Book excerpt: Max Toper isn't normal. His teacher segregates him at the back of the class, away from his peers. Other children make friends, yet he can't. He's told he has autism, a condition that seems to bring disaster after disaster, with no chance of achievement. But not all is hopeless. Change comes when he discovers his calling as a guild leader in the virtual world of Galactic Conquest, a place where he is respected and powerful. But can the digital world stop reality seeping in, or prevent him from addressing his demons? Can Max handle the inevitable reckoning and forge a pathway to adulthood? "Why is He Still Here?" is a memoir providing insight into the life of one young person with autism and his experiences in the education-system and digital world.