I wish to say at the outset that writing this story was a challenge to me, and the writing style won't be easy to read. I honestly don't know how Todd might think. I based Todd's 'voice' on the self-descriptions I have read of people with autism who are capable of describing their own thought processes, as well as on what is known regarding which parts of speech are harder to master. For example, I did not use any pronouns or question words, and I used as few function words as I could get away with while retaining coherence. Finally, I made everything as concrete and visual as possible, since Temple Grandin has stated that she thinks in pictures rather than in words, and that she has to translate into English whenever she speaks or writes. Her informal research has indicated that many other people on the spectrum are also visual thinkers.
I hope no one takes offense at the story. I was not trying to make fun of Todd or of others with cognitive disabilities; rather, this story is my best effort at depicting how I imagine Todd (and, for that matter, my own son) might think.
As always, all feedback welcomed.
Joy,
Lynn
