, 1998). Special interests and Employment Furthermore, the autobiographies are different in terms of the development of special interests which often led to the career choices of the authors. As Shore was steered by the love for movement and imitation in music from his childhood through his parents, Wendy mastered the art of being an observer. As described earlier, she is an onlooker for people’s behaviors, a habit that she regrets adopting as it ripped her of her own rich experiences(Lawson, 1998). I made certain that we took turns leading the imitation.

this was a good activity to do when he [the child] seemed to be fading away and losing focus" (Shore, 2003). His passion for music is leaned towards its therapeutic use. Music is a combination of fun, education, and therapy. In addition to having ASD firsthand knowledge, Shore expresses his political ambitions and desire to spread education on autism to the world and hence create opportunities for ASD individuals (Shore, 2003). Similar to other autism cases, they suffer from alienation, misdiagnosis, and rough school life due to their inability to communicate and socially interact with others. Consequently, the differential component of the autobiographies is in the development of special interests. Stephen Shore has a passion for music and is a scholar who is a public figure.