Dispatches from Rays Planet: A Journey through Autism [Paperback]

 

As a child, Claire's big brother Ray was bright and inquisitive, but as the two became teenagers, Ray struggled to acquire the social skills that came more easily to others. Claire tried to help, pointing out what he should or shouldn't have said or done. Ray insisted that he wasn't the problem--"On my planet..." he would explain, there were no social climbers, no subtle hints or subliminal messages to miss, and the telling of little white lies would be a capital offence. At sixteen, sitting with him in the high school cafeteria, Claire vowed to find Ray's planet. Dispatches from Ray's Planet draws on Ray and Claire's correspondence to tell the story of two siblings from two very different planets. There are thousands of Rays in our world. In this collective memoir, Claire and Ray share their journey with the hope that others can also learn that we all perceive the world in different ways, and that "different" does not necessarily mean "wrong."

"We learn most about ourselves through the eyes of others, especially when those eyes see things from a perspective that is unfamiliar to us.Dispatches from Ray’s Planetprovides an opportunity for those of us who are neurotypical to learn about the inner lives of those with ASD. It holds a mirror up to the way we make assumptions without thinking about others and allows those with ASD to see others like themselves." —Paul Dagg MD, UBC

After a twenty-five-year career as a jewellery designer, running a business, and raising a family,Claire Finlaysonnow writes full time. She has always been an essay writer, and occasionally a journalist, but her passion is creative non-fiction.Dispatches From Ray’s Planet, seven years in the making, is Finlayson’s first book, written under the mentorship of Betty Keller. Finlayson lives in Gibsons, BC, and currently serves as vice president on thelƒ