Approximately one percent of the world has been diagnosed with autism. While this might seem like a small number of the population, that equates to around 75 million people in the world who have to live with the challenges autism can have. There are many pieces of literature showcasing the experiences of people with autism, one of them being The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This book features the main character Christopher, who is assumed to have some form of autism. Throughout the book, we can see some of the struggles Christopher has with interacting with people, and how they affect him and his relationships. This can help people see views different from their own. The common behaviors of autistic people significantly impact …show more content…
These can include having an extremely vested interest in a specific activity and/or topic, the need for specific daily routines, making repetitive motions with their bodies, or having their behavior be influenced by their vivid imaginations (Sternberg). Oftentimes, their behaviors are patterns, whether they know it or not. For example, people with autism may base their routines or feelings around a superstition related to a pattern. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, when Christopher is riding the bus every day he will look outside and see if he can see “4 red cars in a row [to make] it a Good Day, 3 red cars in a row [to make] it a Quite Good Day, 5 red cars in a row [to make] it a Super Good Day, [or] 4 yellow cars in a row [to make] it a Black Day” (Haddon 24). What he sees each day affects how he goes into each day feeling. Using this method, he uses a pattern that most people would not notice or base their emotions or approach to the day on. He bases his days not only on patterns he observes but also on the superstitions he creates in his mind based on those beliefs. The specific behaviors of people with autism, specifically the following of patterns and having vivid imaginations, affect how people with autism interact with the