Well, of course I cannot do anything but give this one star. I mean, there's the puzzle piece ribbon on the cover to start (when will people learn we autistics do not want the puzzle piece???). Then it gets worse with cure rethoric, shoving all autistics together like we all have only one way to learn (while that is different from person to person, for us as much as for allistic people) ... This whole book is simply disgusting. We don't need a fuller understanding of the world, the world - including this author - needs a fuller understanding of us. And that we are not all the same, we don't 'have a condition' (lifelong or otherwise), our brain is simply different.

- No, we are not 'special needs', we simply have needs. That they are different from yours does not make them special.
- The 'no hope' is a parents' thing. Apparently those men were smart and there was hope otherwise they could not have come that far with even the amount of masking those people put onto them.
- Learn how to communicate with us, f.i. with an AAC device or sign language, instead of making us communicate your way.
- Teachers and parents are positive, but what about us autistics, huh?
- I bet that yes, he knew he was in a different garden. Different does not mean that we don't know things.
- They were not tantrums, they were his parents failing to pick up his communications and being overwhelmed. MELTDOWNS ARE NOT TANTRUMS! Again, that communication is different doesn't make it not normal or not human!

Even in the first chapter there are so, so many red flags that I had to put this book aside. I can't do it. The whole world needs to know that this kind of book, this kind of rethoric, this kind of othering us, it's not okay. It is harmful, hurtful and very, very problematic.

Do not reccomend, severely ableist with a nasty dash of inspiration porn.

I did receive a free copy through Netgalley. I don't think I have to tell that it didn't influence my opinion that it was a free copy, ableism will be ableism even if it's free.