Books, to learn or to escape? Nonfiction or fiction?

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Hi Everyone,

I am curious what those on the Spectrum and their caregivers like to read, and why? I mean for those who love to read, do you prefer to read to mostly learn, to be entertained, or to like escape from reality a bit? Do you have a preference for fiction or non-fiction? Do you prefer a certain book, a certain genre of book, or a certain author? Or a certain written style? Or will you consider almost anything?

What other factors come into play when determining what book to read? Do you prefer soft cover, hard cover or some electronic file to read? Is price a big consideration? Do you want to read popular books, books with authors that have high credentials, or does the cover or subject play a big role mainly in what you read? Also, is there a certain place you like to read, or time you like to read best?

The reason I am curious is because my reading tastes seem to differ from many, and as a writer I would like to learn what book to consider next, as we have yet to see much interest in our true story about Autism and acceptance. So, right now I love reading real life true stories, with happier endings. I do not care much if it was written from a well known author or respected professional, as I often rather give newer authors or those with less hype a try. I hear many love fantasy and fiction and best sellers so I was curious more about that, too.

Regarding my reading style, as I am also the type that likes to help, I like reading non-fiction books about common folk or those in need so I can imagine having assisted them, or so as I can learn something from that story and in real life help others in similar or related ways. In general though, I feel all books can be of wonderful value in some way and to some person, so regardless what you read and why, I hope you keep finding enjoyment with that. I realize many though may prefer other entertainment, and that is Ok, too.

Thank You for reading this at least.

 

[toothless]

it depends on your level of autism and if you have a comorbid intellectual disability,i struggle greatly with the language of books which means i have to have an e-dictionary on hand,and as well as having to much text sending me into overload,not being big enough and being on a white background-i have extremely distorted visual perception so struggle greatly with text, at least on computers i can change it better,i have read a few books/biographies from people with autism online.

i buy books sometimes,my last book was felix the railway cat; a true story about a trainstations resident cat who rescues vulnerable people,including a child with autism,cant read it though but its a good book.
other book underneath it is neurotribes,all about the history of autism and neurodiversity,i havent got around to starting it as the text overloads me like mad,i want to get it on ebook.

and book below that is a mega awesome visual cookery book for people with intellectual disability,havent got around to baking anything yet my support staffs arent to keen on it.

i am a visual person,i like to 'get lost' in art or making art,i love going to sensory rooms or using my own sensory equipment as these all make me disappear.

 

[icesyckel]

I mean for those who love to read, do you prefer to read to mostly learn, to be entertained, or to like escape from reality a bit? Do you have a preference for fiction or non-fiction? Do you prefer a certain book, a certain genre of book, or a certain author? Or a certain written style? Or will you consider almost anything?

I definitely prefer fiction, and it may be because, for me, being entertained and escaping reality a bit are sort of the same thing. I prefer noir and science-fiction (or both - try Altered Carbon for a good example of this).

Also, I have to read a lot of non-fiction at work, so my tolerance for more in my leisure time is impacted by that.

However, I will consider almost anything if it matches an obsession or interest of mine.

Also, my answers are different for books and periodicals. In a book I want fiction. In a magazine or website I want non-fiction. I read a lot actually of non-fiction, now that I think about it, as I research stuff all the time on my smart phone, but for a whole book I prefer fiction. A shorty story in a magazine, however, would not interest me in most cases unless it is a short story about a character from a novel I like.

i struggle greatly with the language of books which means i have to have an e-dictionary on hand

I can appreciate that making it harder. I use the kindle app, and it has a feature where you can seamlessly look up words without losing your place. Hope that helps.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Thank You for the reply, and of the books you like and/or have read, and why. As well, it is great to learn more of some other sensory issues that those with Autism can have when reading is involved.

Our 7-year Autistic son has his eyes jump over words if the lighting is not right. As well, he prefers books that have not too few words per page, but not too many. He wants books at the right level for him. He reads about two books a day.

Our 5-year old Autistic son still is non-verbal and cannot read out loud, and he rather chew on books. But, we think he knows more than he is letting on, based on how well he solves his reading and word app questions on his IPad.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

I definitely prefer fiction, and it may be because, for me, being entertained and escaping reality a bit are sort of the same thing. I prefer noir and science-fiction (or both - try Altered Carbon for a good example of this).

Also, I have to read a lot of non-fiction at work, so my tolerance for more in my leisure time is impacted by that.

However, I will consider almost anything if it matches an obsession or interest of mine.

Also, my answers are different for books and periodicals. In a book I want fiction. In a magazine or website I want non-fiction. I read a lot actually of non-fiction, now that I think about it, as I research stuff all the time on my smart phone, but for a whole book I prefer fiction. A shorty story in a magazine, however, would not interest me in most cases unless it is a short story about a character from a novel I like.



I can appreciate that making it harder. I use the kindle app, and it has a feature where you can seamlessly look up words without losing your place. Hope that helps.

I appreciate the reply. Although I like non-fiction for books, magazine articles, and research, and most other writing pieces, for other entertainment like movies and programs, I am obviously fine with fiction, as most of that is fictional anyway, with exception of some reality tv programs, documentaries, some news, and such. Regardless, for most all fiction, no matter the medium used, I can learn something or find some enjoyment, even if just a little. That is what I focus on.

 

[icesyckel]

Our 7-year Autistic son has his eyes jump over words if the lighting is not right. As well, he prefers books that have not too few words per page, but not too many. He wants books at the right level for him. He reads about two books a day.

I think a kindle or iPad would be best to get consistent lighting (it is adjustable in settings, and you can reverse for white words and a black background for increased readability) - if your other son will share his iPad that might work

I once read for hours online research olive oil, which led to hours researching olives themselves. I can't speak for your sons, but my interests shift over time on some things but remain constant on others. Trying a variety of things with them might be ideal. See what works.

 

[icesyckel]

with exception of some reality tv programs, documentaries, some news, and such.

I hate reality TV because it is anything but. The news is just sensationalism and political opinions these days, so I hate it for the same reasons as "reality" TV. Documentaries, well it just depends on the subject and the accuracy/objectivity.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

I think a kindle or iPad would be best to get consistent lighting (it is adjustable in settings, and you can reverse for white words and a black background for increased readability) - if your other son will share his iPad that might work

I once read for hours online research olive oil, which led to hours researching olives themselves. I can't speak for your sons, but my interests shift over time on some things but remain constant on others. Trying a variety of things with them might be ideal. See what works.

Thanks for the suggesting about the IPad. He has an IPad of his own too with numerous apps on it, and so we will try have him getting used to reading stories there too with different lighting and backgrounds. He plays on his iPad so much, it makes sense to try reading there, too, as he likes to be interactive.

Anything healthy or involving self-help, I love reading, beside the mentioned type of books. So, I have read not only lots about oils, like olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, and other healthier foods, but anything that improve the lives of others or may improve it, whether food or not food related. It is very hard these days though to find any food that does not mention some negative. Now brown rice, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy milk, lean meats, fish, beans, almond milk, etc, can have some chemical, or added ingredient that may cause some harm if not taken in moderation, or without safe preparation.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I like a bit of everything. Books have many purposes.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

I like a bit of everything. Books have many purposes.

I agree. I can find some benefit in almost everything written.The only problem I have is when I read I often read slow and try to analyze each word, and reread words. It has been this way since I was age eight, when I would re-read sports newspapers. This made me dread courses in school and college that required reading, as it became more effort. So, I majored in Math to avoid those reading courses. It thus is hard for me to read for fun, but with purpose more to help and learn instead.

 

[icesyckel]

It is very hard these days though to find any food that does not mention some negative.

Yeah - researching healthy foods is depressing due to the conflicting results. One day something is amazing. The next it causes cancer. The day after, it is fine but only in moderation. It's all bunk. Just pick your poison I say, and if what you ingest causes you problems, then pick something else. Insurance doesn't cover dieticians/nutritionists, and the Internet is too wildly different from one site to the next. Compare livestrong and something from webmd, and you'll likely get totally different "information." Sigh.

 

[Buzzerfly]

It seems, by your description, that you would be interested in what I wrote. I am no longer able to read much anymore. I wrote my book for other NTs, to reach them on a deeper level, and express my sadness in the world/joy in the inherent good of humanity. I wanted to tell my story and introduce my experience with autism as well. Unfortunately, I have been largely ignored. I am very sad about my inability to relate to other NTs.

I have retreated to a more comfortable place for me, seeking peace around those on the spectrum. I like this site for that reason. But if you mean what you say about your reading interests, please give my book a read. I would greatly appreciate your reaction to it.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Yeah - researching healthy foods is depressing due to the conflicting results. One day something is amazing. The next it causes cancer. The day after, it is fine but only in moderation. It's all bunk. Just pick your poison I say, and if what you ingest causes you problems, then pick something else. Insurance doesn't cover dieticians/nutritionists, and the Internet is too wildly different from one site to the next. Compare livestrong and something from webmd, and you'll likely get totally different "information." Sigh.

Exactly. If we listened to everything, nobody would eat or leave the home. Have to sift out the fact and the fiction, and focus on enjoying sometimes instead of living in fear, and not putting pressure on ourselves to do things perfectly.

 

[Mia]

Began reading when I was four or five years old, children's books from the local library. Suspect that I may have taught myself, yet I have some faint memory of my Mother teaching me addition and perhaps the alphabet. My favourites at that age were fairytales like Grimms. At about eight I began climbing the bookshelves in the children's room to reach the topmost shelf and read the only books that I hadn't read.

My Dad and I went to the library each Saturday morning. When I exhausted the children's room, I began reading adult books, which my father would take out for me. I was subject to the catholic book list, which meant that banned books on the list were not allowed to be read or taken out of the library. The books on that list were the only ones I wanted to read, to understand why they were on the list.

My father took them out for me, and we kept brown kraft paper in the car trunk which I covered the banned books with on the way home. Many of the banned books were related to women becoming pregnant, outside of marriage. Others were critical of the catholic church, it's policies, belief system, doctrines. By about twelve I had exhausted the local library. I read most things except quite detailed history or geography. My Father read anything related to the wars, canadian politics or the sea.

Moved on to the school library, and first read translated books from many countries in the world. Some were fiction, others myths, traditional histories, fairy tales, folk tales. Then went on to read all the books given some sort of prize; pulitzer, nobel, man booker, pen awards. As a teenager I also read, harlequin romances, teen beat magazines, mademoiselle, nancy drew, nurse barton, florence nightingale, and many others.

Since that time, I've read a great deal. Used to read popular bestsellers for years, but they lacked in many ways. Have gone back to re-reading classics by Ibsen, Marquez, O'Connor, Balzac, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Austen, Hemingway, Styron, Dostoevsky, Goethe. Yet I still make room for Lord of the Rings, classic science fiction, and short stories. Escapism and insightful reading.

 

[toothless]

I definitely prefer fiction, and it may be because, for me, being entertained and escaping reality a bit are sort of the same thing. I prefer noir and science-fiction (or both - try Altered Carbon for a good example of this).

Also, I have to read a lot of non-fiction at work, so my tolerance for more in my leisure time is impacted by that.

However, I will consider almost anything if it matches an obsession or interest of mine.

Also, my answers are different for books and periodicals. In a book I want fiction. In a magazine or website I want non-fiction. I read a lot actually of non-fiction, now that I think about it, as I research stuff all the time on my smart phone, but for a whole book I prefer fiction. A shorty story in a magazine, however, would not interest me in most cases unless it is a short story about a character from a novel I like.



I can appreciate that making it harder. I use the kindle app, and it has a feature where you can seamlessly look up words without losing your place. Hope that helps.

thankyou!
ive thought about the kindle before but when i looked at them in the shop they all seemed to be black and white,can the background be changed? can text size be changed?
can you get most hard/paper books on kindle friendly ebooks?
sorry for asking so many questions,none of my family have one,my aspie sister is a hardcore traditionalist and collects a ton of books ranging from the harry potter series to self help books.

i do think spectrumers need something to 'lose themselves' in to recover from the daily onslaught of the world,thats why you get autists obsessed with games and anime as well as traditional table top games like warhammer.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

It seems, by your description, that you would be interested in what I wrote. I am no longer able to read much anymore. I wrote my book for other NTs, to reach them on a deeper level, and express my sadness in the world/joy in the inherent good of humanity. I wanted to tell my story and introduce my experience with autism as well. Unfortunately, I have been largely ignored. I am very sad about my inability to relate to other NTs.

I have retreated to a more comfortable place for me, seeking peace around those on the spectrum. I like this site for that reason. But if you mean what you say about your reading interests, please give my book a read. I would greatly appreciate your reaction to it.

Hello,

I would be glad to read your story, as it indeed is the type of book I like to read from what you have said. After posting here, I will see how to obtain it, and certainly give my review. Depending on the page length, it could take just up to one week to read. I would post a review reply back right after reading it.

Unfortunately, this happens a lot. I mean, this is the "I" or "me" generation I feel whereby lots are so busy or wanting to look out for their best interests first, than want to help or want to learn new things. I mean, "Why read this book, if it does not relate to me?" many could think. "What is in it for me?"

In other cases, if we are not an author like a Dr. or have best seller posted on the cover, or we are a newer author, why take the risk? "We rather just read heavily marketed stuff," many could think. That must be the best. Traditional publishers are often like that too, not wanting to respect new authors until they make a name for themselves through self-publishing.

Truth is many professionals and readers would not like my book, as it exposes the wrongs from many of these service providers. Many may not want to hear that truth. They do not want to consider the other side to things. And only a certain amount of people want to hear about accepting and respecting those with Autism and appreciating the strengths.

Well, congrats to you for writing a book too. There will be many that will not read most books, or buy them. It is just like being an artist in ways. There are so many art pieces out there, and it is the marketing hype that sells it, and not necessarily how great it is. But, for those that prefer being more private to market, the best bet is to find a local market, and to market to those friends, family, acquaintances, and nicer and more open minded types. That is my opinion.

 

[icesyckel]

thankyou!

Glad to help.

ive thought about the kindle before but when i looked at them in the shop they all seemed to be black and white,can the background be changed? can text size be changed?

Yes and no. The paperwhite kindle has limits (B&W only I think), but it handles better in high-glare situations and is lighter. A Kindle Fire, however, has more colour/text/font options. The same is true for the free kindle app on an iPad. My wife has a kindle fire. I use the kindle app on an iPad. The results are similar, and we can both change the text size, colours, etc. I personally have white text on a black background for easier reading. No one seems to like that but me.

can you get most hard/paper books on kindle friendly ebooks?

Yes. Almost all of them, and on AMZ it is near-instant from purchase to reading. I don't like to go out into crowds, so this is great for me.

sorry for asking so many questions,none of my family have one,my aspie sister is a hardcore traditionalist and collects a ton of books ranging from the harry potter series to self help books.

No worries. I don't mind answering logical questions. I'm an aspie, and I was slow to change too, but the pros outweighed the cons when comparing kindle options to physical books (that and I have so many books that I've resorted to placing them in boxes in the attic where they're inaccessible without a lot of effort).

i do think spectrumers need something to 'lose themselves' in to recover from the daily onslaught of the world,thats why you get autists obsessed with games and anime as well as traditional table top games like warhammer.

Yeah. I get that. Gaming is a hobby of mine, though more the xbox variety than tabletop. I don't really do anime, but I love fiction.

I hope the kindle helps you with the reading. What's really great is that comixology and kindle are now fully compatible. If you buy a digital comic for Kindle, you can read it in the comixology app on kindle fire or a compatible tablet (and vice versa).

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Began reading when I was four or five years old, children's books from the local library. Suspect that I may have taught myself, yet I have some faint memory of my Mother teaching me addition and perhaps the alphabet. My favourites at that age were fairytales like Grimms. At about eight I began climbing the bookshelves in the children's room to reach the topmost shelf and read the only books that I hadn't read.

My Dad and I went to the library each Saturday morning. When I exhausted the children's room, I began reading adult books, which my father would take out for me. I was subject to the catholic book list, which meant that banned books on the list were not allowed to be read or taken out of the library. The books on that list were the only ones I wanted to read, to understand why they were on the list.

My father took them out for me, and we kept brown kraft paper in the car trunk which I covered the banned books with on the way home. Many of the banned books were related to women becoming pregnant, outside of marriage. Others were critical of the catholic church, it's policies, belief system, doctrines. By about twelve I had exhausted the local library. I read most things except quite detailed history or geography. My Father read anything related to the wars, canadian politics or the sea.

Moved on to the school library, and first read translated books from many countries in the world. Some were fiction, others myths, traditional histories, fairy tales, folk tales. Then went on to read all the books given some sort of prize; pulitzer, nobel, man booker, pen awards. As a teenager I also read, harlequin romances, teen beat magazines, mademoiselle, nancy drew, nurse barton, florence nightingale, and many others.

Since that time, I've read a great deal. Used to read popular bestsellers for years, but they lacked in many ways. Have gone back to re-reading classics by Ibsen, Marquez, O'Connor, Balzac, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Austen, Hemingway, Styron, Dostoevsky, Goethe. Yet I still make room for lord of the rings, classic science fiction, and short stories. Escapism and insightful reading.

Great reply, too. Thanks. Our 7-year old son has read several hundreds of children's books from the library the past two to three years, after learning to read. Prior to that he would throw them. His Autism was such he needed to read well first before reading any book. He would get frustrated otherwise. It helped too my wife took Aaron weekly to baby and toddler reading and craft times. That laid the foundation to reading, but it was not until he mastered letter sounds, blends. diagraphs, simple words, complex words and phrases from educational dvds that he would want to read any book.

 

[Buzzerfly]

Hello,

I would be glad to read your story, as it indeed is the type of book I like to read from what you have said. After posting here, I will see how to obtain it, and certainly give my review. Depending on the page length, it could take just up to one week to read. I would post a review reply back right after reading it.

Unfortunately, this happens a lot. I mean, this is the "I" or "me" generation I feel whereby lots are so busy or wanting to look out for their best interests first, than want to help or want to learn new things. I mean, "Why read this book, if it does not relate to me?" many could think. "What is in it for me?"

In other cases, if we are not an author like a Dr. or have best seller posted on the cover, or we are a newer author, why take the risk? "We rather just read heavily marketed stuff," many could think. That must be the best. Traditional publishers are often like that too, not wanting to respect new authors until they make a name for themselves through self-publishing.

Truth is many professionals and readers would not like my book, as it exposes the wrongs from many of these service providers. Many may not want to hear that truth. They do not want to consider the other side to things. And only a certain amount of people want to hear about accepting and respecting those with Autism and appreciating the strengths.

Well, congrats to you for writing a book too. There will be many that will not read most books, or buy them. It is just like being an artist in ways. There are so many art pieces out there, and it is the marketing hype that sells it, and not necessarily how great it is. But, for those that prefer being more private to market, the best bet is to find a local market, and to market to those friends, family, acquaintances, and nicer and more open minded types. That is my opinion.

Thank you for the insight into why people might avoid something like this. It is helpful to me to consider what you said. Also, will you PM with your book info? I'm interested in it from what you said.

 

[Dadwith2Autisticsons]

Thank you for the insight into why people might avoid something like this. It is helpful to me to consider what you said. Also, will you PM with your book info? I'm interested in it from what you said.

Thanks. I am new to this site though so am not sure how to private message in this forum. I tried clicking on your profile name and sending a reply through conversation. Is that how to do it?