Growing in to Autism

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My main reason for seeking a formal diagnosis was that I felt it would enable me to be a more effective autism advocate. This book has the propensity to make visible that which was previously invisible and to impact people that matter to us, one conversation at a time.

The real life examples and experiences show the humanity we all have, while also helping bridge gaps in understanding.All that personal confusion has now been put to rest, yet without surprise, the challenges persist in our community: are we listening to one another? She learned from that and similar incidents to act according to her perceptions of what others expected of her: and to “mask” her autistic behaviours wherever possible, such as making noises, counting objects like lino tiles, repetitive behaviour (‘stimming”, self stimulation). This book is perfect for anyone who is autistic, wants to learn more about autism, or just wants to read an interesting story about a person discovering themselves and being totally human. Structured around the diagnostic criteria set out by the DSM-5, this book is comprehensive while still feeling succinct.

I hope it encourages them to recognise the value in neurodiversity, to reach out to the autistic people in their life to find out how they would like to be supported, and to help them create a more inclusive world. From the outside looking in, Sandra Thom-Jones was living a successful life: she had a great career, a beautiful home, a caring husband, two loving sons and supportive friends.The second, which is reflected in the title, is that we need to move away from the harmful myth that children grow out of autism; and replace it with the knowledge that, with the right supports, they can grow IN to their authentic autistic selves. However, I thought that for many people, particularly those who are newly diagnosed or parents of people who are newly diagnosed and seeking to understand what it means to be autistic, this framework is probably where they start from because they walk out of the diagnostician with those categories and that framework. In articulating her experience of the world as an autistic person, the author also helps neurotypicals to view ourselves through another lens. There were so many moments that I wished I had bought this book instead of borrowing it from the library as the author articulated my experience in ways I have been struggling to, from experiences at school to early days of parenting. From the outside looking in, Sandra Thom-Jones was living a successful life- she had a great career, a beautiful home, a caring husband, two loving sons and supportive friends.