This book taught me a lot about how to respect and honor the differences I encounter with autistic people, in and out of the therapy room. It is about how to be oneself in a world that is often hostile to difference. It is a manifesto and a guide book for the neurodiverse, specifically autistic people, but also those who are nonbinary and/or living with ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other conditions that tend to co-occur with autism.
Devon Price grew up without much awareness of autism, and adapted to the world he lived in, which at times seemed hostile and confusing. He managed to graduate from college and earn a graduate degree before a family member pointed out all the autistic traits that ran in their family, and things clicked into place.
Since then, Price has become an advocate for self and others. This book tells Price’s story of self-discovery and of finding and building community, as well as stories of his friends and acquaintances who “masked” to get through life and fit into our neurotypical world.
The book includes a series of values-based journaling exercises, which help neurodiverse readers identify what drives them. Price creates a scaffold to help readers shift their energy toward their own values and goals, rather than toward maintaining a mask that helps neurodiverse people feel comfortable.
A Therapist's Book Club 