Note: I am an autistic/ADHD reviewer

A touching collection of comics from a variety of differing artists about a variety of differing aspects of being autistic. Each piece in the collection covers a different topic in a charmingly unique art style. By basis of story and topics it gets an absolute 5 out of 5.

Something I hope is fixed in publishing is the aspect ratio, as the copy I received had images with low resolution and at times pixelated.

A very comforting collection of comics by various artists on the neuroatypical and neurodivergent spectrum. An introduction to people quite unaware of the difficulties that individuals on the spectrum face while portraying how exactly they see the world around them. A gentle book that is very timely and appreciated in a world of cacophony.

This is a wonderful collection of comics describing the sensory world of people on the spectrum, each one showcasing the unique perspective of each artist. People on the spectrum, especially younger readers will be able to find something to relate with in these stories and families and allies of neurodivergent people. What’s important is that it tells people how all people on the spectrum do not experience the world in the same way, everyone has different needs and preferences and the variety of artists drive home the point perfectly.

This collection of comics written by people on the Spectrum, about common experiences including sensory overload and sensory seeking, communication and connection, and stigma and discrimination is absolutely a must-read for both autistic and allistic readers. I loved seeing how each of the creators chose different art styles and topics. This was one of two comic collections I read this year (the other was Be Gay, Do Comics) that were written by the people experiencing those topics and both of them were absolutely fantastic.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

A really wonderful selection of comics on autism and neurodiversity. I loved that so many different perspectives on autism were included, from different places, generations, and backgrounds.

I love the idea behind this book - giving voices to artists on the spectrum and sharing their point of view!

I will say that as this is an anthology, there are various art styles which contribute to the variability in this book.

This book is a good way to explain and illustrate autism to someone who is neurotypical. They are various unique comic-style drawings (they were obviously some that I liked more than the other).

It is very refreshing that this book was made by autistic people and not someone who studies autism because, they were able to portray the insight only people who are on the spectrum can have.

I loved the fact that we could see different types of people and their experience because let’s be honest autism doesn’t have the best media representation and diversity is important because depending on the culture, gender, sexuality, religion, lifestyle, people won’t have the same experience of autism, so it was heartwarming seeing POC with autism as well as people from other countries and other beliefs.

One of the stories mentioned a spinning ring, I got so excited, especially when I heard things neurotypical people don’t usually know about, like skimming or masking (in girls!!!) and the comorbidity of autism.
More importantly, this book shows how people are more than their autism because they are not defined by it. All this to say that I strongly advise this book, plus it’s really easy to read!

This book was incredibly and exceeded my expectations! I would highly recommend this book. Everything was easy to comprehend and made me understand autism even more.

I really enjoyed this anthology. Autism is one of those things that is different for every person, and making this anthology allows the reader, who may or may not experience these things, to see autism through different lenses. It makes it less of a strange thing that separates you from others and makes it a little more human and understandable. I would highly recommend this comic anthology to everyone.

This is an anthology featuring short comics from autistic creators about their own experiences and insights on autism.
There's a broad range of experiences and tips throughout the book and several art styles as well. As with any anthology I was bound to enjoy some more than others but I believe that overall it was a very good read.
I would recommend everyone to pick this up, it is a very short and informative read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and really glad that it went from being funded by kickstarter so that it can be self-published to being published by one of the biggest publishers.

There are many similarities in terms of what those on the spectrum experience however, there are obvious differences.

I take my hat off to the many who have to turn to masking for example.

It helped me better understand my friends on the spectrum.

This needs to be read by everyone.

'Sensory: Life on the Spectrum' edited by Rebecca 'Bex' Ollerton is an anthology of comics created by people diagnosed with autism.

The 30 comics in this collection are from autistic creators and talk about life with autism. There are comics about coping with a world that doesn't understand them. Autism is different for everyone and the diagnosis path can vary.

I learned a lot and I really liked this idea for a collection. There are some very talented and heartfelt creators in this collection. The art and stories vary but they are all personal.

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum is a phenomenal book written and drawn by people with Autism or Autistic individuals. It breaks down real life experiences and what makes them unique. It gives an amazing background and understanding about neurodivergent individuals. I think every person should read this book, and it should be included in Occupational Therapy programs as well as for teachers, and really everyone. I can’t recommend this book enough! The images and drawings were also amazing and I think this book will be beneficial for so many ages.

Artist and curator Bex Ollerton put together this project where over 30 artists participated in this anthology to each draw and wrote about their experiences of living in a world that doesn’t always understand or accept them. This graphic novel is a great read. If you are autistic or know someone autistic, this can be a very comforting book for you. This book is an eye-opener for me, knowing that my son is not alone and learning new things about him through this book. All pieces have some similarities, but at the same time, some differences are so unique and utterly beautiful to me. It shows in their art style and their storytelling.

I was hoping for more from this book. While I do think autistic people may like this better than I did, I just wish it covered more of their traits than just masking. I know there is so much more to autism, and would have loved to learn more.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum by Rebecca Ollerton was a very cool and important comic anthology from autistic artists all about their experiences and tools living with autism.

Each artists' story was written in their unique style with lots of helpful information about dealing with autism, and the comic medium was really useful in relaying the information in a clear and concise manner.

I enjoyed my time with this anthology and feel like I learned a lot. This was a very realistic, but hopeful work and I'm sure it will be very beneficial and inspiring to many.

This was such a great graphic novel! I didn't realize at first that it was going to be a bunch of different people's comics but I loved that aspect of it. It was really interesting to get to see other people's perspectives. Overall, this was a really fun and informative graphic novel that I would recommend everyone check out!

I don't think this book is for people who know nothing or very little about autism. This is for people who are autistic themselves, know someone who's autistic and wants to learn a bit more, or if u think u might be autistic but aren't sure.

I'm autistic. Self diagnosed for now because it's very hard to get diagnosed. Especially for an adult woman. I've been on the wait list for years. My little brother was diagnosed with autism when he was a toddler and at the time they said it would be easy to diagnose me as well but it wouldn't be worth it, there wouldn't be much point or support because of my age (I was in late highschool at the time). A few years later when I finished highschool we realized that It really was worth getting the official diagnoses, we've been trying ever since.
When I finished highschool it was like I all of a sudden became a different much happier person. I had stopped 'masking' and truly became and showed who I actually was for the first time. My parents noticed the difference straight away and were amazed (I honestly didn't even notice until they told me how different I was then I like woah u right. Lol). They were so so happy. They and I knew school was hard on me but we didn't realized until it was all over just how much it was, probably because it was all I ever really knew.

Anyway this book is very very good. Very relatable and I'm so glad this book exists. I found some great tips to help me in my day to day life and also found some stuff that I do that is autistic and I didn't even realize, which I found pretty cool and funny lol.

I actually think this book would be an amazing thing for someone who is struggling to accept that they may be autistic. I denied being autistic for so long. 'i can't be autistic, I'm not diagnosed'. Once I finally accepted that I'm autistic it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Literally. Like I finally had a place. I belonged in this world. If I had this book a few years ago I think it would have helped me a lot in accepting who I am. And loving who I am and being autistic.

Sensory Life on the Spectrum - But Why Tho

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum is an anthology edited by Rebecca “Bex” Ollerton, and published by Andrews McMeel. Sensory contains contributions from over thirty autistic creators from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

Sensory’s greatest strength is this diversity. Too often the only view of autism we’re presented with in pop culture is that of a cis white man. But that’s such a limited view of the autistic experience as many socioeconomic factors such as race, gender, and class, significantly affect someone’s experiences with autism.

There are a few comics from Sensory: Life on the Spectrum that I would like to highlight: “Music Waves,” “Better Now Than Never,” “Retreat, Halfway,” and “Autistic Joy.”

“Music Waves” by Michiums is a short comic about how music is an escape from an overwhelming world and how music can provide a safe way to stim when unable to stim more visibly. In addition to the relatable story, Michiums art style is uniquely stunning with loose flowing lines and lots of soft white highlights.

Unfortunately, late diagnosis is a common experience for AFAB people. The story “Better Now Than Never” by Emma O’Friel is a look into O’Friel’s personal experience with this. Using some cute cartoon pigeons, O’Friel discusses the positives and negatives of her diagnosis journey. There’s anger and resentment at having gone so long not knowing this fundamental aspect of her life, as well as joy for finally having answers and a way to connect to a community of similar people. It’s been almost a decade since I received my own autism diagnosis but I vividly remember dealing with the same emotions O’Friel writes about. And I appreciate the way O’Friel validates her own anger and frustration.

Just because someone is extroverted and enjoys being around people doesn’t mean they don’t deal with autistic burnout. “Retreat,” written by Alicia Wedderburn-Graham and illustrated by Bex Ollerton is about Wedderburn-Graham’s experiences coping with autistic burnout. When burnt out, the same things Wedderburn-Graham usually enjoys, such as being outside, become unbearable and overwhelming. It’s only after taking time to be alone and recharge that they feel ready to face the world again.

“Halfway” by Dominique Morris is a story about autistic masking and the myth of “meeting people halfway.” Morris uses the illustration of a knight preparing for battle at another castle to exemplify how despite being told to meet someone halfway, it’s often the autistic person who puts on a mask and aligns their behaviors to what is expected of them. Autistic masking is exhausting and detrimental to mental health. And as Morris writes, it’s downright unfair of the world to expect autistic people to meet them halfway when the world won’t meet us halfway.

The final comic I want to discuss is “Autistic Joy” by Taylor Reynolds. “Autistic Joy” details the various things that bring Reynolds autistic joy. From support to understanding and safe surroundings, the specific ways a person experiences autistic joy may vary but in a world not designed for autistic people to thrive, the concept is equally important. Get your joy wherever you can.

A phenomenal collection of stories about the variety of experiences autistic people have in all areas of life, Sensory: Life on the Spectrum is a must-read not only for people on the spectrum but for anyone who ever wondered what it’s like.

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum will be available wherever books are sold on October 18th, 2022 and with our Bookshop.org affiliate link.

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum contains contributions from Bex Ollerton, Emma O’Friel, Charlie Watts, Arian Sebastian Farzad, Laila Ahamad, Almond, Suzanne Wdowik, Dominique Morris, Chloe F. McKay, Micaela Wainstein, Allie, Mell Stansel, Alice Williams, Jinx Peregrine, Matt Crane, Alicia Wedderburn-Graham, Buddy O. Baker, Dean McColl, Noel Fox, Ash Ortiz, Reloaxa, Jo Svensson, Kayla Gilliam, Rhia May-Byrd, Jo Blakely, Angeline Eddins, Kyle Lewis, Lindsay Miller, Shay Commander, Nova Kahan, T Catt, Cy Popps, CJ Barrett, Toria McCallum, Alexandra McCarthy, Kai Mycelium, Molly McCracken, Michiums, Kate Cunningham, C.A. Crisóstomo, and Taylor Reynolds.

This book struck a profound and instructive chord with me. I don't know much about autism, but this book helps me understand what it's like to live with it. With 160 pages of comics by more than 30 different autistic graphic artists, it is a pretty comprehensive collection.

Each artist uses writing and images to convey a brief narrative about life with autism. With each story having its own unique style of writing and artwork, the reader is transported into a new universe, and the book as a whole is incredibly diversified.