I do think that this book is not what it thinks it is. Like I still keep thinking about it and how some of the examples it used makes it seem like everyone is autistic. Like I don't know. In a world where there is so much misinformation this adds to it because it even mentions how at one point they told them that autism is caused by a build up of minerals in the body. like what?

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

I DNF'd this book after a few chapters for a few reasons.

1. The author writes about using chelation therapy to try to remove heavy metals from his son's body, believing that causes autism. Chelation has been debunked as a treatment for autism, which the author absolutely fails to note. Moreover, the author does not provide any links to scientific studies on work done to understand if there are linkages between heavy metals and autism. By not doing so, parents may read this section and think that this could be a way forward, especially as the author seems to hedge his bets in saying well, maybe it helped, maybe it didn't.

2. The author consistently centres HIS experiences and HIS expectations for his son. It's very bizarre to be running speed drills for toddlers. The author seems obsessed with having his son follow in his footsteps and continue his legacy.

3. The author is not autistic. There are so many amazing autistic people out there writing books about what it is like being autistic. I would much rather read those books and support those authors. The author can only write from the lived experience as a parent of an autistic child and cannot fully understand or appreciate what it is to navigate life as an autistic person.

A moving and hopeful book told from the perspective of a parent of an autistic child and their experience advocating for and learning to accept their son's differences. This was great on audio and a must read for any parent who has an autistic child. I especially appreciated the sections on supporting your child's endeavors with gainful employment and advocating for them during school years with IEPs. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Autism Elevated LLC for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

April is Autism Acceptance Month here in the United States. New data shows that one in 31 children today are diagnosed with autism. Not only do I have a child on the spectrum, but I also spent a year working for the Autism Society of Northeastern Wisconsin. When we first got my son’s diagnosis years ago, I read everything that was out there about autism. We had our son attend social skills classes, and there was some overlap with classes in school, too.

But now he’s an adult and has struggled. He only lasted one year in college, in part because he has a hard time advocating for himself and has had a hard time keeping a job for a variety of reasons. Rebranding Autism is a different way to look at people on the spectrum and how they can thrive as they grow up and enter adulthood. This is just what we need.

The author’s personal stories involving his son were the best part of the book, IMO. I found myself nodding and remembering how we faced similar issues with R. Like the author’s son, our son was what was once called High Functioning. That is who this book is geared to.

Clain Udy has a unique way of looking at autism and how people can help those on the spectrum. Instead of focusing on an autistic individual’s deficits, Udy urges parents and caregivers to lean into their strengths This is also something our son’s teacher advocated. The author’s son had a hyper-focused interest (very common for those with autism) that could also be translated into a job. We, too, encouraged our son to try and find a job that was geared towards his hyper fixation, but in our case, that interest doesn’t equate to a career in our city.

Ultimately, Rebranding Autism is a practical guide that shows how to support autistic individuals in their search for a career and how to do it. And that’s just what this world needs, especially when our Health and Human Services director calls autism a “chronic disease” or that children with autism are “damaged.” The only thing damaged about those with autism is thinking that they are less than. It’s time to reframe the conversation, and this book is a great start.