Traveler's Tales: My Journey With Autism is written by Chandima Rajapatirana, a non-speaking Autistic, who is a poet, writer, an activist and co-founder of EASE Foundation ( Educate, Advocate, Support, Empower) in Sri Lanka. He struggled with communication during the first eighteen years of his life. He finally broke through the shackles and learnt to communicate by typing, thus paving the way for an incredible journey that is portrayed in this book.
The book is a collection of his writings and presentations for various events. It brings to life his initial journey from an emergent communicator to an eloquent communicator, a journey that is equally heart breaking and inspiring at the same time. We see him grow and becoming more and more confident through his writings. He doesn't just strive to achieve his goal of college education, but along the way, he becomes a strong advocate for the non-speaking autistics.
The chapters/essays I really loved are:
Making everyday life happen - he shares his thoughts on how most of the life of people with disabilities is spent waiting to fulfil their dream of leading a life of freedom; it is instead spent waiting for support and understanding.
Life, laughter and FC - he communicates with a panel by using facilitated communication and I was really bowled over by his quirky and insightful responses to their questions.
To join, feel and not hide? My life with Anxiety/Autism - an essay that depicts his struggles with exposure anxiety.
Another beautiful essay is - A world where we belong, wherein, Chammi, describes the mission he aims to accomplish through his EASE foundation. I pray that his dream comes true as it will pave the way for a world where people with different abilities lead a respectful life. God Bless You, Chammi!!
You can purchase this book on Amazon India
