DNF at 25%

I’m really disappointed because I was so looking forward to reading this book. I have sought out books and lectures by those living with autism to better help my son, who lives with the same. I think it is important to hear “own voices” perspectives. As such, I thought I had some idea what to expect with this book but knew that the more perspectives I read, the more I could grow. I was wrong.

The book starts out with a long-winded introduction that is mostly a really ugly political rant. When the author finally wandered back to the topic, he explained that the purpose of his book was to clear up seven common misconceptions about autism - 1. That autism only affects white males, 2. That those with autism who need a lot of support are less human than those with high-functioning, 3. That “autistic people should appear in the media only when they inspire hope or pity”, 4. That people with autism can only hold jobs in tech fields, 5. That people with autism are incapable of romantic relationships, 6. That people with autism cannot live independently, 7. That people with autism are incapable of advocating for themselves. I was aghast that he believed these were “common” misconceptions. I’ve honestly never met a single person that believed any of these things. I truly worry for the author because of who he must be surrounding himself with.

I was tempted to put the book down at that point, but it promised stories from others with autism, so I looked forward to hearing those. Unfortunately, those stories never materialized. The author did start out with half a page about a politician with autism, but rather than a deep dive into her life, there was just a superficial mention of the rally she was speaking at. This was followed by a lot of history of the autism awareness movement where the author attempted to assign ill intentions to every person who ever took up the cause. Then there was a short blip about an attorney with autism that went only slightly deeper. I kept slogging through and the author did swing back to Jessica Benham, the aforementioned politician with autism, a couple of times but still fell short of the depth I needed to hear.

None of my criticism of this book is a criticism of authors with autism in general. This book is the anomaly. I’ve read, listened to, and spoken to dozens of people with autism who demonstrated far more self-awareness than the author showed in this book. I don’t see that there was any intention in this book to show how those with autism function, what accommodations they need, or how neurotypicals go forward in bridging a more inclusive world as was promised with the jacket description. This is all really ugly rant and blame and no solutions.

Thank you, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Carefully researched and thoroughly documented, the author has compiled a history of autism spectrum behavior on many levels. How people on the spectrum have been treated by medical professionals, politicians, families and the work force are covered, maybe too much so. It reads like a dissertation to me.

Married to a spouse with Asperger's is my point of view and I found after reading half of this book that I just could not be bothered to read the rest of it. I've spent more than a half century dealing with the same situation the author talks about, but one step removed as I probably am not on the spectrum. The author makes it sound like it is all my responsibility to cater to my spouse's inability to fit in and he doesn't mention, at least in the first half, the damage this has done to me or others related to my spouse. It is not a one way street.

The author goes on, way too much, on how it feels to be treated as broken. I get it; not fitting in can be miserable. What he doesn't see or write about is how miserable it is to be in a relationship with someone on the spectrum who doesn't and maybe can't give what a partner needs, but yet is continually told by this author that we must give more. We all know the story about going to the well so often that the well is dry. Well, no pun intended, the partner of a person on the spectrum is often far past the dry well stage. Yet where is the compassion for those of us? I saw none. It is a very dry book as can be imagined when the author beats the same drum on and on.

If you are on the spectrum and want to know the history, read it. You will get the picture that it is not easy for them, but it's not easy for the rest of us when the author just wants the rest of us to keep giving in to make them feel more normal. No, they need to meet us part way. They make up about 5% of the population. The rest of the 95% should not have to alter our lives drastically to accommodate them if they won't try to fit it. It takes both sides, not one.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion,

Read if you: Want an informative, inclusive, and memorable look at autism and autistic people from a Latino autistic journalist.

Although it's not a particularly long book, Garcia covers wide-ranging issues, from self-advocacy, health issues, gender/sexuality, race, among other topics, that affect autistic people.

Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase for your patrons who are autistic, have autistic family members/friends/coworkers, and those interested in learning about current autistic issues from an autistic author.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A unique experience with valuable insight into the complicated, shared identity of individuals with Autism. A thoughtful voice in an important, ongoing conversation on the unfinished work of supporting individuals and families navigating Autism.

Mostly Solid Work A Bit Misguided By Its Own Biases. This is one of the more comprehensive books I've found about the actual issues facing Autistics in the current world (circa 2020) - well, in the US anyway. Discussions of education, gender, housing, personhood, etc are mostly solid and mostly problem free, focusing on numerous interviews the author has conducted over several years combined with well documented (roughly 32% of the text of this Advance Reader Copy I read) research.

It even has two *extremely* good points:
1) "We don't know what Autism in and of itself looks like. We only know how autism informed by trauma presents itself." -Cal Montgomery
2) From the close of Chapter 9: "People who are not Autistic often assume they are acting benevolently by hand-holding those on the spectrum. But despite their best intentions, there is an element of condescension in thse actions because it assumes that non-Autistic people know what's best. But it is Autistic people who live with the condition of Autism - for all of its positives and negatives - as well as the consequences of any collective action meant to help them. If there is going to be policy that has seismic impact on their lives, they deserve to have a say it in, no mater how they communicate. Furthermore, while many parent advocates, clinicians, and other "experts" may have good intentions, centering their voices continues to give them power that should lie with the Autistic community. To achieve any true sense of freedom, Autistic people need to take this power back."

HOWEVER, the fact that the discussion routinely ignores and even outright dismisses the needs and challenges of white Autistics and/ or Autistics who *do* find meaningful employment in the science and/ or technology sectors means that the book fails to have truly the comprehensive discussion of the condition that it seems to seek to have. In ignoring these facets, it doesn't truly "change the Autism conversation" in any truly helpful manner, as it blatantly ignores and dismisses a key component that can actually do quite a bit of good in trying to address all of the other issues the narrative does go in detail on. We Autistic technologists can create the very technologies Garcia sometimes points to as being needed, in part because we ourselves truly do live with these very same issues - and thus, we don't actually need a neurotypical trying to approximate some solution, as we can create a solution that works for our own particular case and allow for it to be customized to fit other cases as well.

Ultimately this truly is a very strong look at the state of Autistic society today and the issues Autistics face in trying to fully integrate into larger neurotypical societies, it simply missed its potential to be so much more. Very much recommended.

So refreshing to finally have a book for us/by us written by one of the many people working and living in ways people don’t think “we” do. I related so much to this book and would recommend it if you want to give a book to the people in your life who ask you how you are able to talk and make eye contact when their cousin/neighbor/autistic person they saw in the street cannot.