We are in the second week of our month long celebration of Autistic Pride and today I am going to review the book written by Pete Wharmby tilted Untypical : How the world is not built for Autistic people and what we should all do about it. The author was diagnosed with Autism in his early thirties and is an eminent blogger, YouTuber and followed by many on Twitter.
The book is filled with many wonderful insights both from the author's personal experiences and from his interactions with many other Autistics. There are many 'Aha' moments where the author points out the double empathy and lack of understanding of the neurotypicals. One example is when he talks about how the special interests of Autistics are frowned upon as they're different from the norm but special interests of neurotypical are actively encouraged. If someone is passionate about a sport, say cricket, they will spend endless hours watching all the formats of cricket and listen patiently to the opinions of experts and debate passionately with other enthusiasts!
The author introduced me to many new concepts. A few of them that helped me understand my son better are PDA ( Pathological Demand Avoidance), Autistic inertia & Monotropism. He also shares many insights about Autistic burnout, masking and its lethal effects, alexithymia, relentless stress and anxiety, lack of employment opportunities, health problems and many more. Throughout the book, he offers nuggets of wisdom and tips about how we can make the world a better place for the Autistics and many of them are just a change in our attitude and approach and providing accommodations.
I always stress the importance of meeting your Autistic child/young adult mid-way instead of expecting them to attune to the world of neurotypicals. If you're someone who is interested in taking this path and are looking for guidance, listen to the real experts - the Autistic advocates and read books like these that provide sign posts that can guide us best.
You can purchase this book on Amazon India
