Autistic Author's Debut Novel Challenges Perceptions

It's April 5th.

Welcome to Entertainment and Celebrity News today, powered by AI.

I'm Cory with the story.

A 28-year-old man from California was severe autism just dropped his first novel, proving

everyone wrong, who said he'd never grasp.

Leninguage

Doctors diagnosed Woody Brown as a toddler, and told his parents it was useless to talk

to him.

But his mom, Mary, noticed at age 5 that he calmed down when she explained routine changes,

knowing he got it all along.

By 8, Woody started spelling full stories on a letterboard about his alter ego, Cob Woody,

pulling plots straight from news headlines.

That's when his family knew he was tuned in to everything around him.

Fast forward, he graduated from UCLA, earned a master's in creative writing from Columbia

University, and now his book Upward Bound hits shelves.

It dies into lives of folks with disabilities at a Southern California daycare and their

caregivers.

Through the novel, Woody wants neurotypical readers to see that people like him share

the same thoughts, dreams, and smarts.

They just show up.

Different.

His story flips the script on underestimation for good.