"The medium is the message" is illustrated by "the curious incident of
the dog in the night-time" (2003). The story is told so that us
"neurotypicals" can better understand and appreciate how autistic people
see the world and interact with it. You should note that there is a
spectrum of autistic behavior.
One trait noted by Christopher John Francis Boone, (the narrator) is that he enjoys puzzles which led him to enjoy murder mysteries. He fits many of our stereotypes for autistics and justifies some of them: obsession with colors, taking words literally and not understanding metaphors, avoiding lying (except white lies), avoiding looking at faces, better than average memory, screaming with little excuse, and heightened mathematical expertise.
The author depicts the exasperation of caretakers that is not quite understood by autistics although they sometimes acknowledge it. He is loved by two people (his parents), but makes their lives difficult and at one time or another they both have hit him..
People around him, his parents, teacher and neighbors find their routine disrupted, sometimes very dramatically. Definitely played a role in marital stresses.
Oh, yes he did solve the mystery of the dead dog.
Mark Haddon, the author and illustrator won several awards. Perhaps ironically this was written for the adult market, but won awards in both adult and children's categories. I believe he provided the drawings and also found the mathematical challenges. He is also a painter.
If you would like to understand the autistic mind and appreciate how they affect people around them, "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time" is a good choice.
Michael McCreary is also autistic, but at a different point on the spectrum and has been able to fit in a little better and observe outsiders. His acknowledgment at the bottom of the link below is priceless. .http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/04/funny-you-dont-look-autistic.html
