Sensory Overload-

We must keep in our minds that everyone is different. Everyone is leading a different life and sees things in a unique way.

That is one of the reasons I wrote the short story Alternate Forms of Life

My story centers on Alexander, a character on the autism spectrum with Asperger’s. It’s especially personal for me to write, and I wanted it to show that people on the autism spectrum are complex, valuable individuals — balancing everyday struggles with wit and heart.

One detail I gave Alexander is an obsession with fire suppression systems — the kind of intense, narrow focus I’ve based on real people I’ve encountered. I knew a kid with Asperger’s who was obsessed with elevators, and another who was obsessed with Dyson vacuum cleaners. The inspiration for Alexander actually came from a conversation I had with someone who was redoing the sprinklers at my workplace — his daily life and passion for the subject sparked the story.

Thematically, I wanted the story to offer readers and their loved ones a poignant, humorous, and refreshing perspective on neurodiversity. Alexander struggles. It is not easy. Just like the rest of us. And just like the rest of us, it is great to have Alexander in your life.