I don't identify as human. Many autistic people report feeling as though they were born on the wrong planet. I take this as metaphor. When I say that I'm not human, I mean that literally. Modern humans are a subspecies of Homo sapiens called Homo sapiens sapiens. I believe I am distinct enough from H. sapiens sapiens to consider myself an inhuman person. I outlined some reasons for this in the previous blog post (Am I Human?). Here is another reason. Humans flip switches in each other. This is a reductive way to describe a series of complex neurological processes. When you hear your name or see a human face, something happens in your brain: a switch is flipped (so to speak) that causes your thought and behavior to change tracks. Hearing your name changes how you focus your attention. Seeing your friend in a crowd changes your behavior. For the most part, you aren't in charge of how these switches act. Their ac...
My name is Ryan. I'm a published author, a musician, and a cartoonist, and I'm autistic. My therapist suggested that I write a book about living with an autism spectrum disorder. I decided to try a blog first. I try to be clear and succinct in describing my experiences. I don't feel like I have special insight, but maybe this will help some people.