David's Story: Adventures with Autism

By David Chin

This graphic novel is a memoir of my life as seen from my perspective as an autistic person. Insofar as I didn't receive a clinical diagnosis of autism until I was 60, I spent most of my existence metaphorically stumbling through life, not knowing or understanding why other people had busy social lives while I struggled to find and hold onto just one friend.

How was it possible that others were socially popular while I was not? Why were some men successful with dating while I struggled to find anyone who would go out with me? Why did some people hang onto every word spoken by others while looking visibly bored whenever I spoke? What was wrong with me?

Although I was fated to not learn that I was autistic until much later in life, as I was growing up, I was still able to identify my shortcomings and to then create coping mechanisms to offset these faults.

While I think that the story of my life is ultimately a tale of perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit, I am understandably biased in my point of view. Although I hold three college degrees, two teaching certifications, and had a largely successful 32 year long teaching career; my social awkwardness has been such that I remain single. I have never married, nor do I have any children.

Here then is David's Story, The 277 pages of this manuscript includes a title page, a copyright page, 275 pages of illustrated text that include 11 pages under the subheading, "Having received a Late Diagnosis of Autism, What Do You Do Now?" Since I have the advantage of hindsight, I have added reflections to most pages to provide context or to explain my autistic point of view.

If you are not autistic, reading this novel will give you some insights into a neurodivergent's point of view. If you are autistic, it is my hope that this book will help you to better order your own affairs so that moving forward, the quality of your own life will be improved.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DWX8STQW
• ISBN13: 9798345029633
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.5" x 11.0"