Introduction

I started this book two years after the Asperger’s diagnosis that tipped my world upside down and shattered my identity. I had no idea it would lead me to the understanding that there’s nothing wrong with me.

It’s my fervent hope that this book will help you to understand that there’s nothing wrong with autistics; and that those bearing the autistic label will see themselves through a new, and beautiful, lens.

When seen in the light of evolution, autism makes a great deal of sense. Indeed, I believe that autistics are the forerunners of evolution; that autism is not a disability, but is, in fact, a higher ability that’s simply misunderstood.

Autism & Evolution presents a unique perspective that pushes the boundaries of accepted beliefs, including the current medical-model of autism.

Evolution, by its very nature, is a boundary-pusher. What’s considered normal shifts with the tides, although it forever lingers in the belly of the bell-curve, walking at the heels of those who break through the barriers of limitation and dare to imagine what’s ahead of the curve.

So, be sure to engage your open imaginations, for there are many ahead-of-the-curve offerings in this book.

I straddle the arenas of Spirit and Science, so you’ll see words like cells, DNA, the limbic system and hormones mingling with beliefs, chakras, fear and love, as I explore the exquisite plan of evolution that’s bringing liberation to autistics; and, indeed, to us all.

In a delightful twist, you’ll also encounter some of your favourite fairy tale characters as they step in to deliver information with simplicity and light. There’s a wealth of profound hidden meanings woven within their stories.

Likewise, in a surprising revelation, the Bible embraces evolution.

I see patterns and join dots across many genres. That’s my gift. I’m not a pattern-seeker, I’m simply very observant, and have a sense of curiosity and wonder about life. I feel certain that you too will see the patterns as I present my findings in this book. You may even wonder how you missed them previously.

Having said that, there will be those who don’t align with my views. And I respect that.

However, Autism & Evolution is my understanding; my interpretation; my perspective. And it’s precious to me. So, what’s important is not that you believe what I say, but that I had the courage to say it. What’s important is that everyone feels safe when expressing their creative truth; when publicly finding their voice, no matter how unusual it may appear.

My Glossary, which is situated at the back of the book, most certainly is unusual, although essential. It’s introduced to the reader in Chapter 2, when I explain my special gift with individual words. Although I’ve referred to established dictionary meanings in some of the Glossary definitions, for the most part, this is not so. Therefore, don’t expect the familiar, but do expect to be challenged. There are readers who’ve been so intrigued by the Glossary that they’ve read it from beginning to end even before they read the book. I’m sure there’ll also be those who won’t be interested in reading any of the Glossary entries. We’re all different.

I do repeat some of the glossary references as we move through the text. This is always simply a suggestion in case you wish to re-visit that particular definition to refresh your understanding as it applies to the current information. But the choice to do so is ultimately yours.

Words are far more powerful than we can imagine. They settle into our bodies leaving subtle messages that shape our physical design. There’s truth in the saying ‘I feel it in my bones’. I’m guided by words. I feel their power and appreciate their service to communication. But communication can be de-railed if the reader and the writer are on different tracks. So, I use italics. It’s a choice I make if I’m using a word in a slightly different way, or if I’m employing a pun or double-entendre. And yes, there are times I simply use italics for emphasis. But I want you to know that this is not a slight on your intelligence.

Within the Glossary, I’ve devised a system to show the word break-downs as clearly as possible. This system uses capital letters, only because they make it clear. Please know that I’m not shouting at you. I would never do that.

Just as I would never disrespect you. When I use the word ‘neurotypical’ it’s not a personal affront. I’m simply using a common term that’s been adopted by the majority, including medical professionals, when referring to “people who have brains that function in a similar way to most of their peers.” [www.medicalnewstoday.com What does neurotypical, neurodivergent, and neurodiverse mean?] This, by the way, is the first definition to pop up in a Google search for ‘neuro typical’. It’s followed by the definition from the Oxford Languages dictionary: “neurotypical: adj. not displaying or characterised by autistic or other neurological atypical patterns of thought or behaviour”.

In employing the term neurotypical, I hope to demonstrate that labels can be vehicles of distortion, permanently branding individuals. Although, in reality, labels are just perceptions that define the ‘perceiver’, not those being labelled.

Likewise, I wanted to address the many misperceptions about autism itself, so I’ve created an Addendum for this specific purpose. It’s situated after Chapter 10. Sometimes, all that’s required is a different point of view.

This book isn’t just a discussion about Autism and how it fits into the evolutionary progression. It also offers an opportunity to open your heart to the wonders within your own body, and to live your life with just a little bit more magic. After all, everyone is on the evolutionary spectrum into spiritual wellbeing.

In conclusion, I’m very aware that each autistic is unique and presents with remarkable variation. Autism itself is often accompanied by other conditions (co-morbidities…a term that badly needs refining), which colour the presentation of the autism. However, I firmly believe that all autistics sit under the same big-picture umbrella, and that, with a tilt of the lens, my unique perspective applies in every case. Please don’t dismiss it because it’s new, especially when the world is in need of alternatives.

So, I invite you now into the pages of my happy alternative, where autism fits perfectly within the natural progression of evolution.

 

The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you be somebody else.

E.E. Cummings, American poet

 

 

Chapter One:

Change The World

 

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.

Albert Einstein

I used to believe that I didn’t fit into this world. But now I realise that this world doesn’t fit!

It’s dragging its leaden feet, reluctant to recognise the natural course of evolution that’s transforming us from mediocrity into… genius? From neuro-typical to… autistic?

The accepted neuro-typical perspective sees autism as a disability. My autistic perspective doesn’t. Sadly, my perspective is overlooked, because a radical alternative can be very scary. But so too can being autistic in a neuro-typical world.

At first, I kept my Asperger’s diagnosis a secret, because it was easier to hide it than to explain it.

I’m different!

But now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. For woven beautifully within those nine little letters are the unique threads of my creative essence. My whole world is fashioned around my difference. My very purpose for being here is dependent upon my difference.

I still live in a world that doesn’t fit me. But I’ve decided to use my difference to change the world. It’s time to challenge neuro-typical beliefs about autism. And from my front-row seat, I feel well equipped to do so.

When tip-toeing through the delicate arena of personal beliefs, we find that there are as many unique viewpoints as there are people on the planet. Each one perfectly valid, and providing the window through which the vista of an individual life is animated. The window of perspective creates one’s world.

So, to change a perspective means to change your world. A big ask. But in so doing, you also change the world.

And that’s my endeavour within the pages of this book. To invite you to see the world through my eyes; to take a peek through the window of my autistic perspective. It may unsettle, shock, or rock your boat. Perhaps it’ll amuse. My hope is that it will pique your curiosity, and entice you to throw open the time-worn shutters of your carefully hewn window of perspective, and delight in the picturesque wonders beyond. I’m sure you’ll find that it’s really not so scary.

Let’s change the world together…

Clearly, the world that we’re about to change, is the vista as seen through the eyes of each individual.

And yet somehow humanity has settled on a collective understanding, which creates the illusion that we’re all seeing through the same lens. Unfortunately, this satisfies a sleepy majority, and is founded on fear; the fear of change; the fear of difference. But, apparently, majority rules!

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Mark Twain’s notebook (1935)

What’s deemed normal through the collective eyes of the majority, provides us with a familiar world of mediocrity. There’s safety in numbers, so we define our world, and what’s normal and acceptable, within the safe boundaries of popularity.

Dare to stand alone at your own peril. Mediocrity doesn’t tolerate uniqueness; difference. An out-of-the-box world view is threatening to the status quo.

But it doesn’t have to be. Stepping outside the box is always creative; it means opening to new possibilities and embracing new experiences; finding greater understanding and increased harmony. Can you imagine this out-of-the-box world?

History is full of creative dreamers who could; they leapt courageously out of their ill-fitting proverbial coffer, and paved a glorious path of ingenuity right up to your doorstep. And now, standing once again on the threshold of genius, we find the next wave of creative dreamers, called autistics.

Can I ask you to please park your reservations about the word genius for the moment, as all will become clear.

This world, as a collective mediocre box, is way too restrictive for those with autism. Indeed, my own wings feel tethered.

My world pushes the boundaries of possibility and understanding beyond what’s currently accepted in science. I find patterns in everything, and join dots in obscure and inventive ways. Through the window of my perspective, I see a world where genius is the norm. I see this as our destination, the reason for our existence. I see the big picture of evolution.

This is what makes me different!

But autistics, by their very nature, see what others cannot.

Why?

Because autistics are the fore-runners of evolution; they’re ahead of the pack on the continuum of time that’s leading us into genius; they’re preparing the way for those who follow, just as their ancestors prepared the way for them.

How can this not be obvious, especially with the increasing prevalence of autism. Do you really believe that our incredibly magnificent universe is leading us into an abyss of disability? I doubt it.

It’s time to look at another alternative, and change the world view, not only about autism, but about why we’re all here.

Our nurturing universe is taking us by the hand and leading us, generation after generation, into the dizzy heights of genius. Never before, in the history of the world, have so many enlightened souls graced our planet.

Now that’s a big statement.

But with the understanding of the world being an individual perspective, it becomes clear that an increasing number of individuals are looking through a brighter lens and casting an enlightened perception upon the blue screen of planet Earth.

Dotted throughout evolution there have been enlightened souls whose pioneering spirits have captured the curiosity of seekers, and have opened people’s imaginations to new possibilities. They’ve struggled against the religious and political norm, and been persecuted for their vision.

Their names are remembered in the annals of history as prophets, seers, masters, creatives. From Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, Rumi, Da Vinci, Shakespeare and the classic poets, to the impressionist artists of the 19th century, Einstein and Hawking; they all share the crown of genius.

But I want you to know that this radiant crown lay dormant within us all, both literally and figuratively, awaiting the magic touch of inspiration. For genius is simply our guiding spirit of creativity and uniqueness soaring on the wings of belief.

And belief surely was the inner motivator of our brilliant predecessors. Self-belief fuelled their passions and unleashed their unique, rare, quirky and creative messages on hungry ears and eyes that were thirsting for something different…a new truth.

Stepping boldly through evolution, this avant-garde inclination effected a progressively wider influence on individual perceptions…and the world changed.

From this oblique angle it becomes obvious that the gradual unfolding of genius is infectious, and is indeed becoming epidemic, as evidenced by the increasing waves of creative genius…and autism…within the twentieth and twenty first centuries.

However, mediocrity cannot embrace a vision that hails genius as the norm, for that would put an end to itself. And so those enlightened souls who fall into the genius category of unique creatives are mistakenly proclaimed, by the blind majority, to be misguided or disabled. There must be something wrong with them if they don’t fit the paradigm of mediocrity.

Autism being a case in point.

The deafness of the world is only selective in so far as mediocrity has a limited choice of what it’s capable of believing. But the walls are closing in on the tight little box of mediocrity, which is slowly but surely shrinking in the evolutionary progression into genius.

We are indeed climbing out of mediocrity toward enlightenment. For evolution is simply a stroll through time that’s leading us out of the shadows of ignorance, and down the path of change, into the glorious light of a new understanding.

Those enlightened souls who appeared to be rare creatures with special gifts, were simply human beings who’d set their spirit free. In so doing, they dangled the carrot of opportunity for those who were to follow…us.

Unique creatives swallowed their bait, spread their eager wings, and took flights of fancy into the field of imagination and unlimited possibility. They dragged the world, kicking and screaming, into modernity, because of their unique perspective; because they were different. Let the scales fall from the eyes of mediocrity, and unshackle genius. Let the light of a new understanding liberate autistics from the neuro-typical blind-spot. Evolution is showing us that we’re all rare creatures with special gifts. It’s time to reveal the truth.

Everybody is a genius.

But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

Albert Einstein