The unusual, insightful book The Reason I Jump is a one-of-a-kind memoir about how an autistic mind thinks.

It was written by a 13-year-old non-verbal autistic Japanese boy called Naoki.

Now his story has been transformed into a magical, moving theatre production, created with and performed by a group of artists with autism.

One of the young performers is Glasgow teenager Coery Nicholson, who has autism and is an elective mute – he sings and talks at home with his parents and big brother, but does not speak outside, choosing to communicate with a voice generated by an iPad.

Coery’s mum Claire says being part of The Reason I Jump, a National Theatre of Scotland production, has been life-changing for her son.

“Coery has always refused to join clubs and activities, so his agreeing to be in the show took me by surprise,” she says.

“It has transformed him. He has always been so quiet and withdrawn. It has been a joy to watch him coming out of himself, to watch him shine.”

She smiles: “Seeing him be so confident has been an amazing experience for Coery and for us.”

Leading Scottish artist and theatre-maker Graham Eatough directs and adapts The Reason I Jump, which is being performed in the Children’s Wood and North Kelvin Meadow in Glasgow’s west end.

In this innovative adaptation, the book becomes a mysterious journey through a beautiful outdoor maze designed by renowned Dutch collective Observatorium. Audiences will encounter the stories and insights of Naoki’s gardeners and become immersed in his playful world.

During performances, audiences will be free to explore the outdoor maze, in which they will find storytellers and performances drawn from experiences in the book as well as the personal experiences of the performers themselves.

At the centre of the maze is a stone labyrinth, constructed by members of the local community using reclaimed cobblestone from nearby Maryhill. Once the performance is complete, the labyrinth will remain in the meadow as a legacy for residents and visitors.

The Reason I Jump has its roots in a Scottish government initiative called Limitless, a collaboration between The National Theatre of Scotland, RCS, and the National Autistic Society Scotland which explored the potential of creative arts in engaging and encouraging work by and for autistic children, teenagers, and young adults.

Fiona McGrevey from the National Autistic Society Scotland said: “We warmly welcome this exciting production of The Reason I Jump to Glasgow.

“Around 53,000 people in Scotland are on the autism spectrum. Together with their families they make up around 232,000 people whose lives are touched by autism every single day. I hope other organisations throughout Scotland will be inspired by the National Theatre of Scotland to learn more about becoming more autism friendly.”

Emily Cutts on behalf of the Children’s Wood

“We are delighted to be the venue for this innovative production and hope it will raise the awareness of what it can be like living with autism. We also hope The Reason I Jump will highlight the benefit of being outdoors in nature for children and adults with autism. Restrictions are being placed on access to nature for children and young people with autism, and as a consequence they are suffering. Having more places locally to connect with nature is important. The Children’s Wood and North Kelvin Meadow is a magical place for people with autism because being in nature can reduce anxiety and encourage communication and social interactions.”

For Coery, the experience has been incredible.

The Abercorn School pupil shares his role as guardian for the labyrinth with other autistic young people.

“I am glad I get to show people what autism really is and how it affects me and others,” he says. “My brain is just wired up differently.

“I’m really happy I got this great opportunity to star in a production and show others how my autism makes me unique.”

The Reason I Jump runs until June 23. Tickets, priced from £4 to £8, can be booked at nationaltheatrescotland.com