Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism

As an autistic person myself, I was very interested in reading “Fall Down 7 times, Get Up 8”. I have read multiple books on autism, but this is one of the very best I’ve read. Most books on autism seem to be written by neurotypicals attempting to explain autistics. While I have found some of those books helpful, there are also very many times when I will read their explanation for why we autistics do something and then I will become very upset. I will feel agitated and upset by the insufficient and often demeaning explanation. Neurotypicals often mean well, but you can’t expect someone to always be able to figure out why another’s brain works a certain way, when their own brain is wired in a radically different fashion. show more Neurotypicals - humans. Autistics - humans. But with completely different brains that function in completely different ways.

This book was extremely freeing to me to read. Here is a young man who is basically nonverbal and would probably be termed “low-functioning” by many people. And yet as you read what he writes, you can see the person locked away inside his wordlessness. As humans created in the image of God, we each have worth and dignity; we are intrinsically valuable. But people fear what they do not understand. Autism has been largely misunderstood for a long time. And as such, people have feared it and tried to fix it. But Naoki’s book reveals the hardships and beauties of being autistic. He discusses his “behaviors” and tells us what is at the bottom of them, revealing that at the very bottom lie the same hopes, fears, and passions that all humans have: fears of rejection, searching for beauty and joy, a desire show love to your loved ones.

Naoki’s book brought a lot of relief for me. Reading about someone else who deals with the things that I do gave me the freedom to talk about my struggles more with my loved ones, to explain why I do certain things. There were so many things in the book I related to: how he bites himself when highly stressed, the constant frustration when I want to express deep love to my family, the difficulty to perform simple thought processes, the extreme fear when people are upset with me, the wanting to punish myself when I make mistakes.

ASD is a spectrum. Each person is unique. There were ways in which I am like Naoki Higashida, other ways in which I am radically different. But most of all, Naoki’s book is a book about a person - a person intentionally designed by God, a person with value and worth. I would recommend “Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8”. I would recommend that people read it and remember that each person you meet is just that, a person. Maybe their brain works differently, maybe they have a different skin color, maybe they speak a different language. But at the root of it, they’re a human created by God in His image, with all the same needs and desires that all humans have.

[Review on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2763783439 ] show less

This book is a sort of sequel to The Reason I Jump, written when the author was a young teen. At the time of the writing of this book, he has become a young man, even more thoughtful and accomplished as a writer than he was as at 13. His first book was remarkable; I found this one even more so.

This is because, in addition to being a fine writer, Higashida also has severe, non-verbal autism. He writes using a keyboard. In the past, he wrote with assistance but he now writes independently.

Higashida writes movingly of his struggles as a non-verbal man with autism, often trapped by his "fixations", sometimes having embarrassing melt-downs, working slowly to master tasks that neurotypicals (people without autism) master easily, often at a show more young age. He gets discouraged but at the same time he is able to celebrate his progress.

In fact, although this book is full of the frustrations and limitations Higashida experiences because of his autism, it is far from depressing. Over and over again, he reiterates the need to remain optimistic, to enjoy life despite its limitations. He recognizes that everyone has struggles and experiences their own pain and is determined not to be overwhelmed by his own.

There is much that I learned as a teacher of students with autism, although Higashida is careful to emphasize that he is sharing his own experience and does not speak (in his own way) for others with autism. Nevertheless, the view he offers from the inside is enlightening and powerful. He speaks of the importance of family, of belonging, of experiencing the larger world no matter how overwhelming that may sometimes be. Above all, he writes of the need for acceptance and the opportunity to take a place in the larger society, to feel of value, to contribute in some way, however, small to the world around them.

I learned much about appreciating life and, as the title indicates, to keep persevering, "getting up" however many times a person feels knocked down by life, defeated by its challenges.

The writer David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas, among many other fine works, as well as the father of a son with autism, contributes a valuable introduction, describing Higashida's efforts to be taken seriously by those challenging his ability to write such a fine book as well as sharing his own struggles as a parent of a child with special needs and the ways this book was helpful to him.

Altogether a fascinating, well-written work that provides both insight into a disorder that can seem mysterious to outsiders as well as sharing much that has come from his struggles that can be of value not only to those dealing in some way with this condition but also to the rest of us, with our own challenges and struggles. I found it inspirational without trying to be so and just an engaging and interesting read. show less

As the parent of an autistic individual, this book was an enlightening read. I am always interested in finding books by autistic people, as I feel it provides much better insight than one can get from reading books written by neurotypical authors who try to "explain" autism, or, worse, offer ways to "cure" it. My son is absolutely perfect just as he is; I only seek to better understand how to communicate with him and teach him to advocate for himself. Higashida's book also a great reminder that, even though someone may be non-verbal, this in no way should be taken to mean that they are not aware, do not have wants and needs, and are not capable of expressing themselves. A great read for anyone who seeks to learn more about the world of show more autism. show less

Of my six standing reasons to read a book, three applied to Higashida's 7/8: an informed account of something I know little about; an empathetic window into life as lived by people different than me; a glimpse of a new (to me) way of experiencing the world. If Higashida's text fulfilled even just one of these, I would understand the world --and my place in it-- a little better.

7/8 delivered on all three and rekindles my interest in Higashida's earlier book.

A question arose part-way through: how do non-verbal people gain mastery over words without the practise of speaking? I have no doubt they do attain mastery: this book is itself ample proof. What I don't have is insight into that path (and presumably it has myriad forms). Is reading show more the key path, or merely one among many? (How does one learn to read without first speaking: undoubtedly it happens; what is it like?) I further assume there must be some practise in place of speech: listening, certainly; reading; writing or using the alphabet board. All of this uncovered my own assumptions, perhaps speaking is less important than I thought. I wonder how much reading Higashida does, and how he learned it.

Reminiscent somehow of Jules Renard's essays in On Nature: the compactness of Higashida's observations? How he evokes an idea so economically? Sentimental without being saccharine.

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There are included a few line drawings: two of vases (accompanying the "Mothers Day" essay), one of a gate (in "The Gate"). Each section page has floral watermarks. Higashida's? show less

For the neurotypical reader this book is a great opportunity to think about your perspective on how one thinks and acts. Most people learn by listening or observing, but that is not possible for all. Higashida has severe nonverbal autism; this is his second English translated book following "The Reason I Jump". He illuminates the steps he takes toward behaving as a neurotypical person. One example I particularly enjoyed contrasts the thoughts he has in response to the sound of rain and his mother's actions. The majority can accomplish things one way, others must find an alternative method, all benefit from perseverance. What's important is how we address our uniqueness.

Naoki Higashida ‘s Fall Down 7 times Get Up 8 is a collection of several essays, poems, interviews and even a short story he has written. The essays are personal and his attempt to explain his journey and experience with autism for outsiders. For someone who is deeply autistic to the point he is unable to speak, I found his works and words to be enlightening, inspiring and beautifully written. It is clear that autism is not an intellectual disability as has been always assumed, but rather it is a sensory-processing and communicative impairment condition. Everyone regardless of whether or not they have a personal connection to autism in some shape or form should read this book. It will change the way we perceive the condition and those show more affected by it. show less

Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for a free copy of Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8. I found this an exceptional read for two main reasons:

Firstly, so many times when I look up information on autism, I find things written by neurotypical parents, other family members, friends of people with autism, etc. And while they certainly can share valuable information, I find myself wanting to read something by someone on the autism spectrum, someone who is experiencing things first-hand. This book does just that.

Secondly, the writing itself is poignant and beautiful. Naoki Higashida writes lovely vignettes and musings. I was not surprised to find out that he also writes poetry.