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Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism: Voices from Across the Spectrum
Bringing together a collection of narratives from those who are on the autism spectrum whilst also identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and/or asexual (LGBTQIA), this book explores the intersection of the two spectrums as well as the diverse experiences that come with it.
By providing knowledge and advice based on in-depth research and personal accounts, the narratives will be immensely valuable to teenagers, adults, partners and families. The authors round these stories with a discussion of themes across narratives, and implications for the issues discussed. In the final chapter, the authors reflect on commonly asked questions from a clinical perspective, bringing in relevant research, as well as sharing best-practice tips and considerations that may be helpful for LGBTQIA and ASD teenagers and adults. These may also be used by family members and clinicians when counselling teenagers and adults on the dual spectrum.
With each chapter structured around LGBTQIA and autism spectrum identities, Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism highlights the fluidity of gender identity, sexual orientation and neurodiversity and provides a space for people to share their individual experiences.
By providing knowledge and advice based on in-depth research and personal accounts, the narratives will be immensely valuable to teenagers, adults, partners and families. The authors round these stories with a discussion of themes across narratives, and implications for the issues discussed. In the final chapter, the authors reflect on commonly asked questions from a clinical perspective, bringing in relevant research, as well as sharing best-practice tips and considerations that may be helpful for LGBTQIA and ASD teenagers and adults. These may also be used by family members and clinicians when counselling teenagers and adults on the dual spectrum.
With each chapter structured around LGBTQIA and autism spectrum identities, Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism highlights the fluidity of gender identity, sexual orientation and neurodiversity and provides a space for people to share their individual experiences.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2019
38 people are currently reading
866 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 12, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5
I was sent an eARC of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.
I was very excited to read this book, because this sounded right up my alley as a queer autistic person. And I did mostly appreciate this book, but I do have some mixed feelings.
First off, let me be very clear about what I did appreciate: this book offers a lot of interesting, important and valuable insights. In that sense, it felt like a very safe space for me to read. I didn't necessarily agree with some of the statements, about how autism shouldn't be seen as a disability, for instance. But I can clearly see the authors have a good perspective on autism as a whole, so it didn't bother me too much that some of my own views differed from theirs. They did go into detail about neurodiversity for instance, and the importance of listening to autistic people, and misconceptions like how autistic people are often considered unable to understand their own sexual, romantic and gender identities.
Something else that I really appreciated, was the authors being very vocal about trying to include diverse voices. They explicitly stated they were unfortunately only able to interview one Black person for this book, and went into the underlying reasons for that as well. But they did interview multiple people of colour, and it was also amazing to see so many queer identities represented.
However, for the majority of the book, I found myself getting quickly bored. And I think the reason for that is the way the book was structured. In my job as an editor, I read a lot of academic texts, and this read a lot like those. And if you do research, of course interviews can be a very important and interesting way to gain results. But as a reader, I'm more interested in the relevant results than I am in reading about the personal backgrounds of all of the respondents.
Overall, while these are valuable insights, I didn't really feel like I read a lot of new information. Especially because it consisted largely of repetition of the same insights and statements. But this book was still very validating to read, and it was great to see so many queer autistic people represented. I especially loved the intersection of those identities being discussed, because they don't exist in a vacuum: my being autistic very much affects my queerness. In that sense, this book exactly grasped my own experience in a way that neurotypical LGBTQ+ stories often don't exactly. It was, for instance, very interesting to see how research shows that autistic people are not only more often queer than neurotypical people, but they also more often identify with the "BTQIAP+" part of the community. In other words, autistic identities less often adhere to the binary and societal norms. There were, for example, multiple non-binary, aspec, and/or polyamorous respondents.
All in all, I think this book is a good example of the way autism research and understanding should be approached: by centering autistic people and hearing them. By approaching autism as a neurotype, rather than always comparing it to neurotypical functioning. But I was a little underwhelmed by the execution.
P.S.: I did love seeing such an elaborate checklist of possible autistic traits/symptoms in the back of the book! The checklists that are often used to diagnose are way less extensive.
CWs: ableism, homophobia, transphobia, abuse, self harm, mental illness, bullying.
I was sent an eARC of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.
I was very excited to read this book, because this sounded right up my alley as a queer autistic person. And I did mostly appreciate this book, but I do have some mixed feelings.
First off, let me be very clear about what I did appreciate: this book offers a lot of interesting, important and valuable insights. In that sense, it felt like a very safe space for me to read. I didn't necessarily agree with some of the statements, about how autism shouldn't be seen as a disability, for instance. But I can clearly see the authors have a good perspective on autism as a whole, so it didn't bother me too much that some of my own views differed from theirs. They did go into detail about neurodiversity for instance, and the importance of listening to autistic people, and misconceptions like how autistic people are often considered unable to understand their own sexual, romantic and gender identities.
Something else that I really appreciated, was the authors being very vocal about trying to include diverse voices. They explicitly stated they were unfortunately only able to interview one Black person for this book, and went into the underlying reasons for that as well. But they did interview multiple people of colour, and it was also amazing to see so many queer identities represented.
However, for the majority of the book, I found myself getting quickly bored. And I think the reason for that is the way the book was structured. In my job as an editor, I read a lot of academic texts, and this read a lot like those. And if you do research, of course interviews can be a very important and interesting way to gain results. But as a reader, I'm more interested in the relevant results than I am in reading about the personal backgrounds of all of the respondents.
Overall, while these are valuable insights, I didn't really feel like I read a lot of new information. Especially because it consisted largely of repetition of the same insights and statements. But this book was still very validating to read, and it was great to see so many queer autistic people represented. I especially loved the intersection of those identities being discussed, because they don't exist in a vacuum: my being autistic very much affects my queerness. In that sense, this book exactly grasped my own experience in a way that neurotypical LGBTQ+ stories often don't exactly. It was, for instance, very interesting to see how research shows that autistic people are not only more often queer than neurotypical people, but they also more often identify with the "BTQIAP+" part of the community. In other words, autistic identities less often adhere to the binary and societal norms. There were, for example, multiple non-binary, aspec, and/or polyamorous respondents.
All in all, I think this book is a good example of the way autism research and understanding should be approached: by centering autistic people and hearing them. By approaching autism as a neurotype, rather than always comparing it to neurotypical functioning. But I was a little underwhelmed by the execution.
P.S.: I did love seeing such an elaborate checklist of possible autistic traits/symptoms in the back of the book! The checklists that are often used to diagnose are way less extensive.
CWs: ableism, homophobia, transphobia, abuse, self harm, mental illness, bullying.
January 20, 2019
I am always interested in educating myself on important, topical issues such as the subjects discussed in this book, even though I don't have any problem with my gender identity or sexuality, and I'm not part of the spectrum when it comes to Autism. Despite it exploring weighty topics I was most surprised by how readable it was; it was communicated in a casual, conversational style, which even a person with no prior knowledge of said areas could easily understand. This is not only designed to inform and support those who are on either the LGBT+ and Autism spectrums but also the general public, and the case studies and first-hand accounts help the reader to view things from the perspective of those in the know, those who have struggled with these issues themselves, as well as the psychologists or therapists who have treated them.
Also worth a mention is the inclusion of a fantastic Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, and the authors do a great job of providing definitions of the terms used throughout the book so a layman can understand exactly what is being discussed. It is a comprehensive and understandable work and is the first book I've found that explores these topics in an interrelated way. What I liked the most was that, unlike other books, the issues were explored in a respectful manner; there was never any hint or intimation of there being something "wrong" with these patients. They are merely portrayed as being different, which is exactly the way I view them, and in my eyes different can often be good. Some of the most wonderful people are those who defy categorisation.
Many thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers for an ARC.
Also worth a mention is the inclusion of a fantastic Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, and the authors do a great job of providing definitions of the terms used throughout the book so a layman can understand exactly what is being discussed. It is a comprehensive and understandable work and is the first book I've found that explores these topics in an interrelated way. What I liked the most was that, unlike other books, the issues were explored in a respectful manner; there was never any hint or intimation of there being something "wrong" with these patients. They are merely portrayed as being different, which is exactly the way I view them, and in my eyes different can often be good. Some of the most wonderful people are those who defy categorisation.
Many thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers for an ARC.
September 12, 2022
There is a dearth of research about the connection between queerness & autism, so this book's lack of insight was especially disappointing.
Most of the text consists of self reports (mostly LGBT autistic people, with some neurotypical parents and partners) but they get pretty repetitive due to the lack of diversity in the sample; these are framed with insights from two clinicians, which range from boring to actively obnoxious. I HATE this "differently abled" shit & I hate the framing of queerness and autism as a burden on families and partners, as in the following quote:
The word "blame," the way the text reassures parents that their queer child isn't their fault and doesn't reflect on them - it all suggests that queerness is a deficit or a flaw. Elsewhere, advice targeted toward neurotypical partners of autistic people implies that autistic people are insurmountably unable to meet their partner's emotional needs, and so their NT partners should cope by building stronger support networks so they can get those needs met elsewhere. Like, it is good advice broadly to not try to get all of your needs met by one romantic partner - so why is it framed here as a response to a particularly autistic deficit? Why could this advice not go both ways?
I'm nitpicking at this point but it feels as though there should have been some light editing in those interviews to avoid some weird cis shit ("Gender identity: I accept myself as female") and outdated language ("male-bodied") as well as straight-up inaccuracies on queer history ("there was no 'queer' identity back when I was [in high school]" claims someone born in like, 1996).
To elaborate on the lack of diversity, it feels like a huge failure on the researchers' part that their sample is so homogenous. It's acknowledged in the text that a majority of the participants are white, middle-to-upper-class, college-educated, located with the liberal Northeast US, and very stable, with established careers, solid support structures, and access to professional support for their autism. Focusing on such a privileged subset of the community feels almost like an attempt to avoid addressing systemic barriers faced by both groups (ie, disproportionate rates of homelessness and poverty) in favor of talking about people's individual feelings about self-discovery and acceptance.
It just feels incredibly shallow and like an oversimplification of a complex intersection to appeal to confused parents and clinicians; the claim in the intro that the book is primarily targeted toward LGBT autistic people feels totally dishonest. It's not representative of the majority of that demographic & I honestly can't imagine any other queer autistic person I know finding any new insight or understanding of themselves by reading this.
Most of the text consists of self reports (mostly LGBT autistic people, with some neurotypical parents and partners) but they get pretty repetitive due to the lack of diversity in the sample; these are framed with insights from two clinicians, which range from boring to actively obnoxious. I HATE this "differently abled" shit & I hate the framing of queerness and autism as a burden on families and partners, as in the following quote:
You're not to blame for your offspring's orientation or gender. This is not a reflection on you.
The word "blame," the way the text reassures parents that their queer child isn't their fault and doesn't reflect on them - it all suggests that queerness is a deficit or a flaw. Elsewhere, advice targeted toward neurotypical partners of autistic people implies that autistic people are insurmountably unable to meet their partner's emotional needs, and so their NT partners should cope by building stronger support networks so they can get those needs met elsewhere. Like, it is good advice broadly to not try to get all of your needs met by one romantic partner - so why is it framed here as a response to a particularly autistic deficit? Why could this advice not go both ways?
I'm nitpicking at this point but it feels as though there should have been some light editing in those interviews to avoid some weird cis shit ("Gender identity: I accept myself as female") and outdated language ("male-bodied") as well as straight-up inaccuracies on queer history ("there was no 'queer' identity back when I was [in high school]" claims someone born in like, 1996).
To elaborate on the lack of diversity, it feels like a huge failure on the researchers' part that their sample is so homogenous. It's acknowledged in the text that a majority of the participants are white, middle-to-upper-class, college-educated, located with the liberal Northeast US, and very stable, with established careers, solid support structures, and access to professional support for their autism. Focusing on such a privileged subset of the community feels almost like an attempt to avoid addressing systemic barriers faced by both groups (ie, disproportionate rates of homelessness and poverty) in favor of talking about people's individual feelings about self-discovery and acceptance.
It just feels incredibly shallow and like an oversimplification of a complex intersection to appeal to confused parents and clinicians; the claim in the intro that the book is primarily targeted toward LGBT autistic people feels totally dishonest. It's not representative of the majority of that demographic & I honestly can't imagine any other queer autistic person I know finding any new insight or understanding of themselves by reading this.
January 28, 2022
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
I got this book, because of my obsession with sexuality and gender. I also got this book, because my littler brother has ASD. I try and learn more so I can be a better support for him. Most of my knowledge came from my step-mother (a huge supporter of some questionable groups and ideas around autism, I have seen her grow more to being an advocate for him over the years in a way that is just incredible) and from being a psych major (ABA track designed to work with “children with autism”). So all of my learning came from people who might have had no idea what they were talking about at best or been malicious at worst. I even have a puzzle tattoo. That is where I am coming from. I am learning, this book taught me so much and reaffirmed some things I already knew.
I wanted to read and learn from people who are actually on the spectrum. It makes more sense to let people who can speak for themselves and want to speak for themselves do so. The people in this book were incredible brave and gave a window into a life that I was told needed to be monitored, cured, and fixed. If I hear one more time that a diet needs to have such and such vitamins or certain shots should be avoided in fear of autism, I will scream. I am not even part of the community and I am irate. I can’t even begin to apologize for what I have been taught and what I almost did in the name of loving someone.
The biggest thing that I took from this book is autistic people (not people with autism like my psych classes taught me) are people with their own complex feelings and emotions. They can and do have sexualities and genders. They can and do express these. This is all so drastically different from what I have always been told, but I knew wasn’t right. It is something I have always had issues with, but this book just confirmed the wild idea that autistic people are people and deserve respect. So 100% yes.
I loved that the book was created by professionals that started with facts, figures, and giving this book that lens of science that makes it so much easier for my brain to attach to. Then the personal stories both from autistic people across the gender and sexuality spectrums and from close people in their lives. This gave a more complete view of the worlds of these people and made them seem real in a way that a lot of science and diagnostic tools don’t allow. This book put humans where words used to be. This book opened up a world that should be respected and supported.
I did find certain things funny. Learning about autism through memes struck a really personal chord with me. One of the trans pages I follow on social media has been posting a lot of memes about being autistic that pushed me to learning more from people who actually knew what they were talking about. This book was just the first step. I am hoping this book is widely read and the messages are internalized.
The reason it wasn’t a full five stars despite it being such a wonderful book was the methodology and the conclusions drawn. The interview process didn’t seem all that uniform, so it was difficult to make comparisons between people. It was wonderful in a social sense of that freedom to learn what the participants wanted to talk about, but it hurt my little academic heart. The conclusions drawn were wonderful, but that whole section was just constant block quotes of things I had just read. It made reading it difficult. So the lack of a star was mostly the ease of reading and me being a super nerd.
I got an ARC of this book.
I got this book, because of my obsession with sexuality and gender. I also got this book, because my littler brother has ASD. I try and learn more so I can be a better support for him. Most of my knowledge came from my step-mother (a huge supporter of some questionable groups and ideas around autism, I have seen her grow more to being an advocate for him over the years in a way that is just incredible) and from being a psych major (ABA track designed to work with “children with autism”). So all of my learning came from people who might have had no idea what they were talking about at best or been malicious at worst. I even have a puzzle tattoo. That is where I am coming from. I am learning, this book taught me so much and reaffirmed some things I already knew.
I wanted to read and learn from people who are actually on the spectrum. It makes more sense to let people who can speak for themselves and want to speak for themselves do so. The people in this book were incredible brave and gave a window into a life that I was told needed to be monitored, cured, and fixed. If I hear one more time that a diet needs to have such and such vitamins or certain shots should be avoided in fear of autism, I will scream. I am not even part of the community and I am irate. I can’t even begin to apologize for what I have been taught and what I almost did in the name of loving someone.
The biggest thing that I took from this book is autistic people (not people with autism like my psych classes taught me) are people with their own complex feelings and emotions. They can and do have sexualities and genders. They can and do express these. This is all so drastically different from what I have always been told, but I knew wasn’t right. It is something I have always had issues with, but this book just confirmed the wild idea that autistic people are people and deserve respect. So 100% yes.
I loved that the book was created by professionals that started with facts, figures, and giving this book that lens of science that makes it so much easier for my brain to attach to. Then the personal stories both from autistic people across the gender and sexuality spectrums and from close people in their lives. This gave a more complete view of the worlds of these people and made them seem real in a way that a lot of science and diagnostic tools don’t allow. This book put humans where words used to be. This book opened up a world that should be respected and supported.
I did find certain things funny. Learning about autism through memes struck a really personal chord with me. One of the trans pages I follow on social media has been posting a lot of memes about being autistic that pushed me to learning more from people who actually knew what they were talking about. This book was just the first step. I am hoping this book is widely read and the messages are internalized.
The reason it wasn’t a full five stars despite it being such a wonderful book was the methodology and the conclusions drawn. The interview process didn’t seem all that uniform, so it was difficult to make comparisons between people. It was wonderful in a social sense of that freedom to learn what the participants wanted to talk about, but it hurt my little academic heart. The conclusions drawn were wonderful, but that whole section was just constant block quotes of things I had just read. It made reading it difficult. So the lack of a star was mostly the ease of reading and me being a super nerd.
July 2, 2021
I read this book as both an autistic person and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, so I was thrilled to see my intersectionality represented so thoughtfully. I was fascinated by how these identities overlap and influence each other socially and emotionally. I’m always happy to learn about other LGBTQ+ identities other than my own (as a gender-questioning bisexual woman), and felt that I gained the most from the accounts of trans/non-binary people and polyamorous people in particular, simply because they’re outside my range of experience. I feel like these voices did a lot to combat my own personal prejudices that I didn’t even know I had, especially towards polyamory. I’ve now educated myself further and I’m hopefully a much more fair person for it.
However, I don’t feel I can give this book 5/5 simply because I didn’t agree with everything this book advocates for. I couldn’t find any evidence to suggest either of the authors were autistic (only that they work with autistic people or that autism is the focus of their research), so I’m not sure if they have consulted with autistic people on all of their beliefs or if they are based on autistic voices at all. I’m mostly referring to the use of “Autism Spectrum Difference” as opposed to “Autism Spectrum Disorder”. Yes, in an ideal world autism would be considered just another way of being alive and everyone would respect and understand that. Unfortunately, this isn’t that world. I feel that my autism is a disorder even though it would not be if we didn’t live in a neurotypically led society. I need this label to articulate to NTs that I have specific requirements that differ from their own. I’m liberated by it. I understand that this is only my own experience, and in no way generalising that this is a universal experience for ASD folks. The authors also contradict themselves by saying that autistic folks may have a “delayed awareness of their own body and sexuality” despite that almost all of the accounts said that they were aware of their LGBTQ+ identity at a very young age.
The Q&A section felt a little dehumanising, which is bizarre since the different accounts were so utterly humanising that I don’t know how the two sections coexist. I loved hearing each person’s story, their own successes and challenges etc. It was uplifting to hear about the communities that people had found homes in, and the ways that partners accommodate the needs of their ASD partners and vice versa. The wide variety of lifestyles, identities, experiences etc was wonderful to read about, as someone who is very limited in my understanding of those outside my own lifestyle, but wanting to understand and validate those who I might not relate to. The juxtaposition between own voices and clinicians is stark and a little jarring. I would have preferred a more in depth look at the experiences of intersectionality of each participant, rather than the Q&A which felt like a reductionist summary of the issues that ASD-LGBTQ+ people experience.
The message that I love from the book was: if you have met one autistic person… you have met one autistic person. But I do wish this was pushed a little harder in the non-accounts sections. A great read if you’re looking to expand your understanding of these spectra and take a look into the lives of people who live it.
However, I don’t feel I can give this book 5/5 simply because I didn’t agree with everything this book advocates for. I couldn’t find any evidence to suggest either of the authors were autistic (only that they work with autistic people or that autism is the focus of their research), so I’m not sure if they have consulted with autistic people on all of their beliefs or if they are based on autistic voices at all. I’m mostly referring to the use of “Autism Spectrum Difference” as opposed to “Autism Spectrum Disorder”. Yes, in an ideal world autism would be considered just another way of being alive and everyone would respect and understand that. Unfortunately, this isn’t that world. I feel that my autism is a disorder even though it would not be if we didn’t live in a neurotypically led society. I need this label to articulate to NTs that I have specific requirements that differ from their own. I’m liberated by it. I understand that this is only my own experience, and in no way generalising that this is a universal experience for ASD folks. The authors also contradict themselves by saying that autistic folks may have a “delayed awareness of their own body and sexuality” despite that almost all of the accounts said that they were aware of their LGBTQ+ identity at a very young age.
The Q&A section felt a little dehumanising, which is bizarre since the different accounts were so utterly humanising that I don’t know how the two sections coexist. I loved hearing each person’s story, their own successes and challenges etc. It was uplifting to hear about the communities that people had found homes in, and the ways that partners accommodate the needs of their ASD partners and vice versa. The wide variety of lifestyles, identities, experiences etc was wonderful to read about, as someone who is very limited in my understanding of those outside my own lifestyle, but wanting to understand and validate those who I might not relate to. The juxtaposition between own voices and clinicians is stark and a little jarring. I would have preferred a more in depth look at the experiences of intersectionality of each participant, rather than the Q&A which felt like a reductionist summary of the issues that ASD-LGBTQ+ people experience.
The message that I love from the book was: if you have met one autistic person… you have met one autistic person. But I do wish this was pushed a little harder in the non-accounts sections. A great read if you’re looking to expand your understanding of these spectra and take a look into the lives of people who live it.
January 26, 2024
First note: why the fuck are they using any other terms than ASD/autism/autism spectrum disorder.
Second note: the front and back of the book felt like I was reading an academia paper and I dropped out of university for a reason.
Third note: I thoroughly enjoyed reading through everyone's stories. I don't have many friends on the spectrum, or that fall into the LGBTQIA community, so being able to hear that I'm not alone in how I feel and how I am, was really refreshing. I cried a lot because i realised that I'm fantastic just like everyone else within this book.
So, first thing this should be rewritten and republished because we don't use that term anymore, and secondly thank you to every voice that was told.
Second note: the front and back of the book felt like I was reading an academia paper and I dropped out of university for a reason.
Third note: I thoroughly enjoyed reading through everyone's stories. I don't have many friends on the spectrum, or that fall into the LGBTQIA community, so being able to hear that I'm not alone in how I feel and how I am, was really refreshing. I cried a lot because i realised that I'm fantastic just like everyone else within this book.
So, first thing this should be rewritten and republished because we don't use that term anymore, and secondly thank you to every voice that was told.
June 15, 2022
I really liked this because when your identities intersect it's sometimes frustrating to just read about autistic men or women or about neurotypical queer people this book was refreshing to me!
It's interviews and at the end some informational texts about the topics, so it's experiences of real people mixed with some information. Pretty interesting, even though through being active in the community I also had a lot of exchange about other people's experiences with being autistic and queer.
I'm still not officially diagnosed but again I could see myself in many of the texts.
It's interviews and at the end some informational texts about the topics, so it's experiences of real people mixed with some information. Pretty interesting, even though through being active in the community I also had a lot of exchange about other people's experiences with being autistic and queer.
I'm still not officially diagnosed but again I could see myself in many of the texts.
April 28, 2020
Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism: Voices From Across the Spectrum by Eva A. Mendes and Meredith R. Maroney brings together a number of narratives from those who are both autistic and on the LGBT+ spectrum.
Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism is short read, merging personal accounts with professional advice. It is therefore not only valuable to those who are autistic, but to their friends, family, and those working with them – whether this is in a general workspace or within a clinical setting.
I found the initial content to be interesting, but I would have been disappointed if that was all we received. The interviews are really what hold the piece together, and I’m sure that readers will find them validating in a variety of ways. Personally, I didn’t agree with everything said, or the language used at times, but there’s differences in both age and cultures so that may account for some differing opinions.
That said, the interviews began to feel rather repetitive after the third or fourth and I would have preferred a more organic Q&A with some unique questions for each person rather than just one different statement to respond to per interview. Many of the subjects were cared for/are under the care of the authors so this should have been easy to implement.
In addition to this, the responses from Partners and Parents seemed far too long. We’ve engaged in reading this book as we want to find out more from those who are experiencing this intersection of identity. These responses should have been more succinct.
Readers should be aware that there are insufficient warnings for when interviewees would branch off to discuss trauma, self-harm, suicide etc. A quick line providing warnings for each interview would ensure that readers can skip over any which may be upsetting or triggering, whilst not missing out
The authors provided clear acknowledgements of the limitations of the scope of their interviewees (the majority being white and middle class adults and all are in a stable enough place to complete an interview and share their experience). I hope that if they opt to write on the subject again that they actively work to gain insight from participants who’s experiences have not yet been considered. I did appreciate that intersex and asexual people were included though; they’re often neglected within LGBT+ circles.
To close the book, we are provided with an extensive list of traits for diagnosis of autism. I’m sure that this will prove to be a very useful tool, especially for those who are looking to self-diagnose or seek a professional assessment and would like to have supporting documents.
Overall, it is a very supportive text, if a little too academic to appeal to the masses.
**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review**
Gender Identity, Sexuality and Autism is short read, merging personal accounts with professional advice. It is therefore not only valuable to those who are autistic, but to their friends, family, and those working with them – whether this is in a general workspace or within a clinical setting.
I found the initial content to be interesting, but I would have been disappointed if that was all we received. The interviews are really what hold the piece together, and I’m sure that readers will find them validating in a variety of ways. Personally, I didn’t agree with everything said, or the language used at times, but there’s differences in both age and cultures so that may account for some differing opinions.
That said, the interviews began to feel rather repetitive after the third or fourth and I would have preferred a more organic Q&A with some unique questions for each person rather than just one different statement to respond to per interview. Many of the subjects were cared for/are under the care of the authors so this should have been easy to implement.
In addition to this, the responses from Partners and Parents seemed far too long. We’ve engaged in reading this book as we want to find out more from those who are experiencing this intersection of identity. These responses should have been more succinct.
Readers should be aware that there are insufficient warnings for when interviewees would branch off to discuss trauma, self-harm, suicide etc. A quick line providing warnings for each interview would ensure that readers can skip over any which may be upsetting or triggering, whilst not missing out
The authors provided clear acknowledgements of the limitations of the scope of their interviewees (the majority being white and middle class adults and all are in a stable enough place to complete an interview and share their experience). I hope that if they opt to write on the subject again that they actively work to gain insight from participants who’s experiences have not yet been considered. I did appreciate that intersex and asexual people were included though; they’re often neglected within LGBT+ circles.
To close the book, we are provided with an extensive list of traits for diagnosis of autism. I’m sure that this will prove to be a very useful tool, especially for those who are looking to self-diagnose or seek a professional assessment and would like to have supporting documents.
Overall, it is a very supportive text, if a little too academic to appeal to the masses.
**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review**
March 19, 2025
Skimmed. I went in thinking it was going to be more of a quantitative study, but didn't realize it was a set of case studies. It was well done and a good basis for further research.
January 16, 2019
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This non-fiction book discusses Gender, sexual orientation and autism and whether there is an intersectionality between those.
Most of it is made of testimonies of autistic people from all ages and who all identify as LGBT+. Other than that, they have little in common and this was what made this book so interesting. The authors then discuss the themes that most came out of the testimonies and the last part of the book is an interview of the authors to help the families and partners of LGBT+ or autistic people.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting. The testimonies were captivating even and I feel like I learnt a lot reading it. i found myself relating to a lot of what they were saying and I just feel like it's a very good book on the subject it discusses.
This non-fiction book discusses Gender, sexual orientation and autism and whether there is an intersectionality between those.
Most of it is made of testimonies of autistic people from all ages and who all identify as LGBT+. Other than that, they have little in common and this was what made this book so interesting. The authors then discuss the themes that most came out of the testimonies and the last part of the book is an interview of the authors to help the families and partners of LGBT+ or autistic people.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting. The testimonies were captivating even and I feel like I learnt a lot reading it. i found myself relating to a lot of what they were saying and I just feel like it's a very good book on the subject it discusses.
May 9, 2023
Used this book as a reference tool when writing about disability and sexuality, hearing from so many different individuals was very helpful
January 22, 2020
This is an important book to read! (I love how many times I can say that in a book review at the moment, there are so many good books about LGBTQ and autistic people being written).
As far as I am aware, there is no proven science on whether or not autistic people are more likely to be LGBTQ+, but anecdotally, it does seem that a large proportion of the autistic population are LGBTQ+. And yet there are still health professionals who don't believe that you can be bother autistic and gay, or autistic and trans. There are health professionals who will argue against a diagnosis of autism because the person in question is also queer, or will tell a trans person that they are only trans because of their autism, and therefore shouldn't be allowed to transition. Obviously this needs to change. And books like this are the start of that process.
(If anyone does know of any scientific data exploring this connection, please, hit me up with it! The topic is fascinating.)
Each chapter of this book is someone's story, in their own words. There are stories from autistic people themselves, talking about their journeys of discovery both in regards to their autism and their gender identity and/or sexuality. I found these the most interesting. There are also some chapters from the point of view of family members and partners (written with the permission of the autistic person in question) that talk about finding out about the autism diagnosis, or LGBTQ+ identity, and about the positives and negatives of relationships with autistic people, and how they support each other. The book is edited in part by someone who specialises in couples therapy, and many of the contributors to the book are in therapy or have been in therapy in the past, and so are in good places in their lives to discuss this kind of thing with good insight.
The end of the book sums up the different themes that the stories touch on, and then there is a Q&A with the editors who discuss the intersection of autism and LGBTQ+ identities, from a therepeutic perspective.
Some of the stories can be a little repetitive at times, but on the whole are enjoyable and interesting to read. The book could have been more diverse, but this is touched on by the editors, who explain that they drew on their therapy participants for the book, meaning that most people in it are from a particular location, are at a good point in their lives because of having had therapy for a while, are from similar backgrounds, and, because of the nature of being LGBTQ+, are all in a position where they do not need to worry about being outed to family or the general public.
I have a quibble, as someone who identifies as bi, with the definition used at the beginning of the book. Bi is actually used by contributors to the book in a number of different ways, so the strict definition of 'two genders' at the beginning of the book seems unnecessary, and is not how many people who identify as bi define their sexuality.
As far as I am aware, there is no proven science on whether or not autistic people are more likely to be LGBTQ+, but anecdotally, it does seem that a large proportion of the autistic population are LGBTQ+. And yet there are still health professionals who don't believe that you can be bother autistic and gay, or autistic and trans. There are health professionals who will argue against a diagnosis of autism because the person in question is also queer, or will tell a trans person that they are only trans because of their autism, and therefore shouldn't be allowed to transition. Obviously this needs to change. And books like this are the start of that process.
(If anyone does know of any scientific data exploring this connection, please, hit me up with it! The topic is fascinating.)
Each chapter of this book is someone's story, in their own words. There are stories from autistic people themselves, talking about their journeys of discovery both in regards to their autism and their gender identity and/or sexuality. I found these the most interesting. There are also some chapters from the point of view of family members and partners (written with the permission of the autistic person in question) that talk about finding out about the autism diagnosis, or LGBTQ+ identity, and about the positives and negatives of relationships with autistic people, and how they support each other. The book is edited in part by someone who specialises in couples therapy, and many of the contributors to the book are in therapy or have been in therapy in the past, and so are in good places in their lives to discuss this kind of thing with good insight.
The end of the book sums up the different themes that the stories touch on, and then there is a Q&A with the editors who discuss the intersection of autism and LGBTQ+ identities, from a therepeutic perspective.
Some of the stories can be a little repetitive at times, but on the whole are enjoyable and interesting to read. The book could have been more diverse, but this is touched on by the editors, who explain that they drew on their therapy participants for the book, meaning that most people in it are from a particular location, are at a good point in their lives because of having had therapy for a while, are from similar backgrounds, and, because of the nature of being LGBTQ+, are all in a position where they do not need to worry about being outed to family or the general public.
I have a quibble, as someone who identifies as bi, with the definition used at the beginning of the book. Bi is actually used by contributors to the book in a number of different ways, so the strict definition of 'two genders' at the beginning of the book seems unnecessary, and is not how many people who identify as bi define their sexuality.
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February 24, 2022This was not a very well crafted or well formatted piece of writing! It was basically just a compilation of e-mail questionnaires filled out by queer autistic people and then a short q&a by two therapists who work with the respondents. It didn’t really have anything to say??? Also sometimes the interviewees would say kinda problematic shit that they could have EASILY taken out but they simply didn’t. I don’t expect all these people to be perfect but when you were editing this book you could have taken any offensive stuff out of the interviews idk idk
February 15, 2023
Actual rating: 3.5.
As a queer and potentially autistic person, I enjoyed this book. It starts you off with an introduction that defines key terms (both terms related to autism and LGBTQIA+ terms). Then it gives a few narratives by autistic LGBTQIA+ people. And at the end, it finishes with a quick analysis on the narratives along with a few themes found in research and through the authors' work experience.
I'm glad the authors came up with this idea (or heard it from somewhere, wherever that might be). There need to be more books like this. I found the narratives enjoyable to read and a few of them relatable. I think every person interviewed in this book had something interesting to add about autism and gender/sexuality, and I think there are some really nice quotes in here from those people.
Although I did enjoy this book overall, I guess nothing really stood out to me. The narratives in the middle were possibly the best part in my opinion, meaning the analysis didn't add much to the book for me. (Maybe it's because I wasn't surprised by much of the common themes and information in there? I'm not sure if there was a lot of new stuff in there that one couldn't assume from reading about these topics online. But I can see it being important to have professionals comment on these themes as well.) I also disagreed on how the definition section defined some terms, such as bisexuality being the attraction "toward people of two genders." I'm not sure if that's worth mentioning, though.
I guess, as someone who doesn't usually rate books, I'm not really sure how to rate this. Was it good? Yes. Did it blow me away? No, not really. Could it be better? I think so, but I'm not sure what could be better and how to improve those things. Also, this book is supposed to be more informative, personal, and reflective (I think?). I don't think it was meant to blow anyone away, but I could be wrong. There are some books out there that accomplish their purpose, or add to our knowledge, but don't really stand out. Overall, though, they're still important.
I guess that's where this one stands for me: I enjoyed it, but maybe if the analysis part was more interesting to me, I would've rated it higher.
As a queer and potentially autistic person, I enjoyed this book. It starts you off with an introduction that defines key terms (both terms related to autism and LGBTQIA+ terms). Then it gives a few narratives by autistic LGBTQIA+ people. And at the end, it finishes with a quick analysis on the narratives along with a few themes found in research and through the authors' work experience.
I'm glad the authors came up with this idea (or heard it from somewhere, wherever that might be). There need to be more books like this. I found the narratives enjoyable to read and a few of them relatable. I think every person interviewed in this book had something interesting to add about autism and gender/sexuality, and I think there are some really nice quotes in here from those people.
Although I did enjoy this book overall, I guess nothing really stood out to me. The narratives in the middle were possibly the best part in my opinion, meaning the analysis didn't add much to the book for me. (Maybe it's because I wasn't surprised by much of the common themes and information in there? I'm not sure if there was a lot of new stuff in there that one couldn't assume from reading about these topics online. But I can see it being important to have professionals comment on these themes as well.) I also disagreed on how the definition section defined some terms, such as bisexuality being the attraction "toward people of two genders." I'm not sure if that's worth mentioning, though.
I guess, as someone who doesn't usually rate books, I'm not really sure how to rate this. Was it good? Yes. Did it blow me away? No, not really. Could it be better? I think so, but I'm not sure what could be better and how to improve those things. Also, this book is supposed to be more informative, personal, and reflective (I think?). I don't think it was meant to blow anyone away, but I could be wrong. There are some books out there that accomplish their purpose, or add to our knowledge, but don't really stand out. Overall, though, they're still important.
I guess that's where this one stands for me: I enjoyed it, but maybe if the analysis part was more interesting to me, I would've rated it higher.
April 7, 2019
The first highlight of this book is the candid interviews with a wide variety of individuals who identify as both ASD and LGBTQ. There are numerous assumptions (usually erroneous) made by the mental health community about both of these populations that do damage to both individuals and the communities as a whole. The stories were revealing and heartbreaking and uplifting and left the reader with a greater understanding of what it means to be doubly marginalized, often by the very people who are trying to help you.
The warmth and support shown by the authors was the second highlight. They talk about the individuals in a respectful way, and although they include responses by others close to them (parents, partners, etc), the ASD/LGBTQ individuals are placed at the forefront. The additional information adds another perspective but never overshadows their realities.
This book is important for anyone struggling with their overlapping identities and for those who love them, as well as anyone who works in a system that is trying to help these communities. The FAQ at the end is also very helpful for people who want to learn more without taking away from the individual stories. A great exploration and highly recommended.
The warmth and support shown by the authors was the second highlight. They talk about the individuals in a respectful way, and although they include responses by others close to them (parents, partners, etc), the ASD/LGBTQ individuals are placed at the forefront. The additional information adds another perspective but never overshadows their realities.
This book is important for anyone struggling with their overlapping identities and for those who love them, as well as anyone who works in a system that is trying to help these communities. The FAQ at the end is also very helpful for people who want to learn more without taking away from the individual stories. A great exploration and highly recommended.
May 12, 2019
My favourite quote from this book is "if you've met one person with autism, then you have met... One person with autism". I love this, so representative of the true diversity of people across the spectrum.
However... There lies the problem I have with this book. Each person's story is handled sensitivly and is presented well... But as a professional working with people who have autism, it's not hugely useful. I inheritly understand the need for personalised support, and reading about people's lived experiences is crucial to inform practice... But it was just that and nothing more, a reminder we are all different and different things work for different people.
What I would use this book for would be to recommend to people that I work with who are perhaps struggling with their Sexuality or gender identity, or to family members trying to understand.
Id like to say that we have come a long way from a time where it was commonly believed that people with autism are asexual, and the discourse around this made me cringe a little. However I'm sure this is much more prevalent than I realised, and another good used for this text.
Well written, a nice book.
However... There lies the problem I have with this book. Each person's story is handled sensitivly and is presented well... But as a professional working with people who have autism, it's not hugely useful. I inheritly understand the need for personalised support, and reading about people's lived experiences is crucial to inform practice... But it was just that and nothing more, a reminder we are all different and different things work for different people.
What I would use this book for would be to recommend to people that I work with who are perhaps struggling with their Sexuality or gender identity, or to family members trying to understand.
Id like to say that we have come a long way from a time where it was commonly believed that people with autism are asexual, and the discourse around this made me cringe a little. However I'm sure this is much more prevalent than I realised, and another good used for this text.
Well written, a nice book.
November 16, 2019
I want to give this book five stars because it covers a very important topic: gender identity and autism. And I can't quite put my finger on what made reading this book (for me) such a chore. Not repetitive stories so much as each person's life was unique to them. Perhaps the way the book is presented: a "chapter" allowing each person to answer questions about their lives. After a while the repetitive nature of the question and answer format blends all the individuals into a muddied presentation in my brain. So this book gets the topic out there, gives someone to identify with for those reading for that purpose. But it left me with the feeling that the book was skimming the surface, not getting the emotion and struggle inherent in these stories. For me, I wanted more information about the personal exploration of gender identity that happens before one embraces it. Follow up questions? More in depth exploration of what gender identity means in the autistic community and how one helps youth through the messy gender identity questioning of adolescents on the spectrum. Grateful to the authors for getting this topic out there.
August 3, 2021
My first impression was a bit weird. I thought the preface was murkily worded and I thought the author/editor biographies immediately after was unusual and self-serving. The rest of the book was solid. It's an anthology of queer autistic experiences. When I have read this kind of anthology, I tend to read it in spurts. It's a lot to digest. The experiences hit home for me in a lot of ways. After the queer autistic stories were a few accounts of their loved ones (fathers, partners, etc). After that the authors highlight common themes and recommendations. Ultimately they do a good job taking the medical establishment to task about ignoring autistics' own perceptions of their lives - in a way that might actually get through to the often thick skulls of clinicians. What this book lacks is breadth on the autistic accounts. Most are of white people, most are educated, most are living in and around Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
December 31, 2018
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is, as the authors state in the beginning, specifically targeted to people on the autism as well as the LGBT+ spectrum, but also intended for the general public to read. As a member of that "general public", I must say that I really enjoyed this book. It features first-hand accounts of all kinds of different people, explanations and definitions of the terms (regarding ASD spectrum and gender/sexual identity) used, a discussion and a kind of FAQ section. It was a very well-rounded account and definitely interesting to read. I think that especially if you are on the said spectrums or know someone who is, you will benefit a lot from this, but even if you aren't and just want to educate yourself, this is a brilliant way to do it.
This is, as the authors state in the beginning, specifically targeted to people on the autism as well as the LGBT+ spectrum, but also intended for the general public to read. As a member of that "general public", I must say that I really enjoyed this book. It features first-hand accounts of all kinds of different people, explanations and definitions of the terms (regarding ASD spectrum and gender/sexual identity) used, a discussion and a kind of FAQ section. It was a very well-rounded account and definitely interesting to read. I think that especially if you are on the said spectrums or know someone who is, you will benefit a lot from this, but even if you aren't and just want to educate yourself, this is a brilliant way to do it.
January 26, 2019
When I typed “autism” into the Barnes & Noble search bar, most of the books were pseudoscientific ableism, “how to” guides for NS and NT people, and memoirs. This gem, tucked away in the second or third page of results, immediately caught my attention. I am a ASD-LGBTQ person, a gay non-binary trans man with autism, and I never, NEVER see representation of people who’s lives parallel mine in fiction or nonfiction. Each individual, identified by a pseudonym, is unique and delightful. The clinical psychologists and authors of the book are caring and genuine. I want more media like this, pieces that uplift the voices of autistic people and show us in the swath of lights where we exist. Support autistic people and people advocating with us. Instead of watching /Rain Man/, let us tell you how we live. You don’t have to imagine, we are pleading for you to listen.
May 4, 2019
Granted this is my first book on autism not to mention the varied spectrum it occurs some with possible overlapping interests on the LGBTQ community. Its quite an eye opener to witness the sheer applicability of pronouns available. Who would have told the proliferation of gender Identity or rather fluidity has been the trails of progression. I'm gay and this has been an experience on the wonders of knowing and the imperative of never taking anything about yourself for granted.
What is sorely missing from the narratives is the bio-environmental component if sexual and gender questioning is causally more inherent in those who are at the autism spectrum. Truly, the question of identifying and providing social, scientific maturity on autism is essential sequitur.
Question and know thyself. Always be steadfast and not let be down by hetero normative expectations of you.
What is sorely missing from the narratives is the bio-environmental component if sexual and gender questioning is causally more inherent in those who are at the autism spectrum. Truly, the question of identifying and providing social, scientific maturity on autism is essential sequitur.
Question and know thyself. Always be steadfast and not let be down by hetero normative expectations of you.
January 29, 2020
Great book to approach other people's realities. I found interesting to read about different perspectives, identities and experiences.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community I am glad to read how people are celebrating their sexuallity and being supported in their environment. As a social worker, I was looking for more detailed testimonials of how ASD-LGBTQ+ intersect; I found these experiences to just touch the surface.
Chapter 3 gives interesting and practical advice for families and people with ASD diagnoses and LGBTQ identities.
The book feels quite informal in general, which is positive in a way. It also recognises its own flaws which are related to the experiences being quite white, northeast American, middle class individuals rather than people closer to the margins of society who might not have as much support as the people who were interviewed here.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community I am glad to read how people are celebrating their sexuallity and being supported in their environment. As a social worker, I was looking for more detailed testimonials of how ASD-LGBTQ+ intersect; I found these experiences to just touch the surface.
Chapter 3 gives interesting and practical advice for families and people with ASD diagnoses and LGBTQ identities.
The book feels quite informal in general, which is positive in a way. It also recognises its own flaws which are related to the experiences being quite white, northeast American, middle class individuals rather than people closer to the margins of society who might not have as much support as the people who were interviewed here.
November 9, 2023
rating: 3 stars
How to rate this? Let me start by saying I love the premise, wouldn't have picked it up otherwise, and I find the idea that there may be a link between neurodiversity and identifying as LGBTQIA+ fascinating.
However, having read the book I just wish there was little more science behind it. Most of the book existed of personal stories, which were really educational (and sometimes relatable), but I found the eventual "conclusion" non-existing. It kept darting between maybe's and the authors' personal work experiences.
Nevertheless, it was still interesting to read about ASD in combination with gender identity and sexuality, and to see how other people describe themselves and their experiences. I'm definitely intrigued to learn more about the subject, and I will always advocate for more books and studies on these topics. 🏳️🌈
How to rate this? Let me start by saying I love the premise, wouldn't have picked it up otherwise, and I find the idea that there may be a link between neurodiversity and identifying as LGBTQIA+ fascinating.
However, having read the book I just wish there was little more science behind it. Most of the book existed of personal stories, which were really educational (and sometimes relatable), but I found the eventual "conclusion" non-existing. It kept darting between maybe's and the authors' personal work experiences.
Nevertheless, it was still interesting to read about ASD in combination with gender identity and sexuality, and to see how other people describe themselves and their experiences. I'm definitely intrigued to learn more about the subject, and I will always advocate for more books and studies on these topics. 🏳️🌈
April 24, 2019
I originally had an ARC of this book from NetGalley but due to medical issues I haven't been able to read ebooks for several months. After seeing a review from a fellow autie book blogger I had to get myself it in paperback. And I read it whenever I got a chance. I was really impressed with how easy to read this book was, the case studies of ASD-LGBTQ people and their families, the discussion section, which helped answer some questions my circle of Autistic friends had. I especially found the Mendes and Maroney Autism DIagnostic Key useful as an Autistic person. It seems much more 'experiential' and user-friendly than the AQ-10 or RAADS-R tests. I will be recommending this book to my psychologist at the Adult Autism Service here in Lincolnshire.
November 30, 2021
i was super excited about buying the book (like heart rate shot up and everything). the asd-lgbtq perspectives were really interesting because humans are so cool, but then it dragged on sometimes because there were just so many in succession. the interview style was great because everything was very direct and i didn’t have to try to interpret their meanings and stuff, but i would have liked to know more about their inner world/experiences. the Q and A portion was okay, but most questions didn’t apply to me so i only skimmed. the ending had the mendes and maroney ASD diagnostic table and i checked off hella boxes… either i need some further investigation for autism or psychological help for factious disorder or something
February 15, 2021
Honestly really validated my existence as a human and normalized a log of my anxiety is around being autistic. I really appreciated the partner and parent perspectives, especially since they had a lot of really positive comments around unique relating with the autistic folks in their life. I wish the general public was more aware of the vast spectrum that is Autism and the cluster of traits it includes rather than the typical Rain Man-esque comparisons or projections of lack of empathy and functioning.
Would highly recommend this to folks trying to understand more of the variety of experiences we have as well as to folks on the spectrum to identify with. Was beautifully done.
Would highly recommend this to folks trying to understand more of the variety of experiences we have as well as to folks on the spectrum to identify with. Was beautifully done.
December 25, 2020
Informing Read!!!
This book was a amazing nonchalant way of bringing what needs to be brought to the forefront of autism and relationships. It brings awareness that not everyone is the stereotypical hetero male that society brings to mainstream media. Other than wanting to have more gay men samples I would say it was a pretty good choice for exploring sexuality and identity for autistic individuals
This book was a amazing nonchalant way of bringing what needs to be brought to the forefront of autism and relationships. It brings awareness that not everyone is the stereotypical hetero male that society brings to mainstream media. Other than wanting to have more gay men samples I would say it was a pretty good choice for exploring sexuality and identity for autistic individuals
December 21, 2021
(3.5) Interesting & important topic, but the structure of the book wasn’t great - the ‘interviews’ felt more like reading the responses to a form. I would have preferred for the interviews to be more of a conversation or an actual interview. I’m glad such a book exists though! The attempt to tie everything together in the final chapter was quite good, and I really appreciated the additional materials at the end.
February 23, 2019
I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a collection of interviews with LGTBIQ+ people who suffer from Autism and are in the spectrum. We do not only read their perspectives but also people around them (partners, parents).
I think it is an interesting book to read in order to understand more how some beliefs are wrong. I really like learning how people in the spectrum feel and how people around them act in order to help them.
This book is a collection of interviews with LGTBIQ+ people who suffer from Autism and are in the spectrum. We do not only read their perspectives but also people around them (partners, parents).
I think it is an interesting book to read in order to understand more how some beliefs are wrong. I really like learning how people in the spectrum feel and how people around them act in order to help them.
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April 15, 2022not particularly insightful. i didn't agree with the language choices mendes and maroney made.
refusing to conceptualise autism as a disability and framing it as a "cultural identity" was a bad choice imo.
refusing to conceptualise autism as a disability and framing it as a "cultural identity" was a bad choice imo.
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