Eric Chen is a high-functioning autistic, having what is sometimes known as Asperger's Syndrome. What makes his story unusual is the fact that he appears to have recovered, at least partially, from the effects of autism. Most autistics, given time, can learn to cope with the demands of the world around them, developing compensating mechanisms for social interaction. This is, however, merely a system of coping. They have learnt rules of behaviour that help them get by most of the time, but internally they still have little understanding of real emotions. In Eric's case, between 1997 and 2002, he seems to have spontaneously regained the ability to emote and empathize, and from there he started to see the world in a whole new way. Because of this he is able to describe for us a bit of what the autistic world was like for him.
More about Eric Chen: http://iautistic.com
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