Belltown Messenger

Amy Gravino is a 24-year-old social activist. She writes and speaks on behalf of young people with autism spectrum disorders. Gravino was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, also known as "high functioning autism," when she was eight.

Asperger's, named for the Austrian psychologist who first described it in a research paper, is a condition with a wide range of symptoms and indicators, appearing in different degrees among different patients. These can include a lack of nonverbal communication skills, physical clumsiness, a disjointed or formal way of speaking, a few obsessive topics of interest, and impaired social abilities.

Psychologists claim "aspies" (as people with Asperger's often call themselves) tend to feel isolated, unable to fully socialize with "neurotypicals" (people with more ordinary brain functions). But then again, Gravino notes, "I think a lot of people who feel out of place come to Seattle. I've noticed that."

Gravino originally came to Seattle (from NYC's suburbs) "because of a guy, as much as I hate to admit it. It turned out very badly. He turned out to have had a girlfriend at the time; he'd lied to me and to her. I eventually had the police involved. It was the first time I'd fallen in love with a guy."

That will be among the stories in her forthcoming memoir, Scrunchie Around My Wrist. She's negotiating with a literary agent to shop it to publishers.

She explains the title: "When I was younger I used to wear scrunchies [elastic hair bands] around my wrists all the time, because the pressure on my wrists calmed me. Also, in a way, it symbolized my Asperger's, because it had a choke hold on me and my understanding of the world was impaired by it.

"I stopped wearing the scrunchie in my last year of college. I'm not so at odds in the world. When I went to college, I started making friends. I blossomed in college. The experiences helped me. I had a group of friends for the first time ever. " and I became a stronger, more confident person. I've stopped worrying about fitting in. I'm doing what makes me happy."

Gravino has appeared at conferences and panel discussions since she was in the eighth grade. Most recently, she spoke at a conference in Los Angeles. "I speak about my experiences; sometimes they want special topics like relationships or education. A woman at this past conference asked me if I felt comfortable sharing my life experiences. I do. What I've been through so far has been a lot, and I think I can help people."

She's also appeared in two documentaries. The first, Normal People Scare Me, is a series of interviews with people having various "autism spectrum" conditions and their loved ones. The second, A.R.T.S., depicts a program that pairs people on the autistic spectrum with mentors in the arts.

Gravino's started writing a second book, about dating and relationship issues for Aspies. And she's trying to get into grad school to become a professional autism consultant (a journey which may take her back to the east coast).

Her business card includes a small photo of her younger self. "The girl on my business card is the girl I'm trying to reach now-the girl who's deafened by the sound of her own pain.

"When I was a child, I was absorbed in all the pain I was going through and nobody could reach me. There are kids that way now. I feel they should have more of a say in what happens to them.

"There are no two people with Asperger's who are exactly alike. In some ways the things that make us different actually make us more alike."