I was at the time seriously considering continuing with a psychology major, but I was counselled by the university careers adviser that there weren’t many jobs for psychologists and that perhaps I didn’t have the “people skills” for that career. 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. Both of my sons were clients of the same psychology practice, the ASD Clinic, which had been recommended to me as the experts in autism when we moved to Melbourne in 2014. In Growing In to Autism , Thom-Jones tells the story of gradually realizing that she was autistic, and that she experienced the world in ways which were markedly different from neurotypical people.

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. She shares her path to diagnosis, the costs of masking her true self and the decision to disclose her autism. 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? There are some bits I couldn't relate to as I also have ADHD, however this book was a good read and a great resource for other late diagnosed autistic women, and those around them. But from the inside looking out, she was struggling to make sense of her place in the world, constantly feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and convinced that her challenges with daily life just meant that she had to try harder.You will find yourself wanting to know more, and for this the author includes References and Resources at the end of the book. In Growing In to Autism, Thom-Jones tells the story of gradually realizing that she was autistic, and that she experienced the world in ways which were markedly different from neurotypical people. I had many conversations with my husband where I tried to explain that I felt my life was passing me by and I was missing something fundamentally important, but I couldn’t work out what it was. While most of the stories centre around Thom-Jones’ own experiences, she also includes (with permission) snippets of experiences from her two (now adult) Autistic sons.

When tropes such as the above are utilised, they tend to refer to societal and capitalistic standards of success, which emphasise career, family, and so forth. She regards autistics as of high intelligence particularly in analytic skills (her maybe but surely not all), they are rule abiding, and hence trustworthy and reliable, and creative in thinking outside the neurotypical box.By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Hopefully, they have also made it a little bit easier and safer for my autistic colleagues and students to take the same steps to make their day at work or study a little bit less exhausting. What if autism wasn’t the explanation for my differences and challenges, and I was just a flawed neurotypical?

This is an edited extract from Growing in to Autism by Sandra Thom-Jones, published 30 August (MUP). This was a profound awakening - throughout her life she had been masking her true self and this effort had come at great physical, mental and emotional cost. The real life examples and experiences show the humanity we all have, while also helping bridge gaps in understanding.Growing in to Autism is a book for everyone, not just those adults seeking a clinical diagnosis of autism. I thought everyone lived in a world where the lights were so bright, the noise was so loud, the clothes were so scratchy, the social rules were so confusing, the constant interaction was so exhausting. There are several aspects that she experiences, which is not to say that all autistics have the same characteristics. 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.

I loved this book - intriguing, informative, entertaining, poignant, deeply romantic - I couldn’t put it down. I wanted information to be easy to find and accessible to people with different levels of knowledge and experience of autism.She is an academic, author, artisan, and advocate for the inclusion of autistic people in all aspects of society. I thought he was perfect the way he was, but as he progressed through school he learned to behave like everyone else – a pattern I should have recognised.