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

Robison discusses his long friendship with therapist TR Rosenberg, director of the Academy at Swift River, a school that helps troubled teens integrate into society. They meet when Robison sells Rosenberg a Land Rover, and the friendship is cemented over time and several off-road adventures. After 10 years of observing Robison, Rosenberg gives him a copy of Asperger’s Syndrome by Tony Attwood. Robison reads it and realizes that he fits the profile described in the book exactly: everything from inappropriate emotional responses to failure to make eye contact and develop peer relationships. The information is revelatory. At age 40, he finally realizes why people have responded to him the way they have. He realizes how his behavior deviates from the norm and why that makes people uncomfortable. He imagines how his life may have been different if his condition were understood when he was a child. While he bemoans lost opportunities in his life (he turned down a job interview with Lucasfilm because he feared he would be discovered as a “fraud”), he also realizes that his Asperger’s is a rare gift. His unique abilities set him apart from most people. He’s not defective but special.