JEANNIE DAVIDE-RIVERA - NAKED in the STREETS; Autism

Alone. Jeannie spent most of her 38 years - alone - in her mind. Her insensitivity to others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions kept her from making meaningful emotional connections. Her sensory system reacted badly to what was ‘normal” to others. At school the sounds and sights that others found helpful in learning were to Jeannie, chaotic and confusing. Being sent out to sit in the hall was a relief to her and she could read and do her schoolwork in peace. She had taught herself to read at age 4 and was reading at 12th grade by 5th grade.

Her hyper-memory made it easy for her to be an “A” student in any type of academic setting. She managed to get through junior high despite her hypo sensitivity to others, but her high school days were spent anywhere except in school. She probably went a to class a total of one year. Yet at 17 she passed the GED, missing only 3 questions and made 1400 on the SAT. Like many who are seen as “different” she followed her own path without regard what others thought. She was attractive so she used men as well as they used her. She pursued her husband and he deserves a medal because beside her Autism, they have 3 sons with varying degrees of it. They together read widely and “discovered” her autism as well as the problems of our medical system.Such as: problems of inattention (not listening to patients) of health professionals ;tendency to jump to quick conclusions based on inadequate information (misdiagnosis); prescribe treatments and drugs that often don’t work or make the patient worse (patients’ and drug companies’ pressure on doctors.This is a book that could be life changing for anyone with any medical condition and for all of us who will face some or be the caregivers of those afflicted.