The Subtle Spectrum

Am I autistic, or is autism something I suffer from? Should I come out, to my friends, to my family, to the people I work with? Should I drop the mask? How can I explain my experience to a neurotypical world?

Joanna’s narrative is enriched with insights from a range of diverse contributors, creating a reflective opportunity for people to gain a better understanding of the experience of being autistic. With a focus on relationships built across a neurodiverse divide, the book considers topics as broad as mental health, work opportunities and abuse, weaving theory and research with lived experience to give true insight into the life of an autistic person, both pre- and post- diagnosis.

Written with a raw and engaging honesty, this is a crucial read for anybody who identifies as autistic as an adult or teenager, or anyone looking to support somebody exploring diagnosis. It will also provide an invaluable insight for social workers, educators and relationships counsellors working with autistic people.

Author

Joanna Grace is the founder of The Sensory Projects and works as a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist. She has been a special school teacher, a foster carer and a support worker for people with disabilities and neurological differences. She grew up on a boat at sea and now lives in rural Cornwall close to the ocean that she loves. Joanna is autistic.

Review

This wise and compassionate book provides a roadmap toward what author Jo Grace wonderfully calls ‘a small private place, unseen by the outside world, a hidden gem’ — to personal acceptance of oneself as autistic, and the discovery of autistic community, in a world built for non-autistic people. It’s engaging and uplifting reading for anyone on the spectrum, and for readers who want to comprehend the nature of autistic experience.

Steve Silberman, author, NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity