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We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation
"This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It's also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language."
With a reporter's eye and an insider's perspective, Eric Garcia shows what it's like to be autistic across America.
Garcia began writing about autism because he was frustrated by the media's coverage of it; the myths that the disorder is caused by vaccines, the narrow portrayals of autistic people as white men working in Silicon Valley. His own life as an autistic person didn't look anything like that. He is Latino, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and works as a journalist covering politics in Washington D.C. Garcia realized he needed to put into writing what so many autistic people have been saying for years; autism is a part of their identity, they don't need to be fixed.
In We're Not Broken, Garcia uses his own life as a springboard to discuss the social and policy gaps that exist in supporting those on the spectrum. From education to healthcare, he explores how autistic people wrestle with systems that were not built with them in mind. At the same time, he shares the experiences of all types of autistic people, from those with higher support needs, to autistic people of color, to those in the LGBTQ community. In doing so, Garcia gives his community a platform to articulate their own needs, rather than having others speak for them, which has been the standard for far too long.
With a reporter's eye and an insider's perspective, Eric Garcia shows what it's like to be autistic across America.
Garcia began writing about autism because he was frustrated by the media's coverage of it; the myths that the disorder is caused by vaccines, the narrow portrayals of autistic people as white men working in Silicon Valley. His own life as an autistic person didn't look anything like that. He is Latino, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and works as a journalist covering politics in Washington D.C. Garcia realized he needed to put into writing what so many autistic people have been saying for years; autism is a part of their identity, they don't need to be fixed.
In We're Not Broken, Garcia uses his own life as a springboard to discuss the social and policy gaps that exist in supporting those on the spectrum. From education to healthcare, he explores how autistic people wrestle with systems that were not built with them in mind. At the same time, he shares the experiences of all types of autistic people, from those with higher support needs, to autistic people of color, to those in the LGBTQ community. In doing so, Garcia gives his community a platform to articulate their own needs, rather than having others speak for them, which has been the standard for far too long.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2021
About the author
Eric Garcia
2 books41 followersEric Garcia is the senior Washington correspondent for The Independent. He is the author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation, which was released in August 2021 by Mariner Books. He previously worked at The Washington Post, The Hill, Roll Call, National Journal and MarketWatch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
February 2, 2023
This book is a good place to start educating yourself about the current state of autism politics. I found it fair, kind, thoughtful, well-meaning, and gracious. In its vocabulary choices, and in its ways of presenting autistic life today, it is a model for current best mainstream journalistic practices.
I was particularly interested in the chapter Garcia wrote about the intersection between autism and gender identity (chapter 7). I'd heard an interview where Garcia mentioned that one of the surprises about his research into the lives of autistic adults was how many of us are some flavor of lgbt. It was certainly not a surprise to me that he found this out, but I was surprised at his surprise!--and in a way it proved his thesis, that the still-dominant cultural representation of autism, as a geeky-white-cis-male-engineery thingie, is woefully off the mark.
If I were to write a nonfiction survey, as Eric Garcia has done here, about autism and how autistic people are treated--and in particular, if I were to write about how autistic children are treated by the current crop of 'experts' who claim to want to help them--then I would have written a much angrier book than his. For those interested in a history I recommend Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna by Edith Sheffer.
As I hate fights of any kind, I wrote a novel about these things instead of a nonfiction book. I'm grateful to Eric Garcia for taking this topic on as reportage, and I'm grateful to him for writing such an informative book.
I was particularly interested in the chapter Garcia wrote about the intersection between autism and gender identity (chapter 7). I'd heard an interview where Garcia mentioned that one of the surprises about his research into the lives of autistic adults was how many of us are some flavor of lgbt. It was certainly not a surprise to me that he found this out, but I was surprised at his surprise!--and in a way it proved his thesis, that the still-dominant cultural representation of autism, as a geeky-white-cis-male-engineery thingie, is woefully off the mark.
If I were to write a nonfiction survey, as Eric Garcia has done here, about autism and how autistic people are treated--and in particular, if I were to write about how autistic children are treated by the current crop of 'experts' who claim to want to help them--then I would have written a much angrier book than his. For those interested in a history I recommend Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna by Edith Sheffer.
As I hate fights of any kind, I wrote a novel about these things instead of a nonfiction book. I'm grateful to Eric Garcia for taking this topic on as reportage, and I'm grateful to him for writing such an informative book.
August 8, 2021
DNF at 25%
I’m really disappointed because I was so looking forward to reading this book. I think it is important to hear “own voices” perspectives. This book teased telling the stories of autistic adults, the hurdles they face, and how they navigate the world, but it just didn't deliver.
The book starts out with a long-winded introduction that is mostly a really ugly political rant. When the author finally wandered back to the topic, he explained that the purpose of his book was to clear up seven common misconceptions about autism that may have been common in 1933, but really are not now at all.
I was tempted to put the book down at that point, but it promised stories from others with autism and I looked forward to hearing those. Unfortunately, those stories never materialized. The author did start out with half a page about a politician with autism, but rather than a deep dive into her life, there was just a superficial mention of the rally she was speaking at. This was followed by a lot of history of the autism awareness movement where the author attempted to assign ill intentions to every person who ever took up the cause. Then there was a short blip about an attorney with autism that went only slightly deeper. I kept slogging through and the author did swing back to Jessica Benham, the aforementioned politician with autism, a couple of times but still fell short of the depth I needed to hear.
Far from "changing the autism conversation" as the cover promised, this just rehashed old grievances and shut down any attempt at discussion.
Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy.
I’m really disappointed because I was so looking forward to reading this book. I think it is important to hear “own voices” perspectives. This book teased telling the stories of autistic adults, the hurdles they face, and how they navigate the world, but it just didn't deliver.
The book starts out with a long-winded introduction that is mostly a really ugly political rant. When the author finally wandered back to the topic, he explained that the purpose of his book was to clear up seven common misconceptions about autism that may have been common in 1933, but really are not now at all.
I was tempted to put the book down at that point, but it promised stories from others with autism and I looked forward to hearing those. Unfortunately, those stories never materialized. The author did start out with half a page about a politician with autism, but rather than a deep dive into her life, there was just a superficial mention of the rally she was speaking at. This was followed by a lot of history of the autism awareness movement where the author attempted to assign ill intentions to every person who ever took up the cause. Then there was a short blip about an attorney with autism that went only slightly deeper. I kept slogging through and the author did swing back to Jessica Benham, the aforementioned politician with autism, a couple of times but still fell short of the depth I needed to hear.
Far from "changing the autism conversation" as the cover promised, this just rehashed old grievances and shut down any attempt at discussion.
Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy.
June 11, 2024
This review is based on the ARC. Note that I am part of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. That being said, I hope everyone I know will read this book when it comes out in August. As an autistic person, this is the most all-inclusive guide to the autistic experience written by an autistic person that I have ever read. Eric Garcia combines his passion for policy and reporting with his lived experience to showcase the myriad intersectional issues (such as race, gender identity and sexual orientation, and income level) autistic people face and how so many misconceptions about it have come to be part of the popular consciousness. On a personal level, I could relate on a painful level to avoiding asking for accommodations in school to avoid being seen as weak or making excuses (which, despite avoiding accommodations after some bad special ed experiences in elementary school, people accused me of anyways simply for asking for help or having the gall to study), when these accommodations could've helped me and ultimately lead to less stress and pressure on myself. I also appreciated how Garcia was vulnerable and honest about his experiences, particularly as an autistic man who once invaded the boundaries of women. I wish more men could learn from their mistakes like Garcia has and really do the work to understand neurodivergence is not an excuse for sexism and lack of respect for boundaries. At the crux of Garcia's argument is the truth that we live in a world where autism is stigmatized and parents/advocates/"experts" focus more on a cure than accessibility. Garcia is humble about his own success (which still wasn't easy), acknowledging that there are so many other autistic people out there who could have meaningful careers but lack the support they need to do. This is a great starting point for those who want to know more about autism from its source, and for those who are neurodivergent, a great resource for finding diverse voices in the community.
November 1, 2021
As a person on the spectrum, I had high hopes for this book, but I was instantly turned off by the author's anti-science bias. It seems that some people with autism insist on believing it has no cause and that spending research money looking for one is a waste. Hence, "We're not broken". Some folks on the spectrum and their families, the medical profession, environmental professionals and others would benefit from knowing more abut where it comes from. It's nice that Garcia is content to be autistic, though I question his contentment, since he mentions a history of depression and suicidal ideation, which are common in autistic people. His point that more effort needs to go into accommodations is certainly valid, but why not have both: research into causes and support and accommodations as well? He seems to think that efforts to find a way to prevent autism in the first place is an attempt to erase him and all the autistic people currently living. I don't think that's the point at all. Pinpointing and eliminating, or at least reducing, its cause, or causes, could prevent a world of suffering in future generations.
Mr. Garcia doesn't speak for me.
Mr. Garcia doesn't speak for me.
December 1, 2024
03 June 2023
P 64
Quality reporting shifting the conversation around people on the autism spectrum from disability to normal variation found in the population.
But it makes me incandescent with rage that all the attention has gone to pleasing rich white parents of young boys while the girls, transgendered, racial and ethnic minorities, poor, rural and adult populations are underdiagnosed and pushed to the side again. Why, yes, this is exactly the same pattern as in ADHD which, fun fact, has a very high level of comorbidity with autism.
And the rage tires me out and distracts me, and requires soothing cat time, or falling down a rabbit hole on the internet, or something. Which means I can only read a little and this is already the third or fourth time I have had to return it and check it out again.
***
Ultimately Garcia has done a great job of showing both the current situation and the activism, mutual support, and clever solutions that are shaping the future of autism in the US. There is much to be hopeful about. Many adults in groups disproportionately not diagnosed in childhood are now being identified or are identifying themselves. Apparently many people are diagnosed when their child is. These newly identified adults, and the swelling ranks of adults who were diagnosed as children, are finding the right questions to research, and demanding greater focus on accommodation and support. Almost nothing is known about aging with autism, for example. There is hope and bloody-minded persistence to back it up, which is all to the good.
Library copy
P 64
Quality reporting shifting the conversation around people on the autism spectrum from disability to normal variation found in the population.
But it makes me incandescent with rage that all the attention has gone to pleasing rich white parents of young boys while the girls, transgendered, racial and ethnic minorities, poor, rural and adult populations are underdiagnosed and pushed to the side again. Why, yes, this is exactly the same pattern as in ADHD which, fun fact, has a very high level of comorbidity with autism.
And the rage tires me out and distracts me, and requires soothing cat time, or falling down a rabbit hole on the internet, or something. Which means I can only read a little and this is already the third or fourth time I have had to return it and check it out again.
***
Ultimately Garcia has done a great job of showing both the current situation and the activism, mutual support, and clever solutions that are shaping the future of autism in the US. There is much to be hopeful about. Many adults in groups disproportionately not diagnosed in childhood are now being identified or are identifying themselves. Apparently many people are diagnosed when their child is. These newly identified adults, and the swelling ranks of adults who were diagnosed as children, are finding the right questions to research, and demanding greater focus on accommodation and support. Almost nothing is known about aging with autism, for example. There is hope and bloody-minded persistence to back it up, which is all to the good.
Library copy
June 13, 2021
This book did exactly what it was meant to do- change the conversation on Autism. Even as a young special education teacher equipped with an ASD endorsement on my teaching certificate, I learned so much. I learned the history of autism diagnoses, the gender gap, current challenges, etc. You name it- the book addressed it! Broken into different sections, this book hit all aspects of today’s world with the connection to Autism and people living with it. Definitely a great educational read!
May 17, 2021
We're Not Broken is about autism and misconceptions about autism.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I spent a lot of time trying to finish it, but I ended up only skimming the second half of the book, because it just felt SO LONG, even though it's a relatively short book. The author gets carried away a lot and some of his points seriously confused me. While he talks about how some people are very badly, if at all, informed about autism, and the glaring flaws in the help autistic people get, the author promises that there's a pretty easy solution without ever giving it. Which annoyed me, because after all, some people with autism will never be able to enter the work-force and it's not from lack-of-trying from neurotypical people, rather, some people with autism just don't fit with any of the jobs available, just like some neurotypical people, and that's fine.
We're also told we'll get stories from other people with autism, but rather than get their stories and outlook on life, they get mentioned in passing when the author tries to validate his points. For example, in the section about love, a couple where both parties are autistic is mentioned. However, we don't really learn much about them and how autism has affected their dating before and even now in their marriage.
Overall, it feels like the author just misses the point most of the times.
At times the book did provide interesting data about autism in the US specifically. There are many things that are just so different here in Europe, and that also lowered my interest in the book.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I spent a lot of time trying to finish it, but I ended up only skimming the second half of the book, because it just felt SO LONG, even though it's a relatively short book. The author gets carried away a lot and some of his points seriously confused me. While he talks about how some people are very badly, if at all, informed about autism, and the glaring flaws in the help autistic people get, the author promises that there's a pretty easy solution without ever giving it. Which annoyed me, because after all, some people with autism will never be able to enter the work-force and it's not from lack-of-trying from neurotypical people, rather, some people with autism just don't fit with any of the jobs available, just like some neurotypical people, and that's fine.
We're also told we'll get stories from other people with autism, but rather than get their stories and outlook on life, they get mentioned in passing when the author tries to validate his points. For example, in the section about love, a couple where both parties are autistic is mentioned. However, we don't really learn much about them and how autism has affected their dating before and even now in their marriage.
Overall, it feels like the author just misses the point most of the times.
At times the book did provide interesting data about autism in the US specifically. There are many things that are just so different here in Europe, and that also lowered my interest in the book.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*
June 13, 2022
It took me awhile to finish this audiobook because I was so annoyed with it and the basic premise, which sounds good in theory but in my experience as a mother of a low-functioning non-verbal autistic thirteen year old who will need 24-7 care for his whole life, none of what Eric Garcia said had any bearing to my situation.
Garcia's premise is that autistic people aren't broken and they don't need to be fixed. Money that is being spent on trying to find a cure should instead be put into the services that autistic people need to be successful and to thrive in a world that is not built for them. Everything grated on my nerves because most of his examples were from high-functioning autistic people that could live self-sufficent lives, speak, and advocate for themselves. Nothing pertained to those autistic individuals like my son.
I felt like Garcia was judge-y too about parents who want a cure for their kids. I'm a realist and I know that there's not going to be a cure for my son. Before he was born, I knew I would accept him for who he is, no matter what. And I have. But why wouldn't I want there to be a cure? High functioning people like Garcia might not need that cure, but my son would sure benefit from it, as would I, knowing that I don't have to worry about what will happen to him when I die.
So the book just rubbed me the wrong way. Especially when Garcia claimed he had so much in common with low-functioning autistic people.
Garcia's premise is that autistic people aren't broken and they don't need to be fixed. Money that is being spent on trying to find a cure should instead be put into the services that autistic people need to be successful and to thrive in a world that is not built for them. Everything grated on my nerves because most of his examples were from high-functioning autistic people that could live self-sufficent lives, speak, and advocate for themselves. Nothing pertained to those autistic individuals like my son.
I felt like Garcia was judge-y too about parents who want a cure for their kids. I'm a realist and I know that there's not going to be a cure for my son. Before he was born, I knew I would accept him for who he is, no matter what. And I have. But why wouldn't I want there to be a cure? High functioning people like Garcia might not need that cure, but my son would sure benefit from it, as would I, knowing that I don't have to worry about what will happen to him when I die.
So the book just rubbed me the wrong way. Especially when Garcia claimed he had so much in common with low-functioning autistic people.
March 5, 2024
i could write a long post about how my therapist told me i have autistic traits and i read this book hoping to find some kind of clarity and yada yada yada but that’s a breakdown for another day in the privacy of my own brain. instead, i want to say that i found so much value in this book. i’m not sure where it stands in the community, how it’s received by others who have more knowledge/experience of autism or neurodivergence, but as someone who has never officially read a book about those things who has a lot of internalized ableism (and possibly definitely some undiscovered autism herself) this book was monumental. eric does such a great job being honest and respectful while also acknowledging that he will inevitably get things wrong. he's super informative but in a way that feels very accessible. it reads exactly like a journalist wrote it (in a good way) and i love that the intersection here is with politics. it gave some incredible perspectives on things i’d never thought about and yes, it definitely has sparked Something within me. (i gotta talk to my therapist first, ya know, make some calls, return some video tapes, etc) i don’t know where i will end up but this feels like a first step and i’m so grateful to eric for his work and his perspective and i absolutely loved this.
something about being the "weird kid" to "realizing you may have autism in your late-twenties" pipeline...
something about being the "weird kid" to "realizing you may have autism in your late-twenties" pipeline...
August 3, 2021
We're Not Broken
Changing the Autism Conversation
by Eric Garcia
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 03 Aug 2021 | Archive Date 03 Aug 2021
As a School Nurse for a population that falls on the spectrum, I look for ways to improve my interactions with the students in my care. I jumped at the opportunity to read for review We're Not Broken with hopes of becoming a stronger support person for them. Inside I found helpful information within a somewhat biased viewpoint and found myself waiting for the inclusion of others POV. It fell short in this area and at times I thought this would have been a great first draft instead of finished copy. Many thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read for review this ARC.
Changing the Autism Conversation
by Eric Garcia
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 03 Aug 2021 | Archive Date 03 Aug 2021
As a School Nurse for a population that falls on the spectrum, I look for ways to improve my interactions with the students in my care. I jumped at the opportunity to read for review We're Not Broken with hopes of becoming a stronger support person for them. Inside I found helpful information within a somewhat biased viewpoint and found myself waiting for the inclusion of others POV. It fell short in this area and at times I thought this would have been a great first draft instead of finished copy. Many thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read for review this ARC.
August 27, 2021
I’m a little biased because Eric is a good friend, but I genuinely learned so much about autism while reading this book. Eric masterfully weaves policy discussions and history alongside interviews with people across the spectrum and his own reflections about life as an autistic man. The end result is a compelling, informative book that is essential reading for anyone who knows an autistic person — which is likely everyone.
January 10, 2022
This book is exactly what the autistic community needs right now. Of all of the books I've read (or even heard of) that are about autism, this is the first (non-memoir) I've seen from an actual autistic person, which made it such a delight to read.
Chapters are organized by themes; while one chapter discusses education, delving into K-12 supports, ABA, and University accommodations, another dives into gender, discussing the "diagnosis gap" between men and women, as well as the huge overlap between the LGBTQ (especially trans) community and autistic community. Within each chapter, the author deeply explores the issue or theme from all sides and includes empirical studies and case studies/stories from autistic people of various support need levels alongside autism history and disability legislation. The result is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. This book ties together so much that I wish to tell people about autism. It discusses the many misconceptions about autism and what it means to be autistic and boldly defies the claim that we need a "cure," instead urging readers to support efforts to better autistic people's lives.
Although this is not a memoir, the author often adds in discussions his own experiences which completely elevated the book for me. That thread of Garcia's own life throughout the book made it feel cohesive and more personable than a book simply filled with studies and statistics.
Most of all, this book just makes me extremely emotional. When I received my diagnosis, I felt like I had to accept that my life would just simply be harder than other people's. But reading about the myriad of accommodations and supports for autistic people has made me realize that although I have more challenges than non-autistic people, I deserve support to compensate for that. I, like all autistic people, am not broken--society is.
Chapters are organized by themes; while one chapter discusses education, delving into K-12 supports, ABA, and University accommodations, another dives into gender, discussing the "diagnosis gap" between men and women, as well as the huge overlap between the LGBTQ (especially trans) community and autistic community. Within each chapter, the author deeply explores the issue or theme from all sides and includes empirical studies and case studies/stories from autistic people of various support need levels alongside autism history and disability legislation. The result is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. This book ties together so much that I wish to tell people about autism. It discusses the many misconceptions about autism and what it means to be autistic and boldly defies the claim that we need a "cure," instead urging readers to support efforts to better autistic people's lives.
Although this is not a memoir, the author often adds in discussions his own experiences which completely elevated the book for me. That thread of Garcia's own life throughout the book made it feel cohesive and more personable than a book simply filled with studies and statistics.
Most of all, this book just makes me extremely emotional. When I received my diagnosis, I felt like I had to accept that my life would just simply be harder than other people's. But reading about the myriad of accommodations and supports for autistic people has made me realize that although I have more challenges than non-autistic people, I deserve support to compensate for that. I, like all autistic people, am not broken--society is.
June 12, 2021
I am a retired teacher assistant from public schools, and three out of four of my grandchildren have been diagnosed as being on the spectrum. I was excited to read this ARC, and learn more about autism. When my first grandchild was identified as autistic, I worried about his future. If we can give him the support that he needs now and in his future, from what Mr. Garcia states, anything is possible. This is certainly positive. I was horrified by the “remedies” used in the past, but I have to confess that ABA therapy was not described fairly in this book. My grandson, diagnosed at 4, was unable to get a haircut without a meltdown due to sensory issues. ABA broke this task down little by little, and he is now able to endure haircuts without the tragic meltdowns of the past. This is a reasonable expectation for a child, and everyone was respectful and aware of the difficulty of this process, and his constant strength and resilience in difficult situations fill me with pride. ABA, when done by the right people for the right reasons, can be invaluable. It is simply one of many tools that can support my grandson, and although at this point he no longer needs this service, his parents have learned how to break down difficult tasks so that their son can navigate through life.
As a mother I wanted my children to become good, kind adults with the ability to share their unique gifts and talents, and the strength and wisdom to make their own path in the world. I want this for all of my grandchildren as well! Reading this book was part of my effort to become more informed, and I would recommend it for the historical perspective offered by the author, as well as the many portrayals of neurodivergent individuals.
As a mother I wanted my children to become good, kind adults with the ability to share their unique gifts and talents, and the strength and wisdom to make their own path in the world. I want this for all of my grandchildren as well! Reading this book was part of my effort to become more informed, and I would recommend it for the historical perspective offered by the author, as well as the many portrayals of neurodivergent individuals.
May 20, 2022
I wish my kid's ASD diagnosis had come with a reading list that included Neurotribes and this book. Garcia writes like the journalist he is about the evolution of Autism research, diagnosis, public perception and advocacy. He incorporates data and personal history, weaving a broad and hopeful message about supporting people on the spectrum to live their best lives. Certainly we have an enormous way to go but looking back, even from well-meaning politicians in 2008, the progress is substantial. In short: more leadership in the messaging and priority-setting by those with Autism, more listening, empathy and supportive advocacy by neurotypicals.
I am loving the shared themes between disability advocacy (including Autism), queer advocacy, feminists and anti-capitalists these days: every single human deserves to have our basic needs met and our worth (and health care access) must not depend on our productivity and employment.
I am loving the shared themes between disability advocacy (including Autism), queer advocacy, feminists and anti-capitalists these days: every single human deserves to have our basic needs met and our worth (and health care access) must not depend on our productivity and employment.
April 21, 2022
When your child is diagnosed with autism, they hand you a booklet from AutismSpeaks called "The First 100 Days" (or something). I remember skimming it and feeling completely lost. The next 100 days weren't foreboding, it was the next 80 years of my child's life that I needed to understand.
This is the book that all parents should be given upon diagnosis. Before they get caught in the trap of parent advocacy that plays on fear and victimhood, before research leads them to try "cures" or shun vaccines or put their child into ABA therapy. Before they start listening to neurotypical people about what is best for their child, they should listen to autistic and neurodivergent people with lived experience.
This book is long form journalism and yes, it is boring. I mean that as a compliment because this topic should be boring! Garcia speaks the truth, plainly, and supports it with enough facts to make your eyes bleed. He throws in some anecdotes, but he doesn't sensationalize anything. There is no drama, no narrative to hook you. It is simply the lives and history of everyday autistic folk.
Nothing exceptional, nothing tragic, just people living their lives.
I read a few of the negative reviews for this book and it seems many readers were expecting stories, not heaps of facts and figures about housing and health care. There are plenty of memoirs and story collections from autistic creators, but what this book attempts to do is unify the spectrum of autistic voices into one single voice. No matter how different each autistic person is, no matter how different their support needs are, they all are saying the same thing: We are human. We have rights. We are deserving of dignity and respect. Please listen to us.
Shedding abelism is a journey. I remember the day I was confronted with my own abelism, when I stumbled upon a Facebook group for autistic people who welcomed parents of autistic children. It was a gutpunch to realize everything I thought I knew about autism and disability was not only wrong, but hurtful to an entire community. I had the urge to drop out of the groups and enter parent groups, where my beliefs and biases would not be questioned, but I decided that the discomfort was a good thing. If I can't suffer a little discomfort for the good of my child, am I even a parent? It took weeks of immersion with actual autistics, but I started to understand.
This book offers the experience I had, but in a handful of chapters. You just have to be willing to go on the journey however uncomfortable it might be.
That is where this book can fail, in my opinion. Garcia takes you on his own journey. If you have already started the journey of shedding abelism, especially in regards to neurodiversity, then this book will be hopeful to coalesce those ideas. However, if you are steeped in abelism or parent advocacy... well... just read through the 1 star reviews of people who didn't make it past the first chapter.
I wish I could buy 100 copies of this book and hand it out to every teacher and parent I know, but I also know this book will be too devisive for some. As much as I agree with Garcia's barbs about Trump, I know that would shut out a lot of the people I encounter on a daily basis, making this book sort of useless in reaching a significant portion of the country (again, read the top rated 1 star review of this book).
While this is not THE book that will finally turn the tide and help neurotypicals see they need to use their voices to elevate autistic voices, it is an excellent place to start for those who are willing to take the journey.
This is the book that all parents should be given upon diagnosis. Before they get caught in the trap of parent advocacy that plays on fear and victimhood, before research leads them to try "cures" or shun vaccines or put their child into ABA therapy. Before they start listening to neurotypical people about what is best for their child, they should listen to autistic and neurodivergent people with lived experience.
This book is long form journalism and yes, it is boring. I mean that as a compliment because this topic should be boring! Garcia speaks the truth, plainly, and supports it with enough facts to make your eyes bleed. He throws in some anecdotes, but he doesn't sensationalize anything. There is no drama, no narrative to hook you. It is simply the lives and history of everyday autistic folk.
Nothing exceptional, nothing tragic, just people living their lives.
I read a few of the negative reviews for this book and it seems many readers were expecting stories, not heaps of facts and figures about housing and health care. There are plenty of memoirs and story collections from autistic creators, but what this book attempts to do is unify the spectrum of autistic voices into one single voice. No matter how different each autistic person is, no matter how different their support needs are, they all are saying the same thing: We are human. We have rights. We are deserving of dignity and respect. Please listen to us.
Shedding abelism is a journey. I remember the day I was confronted with my own abelism, when I stumbled upon a Facebook group for autistic people who welcomed parents of autistic children. It was a gutpunch to realize everything I thought I knew about autism and disability was not only wrong, but hurtful to an entire community. I had the urge to drop out of the groups and enter parent groups, where my beliefs and biases would not be questioned, but I decided that the discomfort was a good thing. If I can't suffer a little discomfort for the good of my child, am I even a parent? It took weeks of immersion with actual autistics, but I started to understand.
This book offers the experience I had, but in a handful of chapters. You just have to be willing to go on the journey however uncomfortable it might be.
That is where this book can fail, in my opinion. Garcia takes you on his own journey. If you have already started the journey of shedding abelism, especially in regards to neurodiversity, then this book will be hopeful to coalesce those ideas. However, if you are steeped in abelism or parent advocacy... well... just read through the 1 star reviews of people who didn't make it past the first chapter.
I wish I could buy 100 copies of this book and hand it out to every teacher and parent I know, but I also know this book will be too devisive for some. As much as I agree with Garcia's barbs about Trump, I know that would shut out a lot of the people I encounter on a daily basis, making this book sort of useless in reaching a significant portion of the country (again, read the top rated 1 star review of this book).
While this is not THE book that will finally turn the tide and help neurotypicals see they need to use their voices to elevate autistic voices, it is an excellent place to start for those who are willing to take the journey.
June 15, 2022
Heads up that this book is focused on what autism is like in America, discussing various laws and educational reforms that are specific to the country. The organization of the book is a bit all over the place. I felt like he was trying to cram too much into it. A tighter focus would have been better.
Garcia is autistic and that was a big selling point for me, getting the perspective of someone actually living the subject matter. I did feel he downplayed his strengths to a certain degree - both his own personal strengths and those of his support system. Not every autistic person has family that will assist them and not every autistic person has friends. He gives short shrift to those who are struggling all alone and need more government or medical help. Garcia acknowledges the issue by writing that the world surrounding autistic people can be a bigger impediment to them than their autism but then later on I got the sense he was downplaying those impediments.
I wish he had written less about his own career in politics and more about how the law/politics affect the daily lives of those on the spectrum. He did to a certain degree, but there was also a lot about journalism and DC politics that I found boring.
I did not know a lot about the history of autism so that was neat to learn about. The official autism diagnosis has kept changing; the most recent being only 9 years ago in 2013. 2013 is the year the medical professions decided to combine all the different autism diagnoses into one umbrella term - "autism spectrum disorder". I wonder when it will be changed again? It wasn't until 2008 that autism was covered under the ADA. I was surprised about that.
I learned a lot about society's changing views on autism. I did know already about the refrigerator mother theory (UGH) which said autism was caused by cold, unloving mothers. And I have noticed how many people have dichotomous views about autistic people - they are either geniuses or monsters. Autistic people are not seen as regular people but one extreme or the other.
Garcia spends a ton of time talking about various charities devoted to autism and about how many of them are awful. It read as very one-sided and subjective. Maybe their actions hit too close to home and Garcia is unable to be objective? Not being involved with any of those charities and not knowing anything about them, all his detailed pages about various specific incidents dragged.
Garcia is very upset about the idea of discovering what causes autism so it can be treated and/or prevented. It reminded me of the issues the deaf community have about cochlear implants. They feel being deaf is a part of their identity and wanting to cure deafness is tantamount to wanting them to die/be destroyed. I am not deaf and I am not autistic so perhaps I am unable to understand that response. I think there must be deaf people and autistic people who do want medical interventions and by dismissing any sort of medical help you are also dismissing that section who do want the help. Lumping people into a huge group never works, in my mind. Not all women or Americans or Christians or what-have-you are identical and they do not all want the same thing.
He thinks the dialogue and discussion about autism should focus on autistic people and not on what their parents think. Yet in other parts of the book he discusses how parents/family/friends are key to helping autistic people navigate the world. I am biased here, as a parent of someone on the spectrum, but shouldn't those people have a say as well? It's their lives too that are being discussed. Caregivers are given zero support. They are human too and have needs. Whether that caregiving involves caring for aging parents, infants & small children or for family members with disabilities or illnesses, the caregiver is dismissed and depreciated. Women (because it is almost always women) are expected to sacrifice themselves for others. There needs to be a balance between individual autonomy, caregiver rights and society's responsibilities. It shouldn't all fall onto one group.
Some quotes that stood out to me:
The social model of disability argues that the biggest obstacle to disability is a world around disabled people that does not accommodate them.
Loneliness is a common experience for many autistic people. For most autistic college students, the major problem isn't academics but the on-campus aspects of college life. They report being left out, isolated and lacking companionship.
When autistic people exist between the ideas of high-functioning and low-functioning, they often wind up getting neither accommodating work environments nor income from social safety net programs.
Lydia's sensory issues made it hard for her to articulate how she felt and communication disorders made it hard to explain what she felt.
You literally are unable to move because you have spent your entire energy reserves trying to interact with people all day. It's the equivalent of running miles in a weighted bulletproof vest. Afterward, you have no more physical force to exert.
In the same way that a wheelchair is not something that binds a person who cannot walk but rather gives them mobility, or how glasses help a person to see, having a support person gives the autistic person freedom, rather than limits it. (This comment of his really bugged me. A support person is a PERSON not an inanimate object like glasses or a chair. A wheelchair doesn't have thoughts, desires, needs etc Both people - the autistic person and the person providing support need to be considered)
More than have the money spent on autism goes to research about what causes it. Only a small fraction goes towards helping autistic people as they age. They are more interested in finding out why people are autistic and less interested in understanding what they need right now
There are many possible reasons why autism is overlooked in girls, but one of the simplest is that practitioners are looking for the wrong symptoms. Autistic girls do not present the same ways as autistic boys. Autistic women are often written off as simply shy or awkward.
(An autistic woman talking about being undiagnosed as a kid) I was forced to accommodate everyone else and change my personality. Whereas you see a lot of men diagnosed very young and then they're given all sorts of excuses for bad behavior....she got used to being uncomfortable and because she didn't know she was autistic, she assumed everyone else was too.....When I realized I was autistic, I was like, Oh, you guys are not in constant pain? You don't say yes even though you want to say no?
Many autistic women have trouble bonding with female peer groups. They have difficulties forming friendships with neurotypical women since they find it hard to manage the socially expected skills of a woman.
Being autistic is like being French. There's millions of different ways to be French, and a gay fashion designer in Paris and a Catholic nun in Bordeaux are going to be radically different. But they still understand each other as French.
Garcia is autistic and that was a big selling point for me, getting the perspective of someone actually living the subject matter. I did feel he downplayed his strengths to a certain degree - both his own personal strengths and those of his support system. Not every autistic person has family that will assist them and not every autistic person has friends. He gives short shrift to those who are struggling all alone and need more government or medical help. Garcia acknowledges the issue by writing that the world surrounding autistic people can be a bigger impediment to them than their autism but then later on I got the sense he was downplaying those impediments.
I wish he had written less about his own career in politics and more about how the law/politics affect the daily lives of those on the spectrum. He did to a certain degree, but there was also a lot about journalism and DC politics that I found boring.
I did not know a lot about the history of autism so that was neat to learn about. The official autism diagnosis has kept changing; the most recent being only 9 years ago in 2013. 2013 is the year the medical professions decided to combine all the different autism diagnoses into one umbrella term - "autism spectrum disorder". I wonder when it will be changed again? It wasn't until 2008 that autism was covered under the ADA. I was surprised about that.
I learned a lot about society's changing views on autism. I did know already about the refrigerator mother theory (UGH) which said autism was caused by cold, unloving mothers. And I have noticed how many people have dichotomous views about autistic people - they are either geniuses or monsters. Autistic people are not seen as regular people but one extreme or the other.
Garcia spends a ton of time talking about various charities devoted to autism and about how many of them are awful. It read as very one-sided and subjective. Maybe their actions hit too close to home and Garcia is unable to be objective? Not being involved with any of those charities and not knowing anything about them, all his detailed pages about various specific incidents dragged.
Garcia is very upset about the idea of discovering what causes autism so it can be treated and/or prevented. It reminded me of the issues the deaf community have about cochlear implants. They feel being deaf is a part of their identity and wanting to cure deafness is tantamount to wanting them to die/be destroyed. I am not deaf and I am not autistic so perhaps I am unable to understand that response. I think there must be deaf people and autistic people who do want medical interventions and by dismissing any sort of medical help you are also dismissing that section who do want the help. Lumping people into a huge group never works, in my mind. Not all women or Americans or Christians or what-have-you are identical and they do not all want the same thing.
He thinks the dialogue and discussion about autism should focus on autistic people and not on what their parents think. Yet in other parts of the book he discusses how parents/family/friends are key to helping autistic people navigate the world. I am biased here, as a parent of someone on the spectrum, but shouldn't those people have a say as well? It's their lives too that are being discussed. Caregivers are given zero support. They are human too and have needs. Whether that caregiving involves caring for aging parents, infants & small children or for family members with disabilities or illnesses, the caregiver is dismissed and depreciated. Women (because it is almost always women) are expected to sacrifice themselves for others. There needs to be a balance between individual autonomy, caregiver rights and society's responsibilities. It shouldn't all fall onto one group.
Some quotes that stood out to me:
The social model of disability argues that the biggest obstacle to disability is a world around disabled people that does not accommodate them.
Loneliness is a common experience for many autistic people. For most autistic college students, the major problem isn't academics but the on-campus aspects of college life. They report being left out, isolated and lacking companionship.
When autistic people exist between the ideas of high-functioning and low-functioning, they often wind up getting neither accommodating work environments nor income from social safety net programs.
Lydia's sensory issues made it hard for her to articulate how she felt and communication disorders made it hard to explain what she felt.
You literally are unable to move because you have spent your entire energy reserves trying to interact with people all day. It's the equivalent of running miles in a weighted bulletproof vest. Afterward, you have no more physical force to exert.
In the same way that a wheelchair is not something that binds a person who cannot walk but rather gives them mobility, or how glasses help a person to see, having a support person gives the autistic person freedom, rather than limits it. (This comment of his really bugged me. A support person is a PERSON not an inanimate object like glasses or a chair. A wheelchair doesn't have thoughts, desires, needs etc Both people - the autistic person and the person providing support need to be considered)
More than have the money spent on autism goes to research about what causes it. Only a small fraction goes towards helping autistic people as they age. They are more interested in finding out why people are autistic and less interested in understanding what they need right now
There are many possible reasons why autism is overlooked in girls, but one of the simplest is that practitioners are looking for the wrong symptoms. Autistic girls do not present the same ways as autistic boys. Autistic women are often written off as simply shy or awkward.
(An autistic woman talking about being undiagnosed as a kid) I was forced to accommodate everyone else and change my personality. Whereas you see a lot of men diagnosed very young and then they're given all sorts of excuses for bad behavior....she got used to being uncomfortable and because she didn't know she was autistic, she assumed everyone else was too.....When I realized I was autistic, I was like, Oh, you guys are not in constant pain? You don't say yes even though you want to say no?
Many autistic women have trouble bonding with female peer groups. They have difficulties forming friendships with neurotypical women since they find it hard to manage the socially expected skills of a woman.
Being autistic is like being French. There's millions of different ways to be French, and a gay fashion designer in Paris and a Catholic nun in Bordeaux are going to be radically different. But they still understand each other as French.
July 3, 2022
Experiencias autistas de adultos muy bien contadas por un adulto autista, hasta ahora no me había tocado leer nada que identificara varias de las cosas que pienso. Muy recomendable.
April 1, 2022
A must read. Great to hear about autism from an adult with autism, rather than an outsider.
January 30, 2023
DNF, Made it to about 20%. Originally picked up this book as my partner was just diagnosed with ASD as an adult. The description and on the back of the book it explains, "he shares the experiences of all types of autistic people, from those with higher support needs, to autistic people of color, to those in the LGBTQ community" and after that I was hooked and excited to begin reading.
I think the description of the book should be changed from the above to "small blurbs about autistic individuals and an issue that they experience summed up into a short paragraph" instead. I wanted to read about these struggles, these challenges, these hurdles that these individuals experienced/ are still experiencing due to a world that, let's be honest, doesn't understand/want to understand autism. I oh-so-badly wanted to read in-depth stories about how their own struggles with autism affected their relationships, jobs, lives and how they either overcame them, found a way to make the world better suited to their own needs, or how they dealt with these issues. Instead, I was given a name, an occupation and a very small, flatly written blurb/paragraph about this person that...went nowhere. At the end of the blurb it would delve into another long rant (sometimes lasting several pages) usually pertaining to politics and the authors own (very biased) political views. Sometimes, if we were luckily, it would awkwardly jump back to the person the paragraph started out with, with a few sentences thrown in about their job per say, and then head back into percentages about another topic. If your "personal stories" about people with ASD are but a few paragraphs that jump before and after massive, clearly biased political views that take up pages upon pages, it doesn't really read that these people, their own journeys and their individual struggles are important. Even the author's own experiences were written flatly and unexpressive.
This book jumped all over the place. It was oddly written, and while some parts that I read tried to give info about autism, it was overshadowed by the author's political stance and views that I just gave up and marked it as DNF. There are many books out there that are well written and dive into the world of struggles that ASD individuals go through...this isn't one of them.
If you want to read about stats and figures on autism, how policies were invented and want to read hundreds of pages of the author's standpoint on politics (that more often than not isn't even related to autism) then this book is for you!
I think the description of the book should be changed from the above to "small blurbs about autistic individuals and an issue that they experience summed up into a short paragraph" instead. I wanted to read about these struggles, these challenges, these hurdles that these individuals experienced/ are still experiencing due to a world that, let's be honest, doesn't understand/want to understand autism. I oh-so-badly wanted to read in-depth stories about how their own struggles with autism affected their relationships, jobs, lives and how they either overcame them, found a way to make the world better suited to their own needs, or how they dealt with these issues. Instead, I was given a name, an occupation and a very small, flatly written blurb/paragraph about this person that...went nowhere. At the end of the blurb it would delve into another long rant (sometimes lasting several pages) usually pertaining to politics and the authors own (very biased) political views. Sometimes, if we were luckily, it would awkwardly jump back to the person the paragraph started out with, with a few sentences thrown in about their job per say, and then head back into percentages about another topic. If your "personal stories" about people with ASD are but a few paragraphs that jump before and after massive, clearly biased political views that take up pages upon pages, it doesn't really read that these people, their own journeys and their individual struggles are important. Even the author's own experiences were written flatly and unexpressive.
This book jumped all over the place. It was oddly written, and while some parts that I read tried to give info about autism, it was overshadowed by the author's political stance and views that I just gave up and marked it as DNF. There are many books out there that are well written and dive into the world of struggles that ASD individuals go through...this isn't one of them.
If you want to read about stats and figures on autism, how policies were invented and want to read hundreds of pages of the author's standpoint on politics (that more often than not isn't even related to autism) then this book is for you!
July 27, 2021
Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. We're Not Broken by Eric Garcia is a different take on autism in America, namely because it's written by an autistic person, collecting different autistic stories. The most interesting and thought-provoking chapter, for me, was the chapter on gender identity. That autism resources still are sectioned off from different gender identities, instead of combing forces is sadly typical of most entities. There was a lot of information dumping in the early chapters that made it difficult to follow and process. A person was introduced and then there was a tangent about the policies that were created, when I really want to know more about the person. The book read as uneven to me. Some chapters were very strong, while others were not.
November 12, 2021
As an autistic adult with an autistic kiddo, early in our learning journey this book was a timely gift. The way it helped lift the curtain on so many harmful stigmas and ideas on how to “cure” autism—saved me from making some damaging decisions for my son. Instead I have the opportunity to celebrate the fullness of his autistic self, and advocate for a world that allows him to show up unmasked. I appreciated the recognition of intersectionality between my son’s Black oppression and Disability—and how much harder we as white parents must fight for their visibility and rights. Thank you. I am truly undone, yet fully inspired.
August 3, 2021
A well-written exploration of what being autistic looks like. As a teacher, I am always trying to learn more about the different populations and groups that I interact with, and this book taught me a great deal about the many different issues that autistic people deal with.
I felt that this book had an engaging, conversational tone, and I appreciated the many different studies referenced, as well as the different stories shared throughout the chapters.
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!
I felt that this book had an engaging, conversational tone, and I appreciated the many different studies referenced, as well as the different stories shared throughout the chapters.
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!
August 10, 2021
Essential reading.
Will be buying copies for every SpEd teacher and para!
Will be buying copies for every SpEd teacher and para!
August 25, 2021
Disability self advocate on Autism.
January 9, 2023
We're Not Broken is a good place to start educating yourself about autism — I found that it could be very helpful for neurotypical folks as well as autistic. Much of what was shared in the book felt reaffirming and at times even educational to me as a late diagnosed autie. I really appreciated the way the author centered the truth in how race, gender, and socioeconomic status impact diagnosis and lived experience of autistic peoples.
"There is this conception that Autistic people are permanently children and angelic, but that is largely because the common archetype of an Autistic person is a white person. The perpetual child image is the result of the fact that most Autistic people featured in media are white. America largely assumes innocence and excuses fault for many white people, and often in the case of Autistic people, society chalks up their mistakes to their disability. Autistic people of color, be it Black or brown, aren't given that luxury. We aren't given the benefit of the doubt, and our odd behaviors — the way we rock, the way we avoid eye contact, the way we stim to calm ourselves down when around police — become cause for suspicion. All of this stems from the perception that Autism is a white condition. A racialized Autism means that Black and brown people on the spectrum are overlooked by clinicians while their behavior is perceived as dangerous by the police and the broader public."
"Autistic people often don't pay attention to the same set of societal norms as everyone else. And with that freedom comes a vision. We can see a lot of the social rules around gender are bullshit. And the research supports the idea that a large swath of gender queer people are also Autistic. In 2014, a survey showed that gender variance was 7.59 times more common in participants with ASD than in a large comparison group."
"Autistic women whose neurotypes are ignored can face harsh consequences. Just like other people who aren't recognized for who they truly are. One 2016 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders surveyed 14 women who diagnosed with Autism later in life and found that almost all experienced one or more mental health difficulty with anxiety, depression, eating disorder being the most commonly reported. Many of the women were dismissed by professionals when they expressed that they thought they might be Autistic."
"'It's interesting to see how, because I grew up undiagnosed, I was forced to accomodate everyone else and change my personality to fit in, whereas you see a lot of white men who are diagnosed very young and then are given all sorts of excuses for bad behavior.' Ray said she got used to being uncomfortable and because she didn't know she was Autistic, assumed everyone else was too. 'When I realized I was Autistic, I was like oh! you guys aren't in constant pain? you guys don't say yes, even though you want to say no?' Ray said that her diagnosis enabled her to set boundaries, which Autistic people are rarely taught about."
"The schema of the Autistic male is quirky and awkward. But women aren't given the same liberty to be gauche. If I miss a social cue, it's like I'm falling down on the job of being an emotional caregiver that society expects of most women."
"There is this conception that Autistic people are permanently children and angelic, but that is largely because the common archetype of an Autistic person is a white person. The perpetual child image is the result of the fact that most Autistic people featured in media are white. America largely assumes innocence and excuses fault for many white people, and often in the case of Autistic people, society chalks up their mistakes to their disability. Autistic people of color, be it Black or brown, aren't given that luxury. We aren't given the benefit of the doubt, and our odd behaviors — the way we rock, the way we avoid eye contact, the way we stim to calm ourselves down when around police — become cause for suspicion. All of this stems from the perception that Autism is a white condition. A racialized Autism means that Black and brown people on the spectrum are overlooked by clinicians while their behavior is perceived as dangerous by the police and the broader public."
"Autistic people often don't pay attention to the same set of societal norms as everyone else. And with that freedom comes a vision. We can see a lot of the social rules around gender are bullshit. And the research supports the idea that a large swath of gender queer people are also Autistic. In 2014, a survey showed that gender variance was 7.59 times more common in participants with ASD than in a large comparison group."
"Autistic women whose neurotypes are ignored can face harsh consequences. Just like other people who aren't recognized for who they truly are. One 2016 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders surveyed 14 women who diagnosed with Autism later in life and found that almost all experienced one or more mental health difficulty with anxiety, depression, eating disorder being the most commonly reported. Many of the women were dismissed by professionals when they expressed that they thought they might be Autistic."
"'It's interesting to see how, because I grew up undiagnosed, I was forced to accomodate everyone else and change my personality to fit in, whereas you see a lot of white men who are diagnosed very young and then are given all sorts of excuses for bad behavior.' Ray said she got used to being uncomfortable and because she didn't know she was Autistic, assumed everyone else was too. 'When I realized I was Autistic, I was like oh! you guys aren't in constant pain? you guys don't say yes, even though you want to say no?' Ray said that her diagnosis enabled her to set boundaries, which Autistic people are rarely taught about."
"The schema of the Autistic male is quirky and awkward. But women aren't given the same liberty to be gauche. If I miss a social cue, it's like I'm falling down on the job of being an emotional caregiver that society expects of most women."
November 15, 2024
As an autistic adult man: I think this book should start at a 5/5 and I docked two stars for the following reasons:
1) as a political reporter, much of this book is presented through the lens of government policy. I don't personally care for this framing. Which is not to say that these policies are unimportant, indeed they're very tangibly important for many people, but I tend to, perhaps cynically, believe that policy acceptance or rejection tends to reflect the gamesmanship engaged in by politicians more than it does prevailing opinion of the people within a community and I'm frankly not here for it.
2) The author eschews answering a question that I believe is often missed in books about autism: The statement is made that autistic, and indeed all "disabled", people are inherently valid members of society, but the notion that *any* member of society is inherently worth their place is simply assumed and not substantiated. Why should anyone be supported at all? Has organic life not always been defined by a winner-take-all, fend for one's self, dynamic? Why should anyone receive any support if they can't pull their weight? Now, I don't believe the answer to those questions is "they shouldn't receive support" and I don't even think it's a very difficult stance to substantiate, which is perhaps why it irks me so much when authors don't bother to address it. Stop skipping the first step.
This all aside, the book addresses autistic people within the arenas of public policy, access to medical programs, the history of the classification of the condition, insight into autistic families, friendships, romances, and careers. All very compelling and meaningful content.
So 3/5 stars, because I loved it all, even if some points did hit close to home in a "yeah, I get it, but like, I wish this part of me wasn't like this so can we just not harp on it?" Sort of way, but it's probably good to take a long hard look in the mirror sometimes.
Good book, would recommend.
1) as a political reporter, much of this book is presented through the lens of government policy. I don't personally care for this framing. Which is not to say that these policies are unimportant, indeed they're very tangibly important for many people, but I tend to, perhaps cynically, believe that policy acceptance or rejection tends to reflect the gamesmanship engaged in by politicians more than it does prevailing opinion of the people within a community and I'm frankly not here for it.
2) The author eschews answering a question that I believe is often missed in books about autism: The statement is made that autistic, and indeed all "disabled", people are inherently valid members of society, but the notion that *any* member of society is inherently worth their place is simply assumed and not substantiated. Why should anyone be supported at all? Has organic life not always been defined by a winner-take-all, fend for one's self, dynamic? Why should anyone receive any support if they can't pull their weight? Now, I don't believe the answer to those questions is "they shouldn't receive support" and I don't even think it's a very difficult stance to substantiate, which is perhaps why it irks me so much when authors don't bother to address it. Stop skipping the first step.
This all aside, the book addresses autistic people within the arenas of public policy, access to medical programs, the history of the classification of the condition, insight into autistic families, friendships, romances, and careers. All very compelling and meaningful content.
So 3/5 stars, because I loved it all, even if some points did hit close to home in a "yeah, I get it, but like, I wish this part of me wasn't like this so can we just not harp on it?" Sort of way, but it's probably good to take a long hard look in the mirror sometimes.
Good book, would recommend.
June 12, 2023
This non-fiction novel aims to educate people on issues affecting autistic people, such as policy, education, work, housing, health care, romantic relationships, queerness and gender, and race and intersectionality. In his novel, Eric Garcia inserts himself and other autistic people (through their stories and lived experiences) in the “autism conversation” - which, for so long, has excluded autistic voices.
I found the main themes were well explained, and the topics are distinctly divided into chapters (meaning someone could skip to whatever chapter they like to read about the topic of their choosing). The writing is clear and easy to follow.
Also, Eric Garcia is a political journalist, and his experiences in this field are littered throughout the novel. However, if you aren’t interested in journalism or politics, there is still a lot to grasp from this novel.
Overall, I think it would've also been cool if this had been a collaborative project, where different people had been assigned different topics to write about. Eric Garcia does include the stories of people with higher support needs, people of colour, queer people, and more, but this could've been a neat idea too. This isn't a complaint as much as it is the projection of an idea of equal value. This being said, I enjoyed reading this and appreciate what Eric Garcia has created. I'd probably give this novel 3.75 stars, so I'm rounding up to four (4).
I found the main themes were well explained, and the topics are distinctly divided into chapters (meaning someone could skip to whatever chapter they like to read about the topic of their choosing). The writing is clear and easy to follow.
Also, Eric Garcia is a political journalist, and his experiences in this field are littered throughout the novel. However, if you aren’t interested in journalism or politics, there is still a lot to grasp from this novel.
Overall, I think it would've also been cool if this had been a collaborative project, where different people had been assigned different topics to write about. Eric Garcia does include the stories of people with higher support needs, people of colour, queer people, and more, but this could've been a neat idea too. This isn't a complaint as much as it is the projection of an idea of equal value. This being said, I enjoyed reading this and appreciate what Eric Garcia has created. I'd probably give this novel 3.75 stars, so I'm rounding up to four (4).
November 9, 2023
I'm very glad I was able to read this book around a time when autism is being more openly talking about and hopefully more understood. This book was very easy to comprehend and did a wonderful job constantly stressing the importance of self-advocacy in any fight for justice. People with autism deserve to have their voices heard, no matter what that voice may be (verbal, non verbal, done with assistance). The author's background as a nonpartisan political journalist brought a very special tone to this book that I thoroughly enjoyed and made it very easy to follow.
One complaint is just that I wish it included a bit more discussion about the experiences of people with higher support needs. However, I did resonate with the overall discussions on life with disability and how the world needs to learn to provide accommodations rather than try to make the disabled out to be the problem.
One complaint is just that I wish it included a bit more discussion about the experiences of people with higher support needs. However, I did resonate with the overall discussions on life with disability and how the world needs to learn to provide accommodations rather than try to make the disabled out to be the problem.
March 8, 2022
Seems so logical—help autistic people live better lives instead of pouring money into trying to cure autism.
March 8, 2023
A powerful book that advocates for autistic people's autonomy and human rights, while also directly addressing the many pernicious lies that continue to circulate about autism.
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