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Abstract
This paper highlights the inherent lack of empathy and the state of “mind - blindness” undergone by Naoki Higashida. Higashida’s life writing throws light on the dehumanizing current behind the scientific discourse on autism and thereby highlights the humantity of a single persons struggle to communicate with the world around him. Higashida’s work is a collection of reflection on life and it is the most illuminating insight into the mind of an autistic person. Naoki Higashida speaks about the need for social change. He points out the need for growing empathy and communication between people with autism and the people who help and support them. Though he is almost entirely nonspeaking, Higashida writes with lyricism and astonishing sensitivity about his struggle to connect with others. Naoki Higashida through his memoir has brought out the interior experience of nonspeaking autistic person and the limits of his capabilities. It depicts the way an autistic mind thinks, feels and perceives. It helps one to understand the curious, subtle and complex life undergone by the autistic person. The insights into the mystery of words, the wonders of nature and the elusiveness of memory are so startling, strange and powerful that one will never look at the world the same way again. It also discusses the social anxieties undergone, by the autistic people. It depicts the importance of self advocacy in the lives of people with autism.