Stereotyping

The alarm rings abruptly throughout the house at 8:00 o’clock every morning. Jonathan takes his shower, brushes his teeth, and dresses in ragged jeans, a collared shirt neatly tucked in, and worn out Sperry’s. You can hear his light footsteps entering the kitchen. He neatly organizes the instant oatmeal boxes to decide which flavor he would like for breakfast. While the oatmeal cooks for exactly three minutes in the microwave; Jonathan folds the load of towels that his mother leaves for him in the dryer every night. After, the towels have been color coded, and stacked from largest to smallest; he begins his breakfast in the oversized red chair that sits facing the sunlight at the kitchen table. Being home schooled, he finishes his schoolwork by 1:00pm and is off on his bicycle for the next few hours. Often times, Jonathan will come in with humorous stories of how he laughed at the store clerk because she couldn’t understand what he was saying. Other times he will come in with a sad face because the other boys his age wouldn’t allow him to play basketball at the community park. He makes fun of those boys at the basketball park; by telling his mother that the technique they used to set the other players up were ridiculous. It does not matter what scenario Jonathan is faced with he will always allow humor to rise within him. He analyzes everything with precision and a humorous attitude.

Jonathan has Aspergers’ Syndrome, which is a mild form of Autism. If you were to see him you may only notice his way of dressing. Only when he speaks, will you notice that something is different about him. He speaks with a slight speech impediment, and does not smile often. He is stereotyped by those who have misconceptions and are afraid to ask questions. A recent comedy show has stereotyped people who have “Asperger’s Syndrome,” although some may not find this joke amusing because many lives with this form of Autism daily. To the surprise of most, Jonathan laughs at the joke, he...