Insight into the mind of autism

I just finished reading The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higoshida, a Japanese boy who struggles to communicate due to severe autism.  What makes this stand out is that he wrote this when he was only thirteen.  It offers moving insight into the mind of a person caught in the onslaught of input that is autism.  Naoki used a character board to communicate as speech was often beyond his ability to control.  He speaks candidly of the misconceptions about what motivates the actions of someone with autism.  What makes this even more astounding is his sophisticated world view, especially for a 13-year-old.  When asked why he enjoys going for walks so much, he responds, "...to us people with special needs, nature is as important as our own lives.  The reason is because when we look at nature, we receive a sort of permission to be alive in the world, and our entire bodies get recharged.  However often we are ignored and pushed away by other people, nature will always give us a good big hug, here inside our hearts."  It makes me think twice about my preconceived notions about not only autism, but other disabilities.