A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society's narrow understanding of neurodiversity
"A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement."--Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism
For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless "masked" Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren't seen as needy or "odd."
In Unmasking Autism, …
A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society's narrow understanding of neurodiversity
"A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement."--Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism
For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless "masked" Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren't seen as needy or "odd."
In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain. Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are. They are also more likely to be marginalized in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other factors, which contributes to their suffering and invisibility. Dr. Price lays the groundwork for unmasking and offers exercises that encourage self-expression, including:
Celebrating special interests
Cultivating Autistic relationships
Reframing Autistic stereotypes
And rediscovering your values
It's time to honor the needs, diversity, and unique strengths of Autistic people so that they no longer have to mask--and it's time for greater public acceptance and accommodation of difference. In embracing neurodiversity, we can all reap the rewards of nonconformity and learn to live authentically, Autistic and neurotypical people alike.
The book has some helpful info and is okay overall, though honestly it didn't do much for me personally - maybe because I spent a lot of time reading neurodivergent people's experiences and general info online before reading the book, so it felt a bit redundant. If you're new to the topic though, I think it might be a good starting point.
The book has some helpful info and is okay overall, though honestly it didn't do much for me personally - maybe because I spent a lot of time reading neurodivergent people's experiences and general info online before reading the book, so it felt a bit redundant. If you're new to the topic though, I think it might be a good starting point.
It was a very helpful read. To learn more about autism I started to read books and this one helped me immensely. It focuses on how autistic people mask and why they mask their autistic traits. Also, it explains why anyone who is not a "white, rich boy" has a hard time to get an official diagnosis even today. Also it comes with lots of helpful, handy exercises to put off the masks one has been wearing. Some parts of the book are a bit lot focused on the situation in the US - you may want to find data or statistics about your country-, yet, that's understandable given the author origin.
It was a very helpful read. To learn more about autism I started to read books and this one helped me immensely. It focuses on how autistic people mask and why they mask their autistic traits. Also, it explains why anyone who is not a "white, rich boy" has a hard time to get an official diagnosis even today. Also it comes with lots of helpful, handy exercises to put off the masks one has been wearing.
Some parts of the book are a bit lot focused on the situation in the US - you may want to find data or statistics about your country-, yet, that's understandable given the author origin.
Another unsatisfying book on autism. Slightly helpful, but unsatisfying. I liked the first chapter about what autism is, though I would have liked to know what kind of studies found out the information and a bit more elaboration on the technical stuff. I kind of wanted just that chapter, but it being the book. Instead, the rest of the book was blog-style authors experiences, opinions and advice. Admittedly respectable all of it, but a bit informal for my liking. Besides maybe not jiving with the authors writing style, I think I also feel this way about the book because the science just isn't there yet. The author has to rely on "this educator is doing this thing" because there is no "this comprehensive study of what things were done and their impacts". Another hardship I have with this book is that it describes autism from the social model of disability …
Another unsatisfying book on autism. Slightly helpful, but unsatisfying. I liked the first chapter about what autism is, though I would have liked to know what kind of studies found out the information and a bit more elaboration on the technical stuff. I kind of wanted just that chapter, but it being the book. Instead, the rest of the book was blog-style authors experiences, opinions and advice. Admittedly respectable all of it, but a bit informal for my liking. Besides maybe not jiving with the authors writing style, I think I also feel this way about the book because the science just isn't there yet. The author has to rely on "this educator is doing this thing" because there is no "this comprehensive study of what things were done and their impacts". Another hardship I have with this book is that it describes autism from the social model of disability point of view, which I love. But that relies heavily on the society of the autistic person to be relatable, and my society is not the authors society. And lastly, I have the nitpicks like the author explaining what label avoidance is and immediately after using kind of shaming language towards the labels of misdiagnoses that autistics might get. Or writing about "how it is" without referencing the timeframe or locality of when and where it is like that. So yeah, kind of nice book, helped me a bit, still unsatisfying.
