Unmasking Autism

Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

Hardcover, 302 pages

English language

Published Feb. 14, 2022 by Harmony Books.

ISBN:
978-0-593-23523-2
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
1260240370
ASIN:
0593235231
Audible ASIN:
B09BBM2WQJ
Goodreads:
58537365

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5 stars (4 reviews)

A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society's narrow understanding of neurodiversity

"A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement."--Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless "masked" Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren't seen as needy or "odd."

In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price …

6 editions

A book I wish it would be translated into > 50 languages

5 stars

Radical and intriguing, this isn't the common book about Autism that you find in bookshelves, especially not written in languages other than English. This groundbreaking book, written by an Autistic and transgender author, is all about those hidden, 'masked' Autistics, especially from intersectionally marginalised populations, like Black, trans, women and other marginalised genders, and people with other disabilities on top.

Dr. Price takes a radical approach of harm reduction and social justice, identifying how much harm the ableist & capitalist society inflicts on Autistics (and on other neuro-divergent and disabled people, but really on everyone), forcing them into obscuring their disabilities, so that they can conform to 'normality' and function in an alienating, industrial society that punishes our quirks. The book helps neurodivergent people identifying their disability (seen from the social model of disability), and guides neuro-divergent people how they can actualise their own identity and identity their own values …

Good discussion of masking

4 stars

I suspect this is another book that I need to re-read in the near future to really get the most out of. Lots of good stuff about masking and unmasking, the mental consequences therein, the implications for friendships and relationships, and a good nod in the direction of the social constructs that make masking necessary and may make unmasking really difficult.