Written by 
A lifelong car enthusiast
Not everyone in New England owns a Hyundai yet. Some people aren’t covered by the Best Warranty in America and have to bring their cars in to be serviced. For these unfortunate people there is a beacon of hope in John Elder Robison. Robison is no ordinary auto-shop owner. His is an extraordinary story.
Born in the late 1950s, Robison always felt different. He could stand for hours watching the wind blow in a field; he was often sad and had trouble making friends in school. It wasn’t until 40 years later that Robison could finally put a name and a reason to his differences: Asperger’s syndrome.
Like many others with Asperger’s, Robison felt much more at ease in the company of machines rather than other people. Machines don’t expect a person to be “normal.” In his book, Look Me in the Eye, he explains this phenomenon: “No matter how big the machine, I am in charge. Machines don’t talk back. They are predictable. They don’t trick me, and they’re never mean. I have a lot of trouble reading other people. I am not very good at looking at people and knowing whether they like me, or they’re mad, or they’re just waiting for me to say something. I don’t have problems like that with machines.”
Despite his difficulties interacting with people, Robison was able to turn his comfort with machines into a fascinating career in both the music and toy businesses. In the 1970s he used his pyrotechnic skills to trick out the instruments of KISS, the popular rock band. From that, he was able to migrate over to working as an engineer for Milton Bradley, the famous toy and game company. For ten years he worked his way up the corporate ladder, eventually making manager.
However, his Asperger’s tendencies and mannerisms, still then undiagnosed, were making it increasingly uncomfortable for him to perform in this world. He quit his job, and in 1986, started working full time with his beloved machines by opening his own high-end car-repair shop, JE Robison Service, now one of the most successful auto-repair shops in the New England.
This move proved to be the best decision of his adult life. Not only did he feel much more relaxed and in control, but one of his customers happened to be a therapist who recognized Robison’s symptoms. He gave Robison a book, Tony Atwood’s Asperger’s Syndrome, that changed everything. For the first time in his life, Robison did not feel alone in his differences. Suddenly, there were many other people out there who had the same problems with sensory overload, anxiety, obsessive compulsions, and an inability to read others’ body language and emotions.
Robison has written two books about his journey and Asperger’s syndrome: Look Me in the Eye and Be Different. He is also a speaker and advocate for those with Asperger’s and other autism spectrum disorders. For more information on Robison, his public appearances, his books, or how to contact him, check out http://johnrobison.com.
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