I have read a lot of books about autism, but this is honestly one of the best. Written by Autistic professor of social psychology, Dr Devon Price, this book explores Autism as a social disability, in a world in which conforming to neurotypical expectations is desired and frequently required. The book describes the experiences of Autistic people, in their own voices, as they navigate masking their true selves, and what happens when they unmask.
The book provided what, for me, was one of the best explanations of Autism I have found. Price explains that Autism is a neurological development disability, in which Autistic people’s brains filter and make sense of information differently from neurotypical standards.
Autistic people do not filter sensory stimuli in the same way as Allistics (neurotypical people).
“To put it in very simple terms, our neurons activate very easily, and don’t discriminate as readily between a ‘nuisance variable’ that our brains might wish to ignore (for example, a dripping faucet in another room) and a crucial piece of data that deserves a ton of our attention (for example, a loved one beginning to quietly cry in the other room). This means that we can both be easily distracted by a small stimulus and miss a large meaningful one.”
Autistic people also have a very bottom-up processing style.
“Autism is associated with a deliberative processing style. When making sense of the world, Autistic people usually defer to logic and reason rather than emotion or intuition. We dive deep into all the pros and cons, sometimes excessively so, not knowing where to draw the line between an important variable and an unimportant one. We tend not to get habituated to familiar situations or stimuli as readily as other people, so we often think through a situation as if it’s completely new to us, even if it isn’t. All of this requires a lot of energy, focus, and time, so we get exhausted and overloaded quite easily. However, it also makes us less prone to errors. Experimental research shows that Autistic people are far less susceptible to the biases allistic people commonly fall prey to.”
Price also demonstrates how oppressive neurotypical standards are, for people who are neurodivergent, but also for Allistics (people who are neurotypical). He explains that almost anyone can be viewed as defective or abnormal, at least during particularly trying periods of their lives. Nobody lives up to neurotypical standards all the time.
The book confronts many stereotypes of Autism and the experience of being Autistic.
Autistics can have intense and bright personalities just as easily as we can seem icy and withdrawn. Many can make strong eye contact, listen actively, and jump in excitedly when someone brings up a topic that interests us. Outgoing Autistics may fumble with social niceties, interrupt too often, seem “too enthusiastic,” or even be accused of histrionics, but a high degree of interest in connecting with others does generally benefit them psychologically and socially. Unfortunately, because Autism is so singularly portrayed as a disorder that makes you cold and robotic, outgoing Autistics are seldom correctly identified and diagnosed as kids. Teachers and parents think of them as chatty social butterflies, or disruptive class clowns. People may even come to view their large emotional displays and bursts of energy as “manipulative” or “attention seeking.”
Price also confronts the concept of “highly functioning” Autistics, explaining that what this really means is that the person can mimic neurotypical standards of behaviour. In Price’s words, they can “fake a nondisabled status”. Importantly, this doesn’t mean that the person is not intensely suffering from the effort required to do so. Price highlights that the severity of a person’s Autism is not defined by how disruptive, annoying or disturbing they are to others. Price also discusses the particular challenges of Autistic people who are members of other marginalised groups, such as transgender or Black Autistics, for whom unmasking can be more than difficult, it can also be life-threatening.
While this book is written for people who are, or suspect they may be Autistic, it is essential reading for everyone, whether you are neurodivergent or neurotypical.
