And spending a little time in his world that explicitly calls out the neurotypical other characters on their foibles and self-delusions while discovering his own way of loving is truly entertaining. In the end, to get the girl, Don does change in a Cinderella like way, and I am not sure the changes fully embrace the truth of neuro-atypical brains.īut Don is lovely. I am unsure of how well The Rose Project walks the precarious line of portraying a person with Asperger’s (Don Tillman never comes right out and calls himself an Aspie but its quite clear from the second page) needing to change to “fit in” coupled with the valuable/unique qualities of the way their brain works. And part of me thinks everyone should go through such a counseling experience in our adolescence, to teach us to be more our authentic selves whilst allowing space within the formal dance for others to be themselves. And Don sees Gene’s wife, Claudia, to learn how to handle social cues and dress. The LOS folks see a counselor to learn how to do small talk. The friction between knowing you’re missing something in daily conversation and the bravery of forging on ahead anyway is poignant.

What is so compelling about Don Tillman’s voice, and the voices of the folks in Love on the Spectrum, is how unselfconsciously stark and earnest they resonate in my ears. She is decidedly NOT what Don Tillman covered in his questionnaire, but soon he becomes part of her quest to discover which of her dead mother’s doctor friends is her biological father (a matter of stealthily meeting each one and getting a saliva sample from glasses and handkerchiefs and such) and he is forced to abandon not only his 12 week meal plan rotation and daily runs to the market, but also his quest for the perfect woman.

I just recently watched Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, and Don’s desire for companionship, tempered by his awareness that he most likely won’t be accepted for he is (like wonderful, romantic, earnest Michael from the show) means he must go about this in a more thoughtful, methodical manner (kind of like Michael’s arranged dates).ĭon Tillman works out a questionnaire covering every possible topic (except for his potential mate’s possible obsession with ballroom dancing to hilarious effect later on) but relies on his lothario friend Gene to choose from the answers.

The rosie project book review