UnFictional
My Foolish Illusion
When John Elder Robison gets an experimental treatment for Asperger’s, he feels like he’s suddenly seeing the world in technicolor. But that doesn’t mean he likes what he sees.
By Bob Carlson • • 28m ListenJohn Elder Robison spent his youth designing custom stage guitars for rock icons KISS. As an adult, Robison was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. He was invited to participate in an experimental treatment that could temporarily increase his ability to read social cues, something he’d been unable to do all his life. But the treatment worked almost too well.
John Elder Robison is the New York Times best-selling author of three books: Look Me in the Eye, Be Different, and Raising Cubby. For more information about Robison and his work, see: John Elder Robison.
John Elder Robison. Photo courtesy of John Elder Robison.
John Elder Robison getting an experimental brain treatment that temporarily allowed him to understand social cues and other similar subtleties. Photo courtesy of John Elder Robison.