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All Tangled up in Autism and Chronic Illness: A guide to navigating multiple conditions
In this groundbreaking debut, Charli Clement combines their own experiences alongside unique short profiles from individuals with chronic illness, to provide an intimate and insightful look at the complexities of living as an autistic and chronically ill person.
From navigating your diagnosis and healthcare, learning how to manage pain and your own sensory needs to dealing with ableism, medical misogyny and transphobia, Clement offers practical advice and delves into the unique challenges faced by individuals living in this intersection.
With a focus on the unique neurodivergent experience and an exploration into disability pride and joy 'All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness' is a necessary and empowering resource for autistic and chronically ill people as well as for family members, friends, and healthcare professionals.
From navigating your diagnosis and healthcare, learning how to manage pain and your own sensory needs to dealing with ableism, medical misogyny and transphobia, Clement offers practical advice and delves into the unique challenges faced by individuals living in this intersection.
With a focus on the unique neurodivergent experience and an exploration into disability pride and joy 'All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness' is a necessary and empowering resource for autistic and chronically ill people as well as for family members, friends, and healthcare professionals.
- GenresNonfiction
Audible Audio
Published January 14, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 11, 2025
🎧 Audiobook
A great practical introduction to living with autism and chronic illness, particularly for young people. The author did a great job narrating this audiobook.
There are lots of great practical tips, several of which I’m going to try out and read further into.
Some anecdotes from people in mid-life and late diagnosed, though not much covered about unmasking (a challenging topic for those late diagnosed/identified, especially those over 40), but did recommend books to explore this further.
Also covers some of the intersectionalities that compound the challenges of living with both chronic illness and autism - such as sexuality, gender, race and ethnicity, poverty and financial limitations, societal and internalised ableism, medical gaslighting and misogyny, and social/community structures.
However, I had particular concerns with the chapter dealing with “chronic fatigue” and pacing, as a person with ME/CFS. I’m really disappointed that the author replicated the mistake of other writers by not clearly delineating between chronic fatigue as a symptom, and the debilitating condition of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
While the author didn’t provide misinformation, the lack of clarity about the major differences between chronic fatigue as a symptom of chronic illnesses, and the condition of ME/CFS itself, still perpetuates the confusion and gaslighting that people with ME/CFS experience daily, including from those with other chronic illnesses who have chronic fatigue as a symptom.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is so poorly named that it’s caused, and is still causing, lasting and tangible harm to people with ME/CFS. That’s why many sufferers are choosing to only refer to it as ME (as the author does, which I appreciate) - the scientific name, though still problematic in itself - as CFS does not even begin to capture what the illness actually is. This has contributed greatly to ME/CFS being widely stigmatised and minimised, particularly in the medical establishment, but also by other people with chronic illnesses.
While I commend the author in being clear that every person with a chronic illness and autism has unique needs and symptoms, there is lots of complexity in living with them, and that not everything in the book will fit your needs, the lack of addressing ME/CFS and chronic fatigue as a symptom was frustrating to experience, yet again.
I know that not every condition can be catered to, but this is a known issue in the chronic illness community. For the author to be providing guidance to our community, they should have addressed this. There may be similar pain points for other conditions mentioned in this book that would have been noticed by readers with those chronic conditions.
Apart from this though, I did find this an easy and informative read, and the author is very clearly passionate about the subject as their lived experience, and compassionate to those living with the challenging combination of chronic illness and autism.
A great practical introduction to living with autism and chronic illness, particularly for young people. The author did a great job narrating this audiobook.
There are lots of great practical tips, several of which I’m going to try out and read further into.
Some anecdotes from people in mid-life and late diagnosed, though not much covered about unmasking (a challenging topic for those late diagnosed/identified, especially those over 40), but did recommend books to explore this further.
Also covers some of the intersectionalities that compound the challenges of living with both chronic illness and autism - such as sexuality, gender, race and ethnicity, poverty and financial limitations, societal and internalised ableism, medical gaslighting and misogyny, and social/community structures.
However, I had particular concerns with the chapter dealing with “chronic fatigue” and pacing, as a person with ME/CFS. I’m really disappointed that the author replicated the mistake of other writers by not clearly delineating between chronic fatigue as a symptom, and the debilitating condition of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
While the author didn’t provide misinformation, the lack of clarity about the major differences between chronic fatigue as a symptom of chronic illnesses, and the condition of ME/CFS itself, still perpetuates the confusion and gaslighting that people with ME/CFS experience daily, including from those with other chronic illnesses who have chronic fatigue as a symptom.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is so poorly named that it’s caused, and is still causing, lasting and tangible harm to people with ME/CFS. That’s why many sufferers are choosing to only refer to it as ME (as the author does, which I appreciate) - the scientific name, though still problematic in itself - as CFS does not even begin to capture what the illness actually is. This has contributed greatly to ME/CFS being widely stigmatised and minimised, particularly in the medical establishment, but also by other people with chronic illnesses.
While I commend the author in being clear that every person with a chronic illness and autism has unique needs and symptoms, there is lots of complexity in living with them, and that not everything in the book will fit your needs, the lack of addressing ME/CFS and chronic fatigue as a symptom was frustrating to experience, yet again.
I know that not every condition can be catered to, but this is a known issue in the chronic illness community. For the author to be providing guidance to our community, they should have addressed this. There may be similar pain points for other conditions mentioned in this book that would have been noticed by readers with those chronic conditions.
Apart from this though, I did find this an easy and informative read, and the author is very clearly passionate about the subject as their lived experience, and compassionate to those living with the challenging combination of chronic illness and autism.
December 10, 2025
Brilliant!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews