Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s

“I’ve read about people like you. They have no expression because they have no feeling. Some of the worst murderers in history were sociopaths.” 

Robison’s unorthodox behavior elicits a variety of responses, mostly negative. One Asperger’s symptom is an inability (or reluctance) to show emotion which is often confused with asocial personality traits. This labeling results in confusion and fear for Robison, who knows he isn’t a murderer but doesn’t understand why he would branded as one.

“Asperger’s is not a disease. It’s a way of being. There is no cure, nor is there a need for one.” 

Robison attempts to dispel several public misconceptions about Asperger’s and autism. Confronted as a child with pity and the assumption that he is “defective,” he uses his platform as a published author to promote awareness. By claiming that Aspergians do not require a cure, he is arguing that there is nothing wrong with them, a position only recently accepted.

“Being three years old was no excuse for disorderly play habits.”

From the outset, Robison grants his audience access to the inner workings of his mind. In explaining why he “whacks” his friend Doug on the ears, he states that Doug doesn’t know how to play correctly. Doug mixes different colored blocks together, something Robison can’t abide. His routine is fixed, and any deviation angers him. Physical reprisal, in his young mind, is a perfectly acceptable solution.