BBC Radio 4 - The Reason I Jump - Childhood Autism

The Reason I Jump Episode 3 of 5

Duration: 15 minutes

First broadcast: Wednesday 26 June 2013

By Naoki Higashida

Translated by David Mitchell and K.A. Yoshida and introduced by David Mitchell

Read by Kasper Hilton-Hille

Thirteen year old Naoki Higashida reveals how his perception of the world is so alien to those without autism that he is often completely misunderstood. With delicate and moving descriptions he invites us into his world.

He explains how he can be immersed in the beauty of light filtered through his fingertips, or lost in the intricate world of memory and imagination.

Naoki's autism is so severe that he finds it difficult to hold a conversation, and he wrote the book painstakingly, using an 'Alphabet Grid', Japanese character by character.

When the author David Mitchell, whose own son has autism, discovered this extraordinary book, he felt that for the first time his own son was talking to him about what was going on inside his head, through the words of the young author.

Abridged and Produced by Allegra McIlroy.

BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, The Reason I Jump, Episode 3

'Mean Girls' at college - Paying for the Party

You're not done with high school when you go to college, according to a new study of student culture.

An in-depth look at the lives of young women who started college on the same floor of a large dorm at a middle-tier public university shows that the high school peer culture that divides students into homecoming queens, wannabes and nerds thrives in college, to the disadvantage of many.

"Parents and college administrators are naively optimistic about the atmosphere for freshman women in large party dorms," said Elizabeth Armstrong, a sociologist at the University of Michigan who conducted the study with colleague Laura Hamilton of the University of California at Merced.

Laura Hamilton

"The pressures these young women encounter make it very difficult for them to focus on academics.

For many, the experience is not a good one, and we found that it can affect the trajectories of their lives for many years to come."

Armstrong and Hamilton immersed themselves in the lives of 53 women as they moved into their dorm, following them for five years to see how their lives developed.

Although only about a third of the women started their college years as socialites or wannabes, all of their lives were shaped by the dominance of the party pathway at this school.

The party pathway was a set of social and academic arrangements—including a powerful Greek party scene and an array of easy majors—facilitating a primarily social experience.

Even those who entered determined to succeed academically were judged by their success at attracting the attention of high-status men and making it into sororities.

This culture is often referred to as "the college experience," Armstrong says, but in fact it's an experience that many students would do well to avoid—or to participate in only a bit.

In a new book based on the study, "Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality," Armstrong and Hamilton detail the experiences of the women, who had a great deal in common when they entered college but whose situations were dramatically different down the road.

Retro Posters: Book Reading Promotion

Mikolay & Julia: Mikolay Has a Secret - book for children

Mikolay has a Secret is a wonderful children's story. I loved a lesson was taught within the story, without feeling like a lesson was being taught. That certainly takes talent.

I love the friendship between Julia and Mikolay. They are there to support each other no matter what problen arises. They are good problem solves, but are quick to realize when they need their parents' help.
Another great job by a very talented    writer. (Regina Puckett)


What a wonderful way to introduce parents and children to the complex disorder of dyslexia. As someone who suffers from dyscalculia, I have felt the baggage of shame, ridicule and fear.  

She lets the reader know the feelings associated with struggling to read are normal and a child should not be afraid to tell someone of their difficulty. 

It is wonderfully written with sensitivity and insight. Her Mikolay and Julia series will delight and engage readers of all ages. I encourage you to pick up a copy. The special child in your life will thank you. Sandra Westendorf

Synopsis
Mikolay and Julia are two seven-year-old wizards.

Being seven means that they both have to do a lot of reading and writing for both magical & ordinary school.

As always, Julia is the top student at both schools.

However, Mikolay has a problem, which he is very ashamed of and doesn’t want to talk to anyone about. It is his “secret”.

After a lot of pleading, Julia discovers that all the letters look similar to one another for Mikolay, which makes reading & writing very difficult for him.

Julia tries everything in her power to help Mikolay solve the problem. However it turns out to be a lot more difficult than either of them thought.

Click here to download sample chapters.