He had a remarkable memory for details, noticed patterns other people overlooked, and could remember the exact wording of conversations that had happened years earlier.
He loved maps, train schedules, chocolate bars, and watching the same nature documentaries over and over.
He preferred predictable routines. Sudden changes could overwhelm him. Crowded rooms, overlapping conversations, and unexpected physical contact sometimes made it difficult for him to communicate.
When he was anxious, he occasionally repeated questions or needed extra time to process what someone had said.
None of those things made him less intelligent or less caring.
But not everyone understood that.
At school, some children called him weird because he preferred talking about train routes instead of video games.
At the grocery store, people sometimes sighed when he needed a few extra seconds to count his money.
And when he was younger, I had watched a grown man laugh at him for covering his ears during a fire alarm.
