Untypical: How the world isn’t built for autistic people and what we should all do about it

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Als “ervaringsdeskundige” (mocht deze term je tenen doen krullen, mijn excuses hiervoor) lees ik me nu en dan in over autisme. Bij het kopen van dit boek verwachtte ik ook niet al te veel nieuwe informatie. Toch overtuigde het simpele, maar allesomvattende cover en titel mij om het boek mee naar huis te nemen. While the line between what autism truly means for us and the post-traumatic stress we deal with on daily basis due to the life we continually have to put up with is continuously murky, Wharmby does a great job of identifying all the minutia of the experience. Only 30 per cent felt comfortable disclosing their disability to HR, which means many do not get the support they need.

I didn't really connect with it (much more connected to Devon Price's book) and I felt it was a bit mixed on who it was talking too - autistic people or allistic people - and sometimes it cycled between the two. This book was different to the usual non-fiction book which centres around autism. I myself have autism and ADHD so i found it refreshing to read another autistics persons take on how they viewed the world. As an autistic person, I really appreciated the chapter on the ‘spiky profile’. Of the models used to describe autism, this is one of my favourites and I felt Wharmby explained it very well.The modern world is built for neurotypicals. Needless noise, bright flashing lights, small talk, implication and ‘unwritten rules’; it can be a nightmarish dystopia as far as the autistic population is concerned. In Untypical World, Pete Wharmby lays bare the experience of being ‘different’, explaining with wit and warmth just how exhausting it is to fit into a world not designed for you. But this book is more than an explanation. After a late diagnosis and a lifetime of ‘masking’, Pete is the perfect interlocutor to explain how our two worlds can meet, and what we can do for the many autistic people in our schools, workplaces and lives. The result: a practical handbook for all of us to make the world a simpler, better place for autistic people to navigate, and a call to arms for anyone who believes in an inclusive society and wants to be part of the solution. Pete has taken the time to really understand his diagnosis and what makes him different from a typical person. There was quite a few times and examples that Pete used about his autism where i have never made the link and i just thought everyone did those things. I discussed this with my husband. and it was a great way for us to discuss all my little quirks. This had lots of good information and was coming from a good place, plus I also appreciated that it was a UK autism book. There are so many aspects of this book I can strongly relate to having a teenage son with autism and it compounds my fervent belief and efforts to make the voices of autistic people heard. The neurodiverse community has so much to give but in such an inhospitable society, they miss out on too many opportunities. I see that happening on a daily basis and it makes me sad; I write to my MP to attend autism parliamentary forums and bang my drum just as much as possible but I find those who do not have autism or someone very close to them who does cannot understand the limitations society and the world as a whole place on neurodiverse people.

Eerst en vooral zit Wharmby, de auteur, zelf op het autismespectrum. Aangezien de meeste onderzoeken worden gedaan door neurotypische “experts” − maar daar is er verandering in aan het komen − beschouw ik dit als een positief aspect. Wharmby schrijft op een manier waarop ik me volledig kon inleven in het verhaal. Of dit nu te danken is aan zijn schrijfvaardigheid of aan mijn eigen ervaring als iemand op het spectrum, dat laat ik in het midden. Ook wisselt hij regelmatig af tussen persoonlijke en algemene anekdotes, naar mijn gevoel zit de balans goed. Here are autism advocate Pete Wharmby's top tips for working with people with autism Credit: Supplied Pete wants to bust a range of myths and stereotypes, particularly in schools. As an example, he says: At one point he wrote: 'I poured a great deal of energy into meditation and mindfulness, acupuncture and even to yoga.' and I was out, even yoga? What's that supposed to mean (I teach yoga).I expected something more researched than ‘autistic people I have spoken to over the years’. I now have a very clear idea of what autism as experienced by the author is like, but none of the way in which it can vary between individuals (and between men and women). So read this, because we need to build a better world for autistic kids and adults, which would benefit everyone else, too.

I didn’t always enjoy the tone of the book and whilst I appreciate the point that living in a world that isn’t inclusive of neurodiverse people is highly stressful, it does seem like a rant in places rather than a constructive “what we should all do about it” The books seeks to explain what it is like to navigate society from the perspective of an autistic person, and is a call to arms to create a more inclusive society for neurodivergent people. Pete, 39, describes Untypical as a ‘beginner’s guide to what it is to be autistic in the modern world, written with both neurotypical and neurodivergent readers in mind’.After being diagnosed at the age of 34, I found myself in a community of people that I didn’t know much about, but the more I learned, I realised how much difficulty autistic people face was really down to ignorance on the part of their non-autistic peers, family and friends,” explained Pete, an ex Spalding Grammar School pupil also known locally for his time in band Sires of Nothing, where he was lead vocallist and rhythm guitarist. Pete Wharmby with his latest book, Untypical (62969417) Pete eloquently and passionately explains the the challenges of having to navigate our round-hole world as a square peg and therefore is a comforting and validating read for anyone who is Untypical. Rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus, whichever neuro-shape you are, this book can help us all to create a more inclusive society.’ – Dr Meg Arroll Make sure almost nothing comes as a surprise. If you want something doing, make sure to give plenty of notice. Hot-desking can be stressful, as autistic people prefer a nice, rigid routine. My son always comes home from school or social outings absolutely shattered and needing time to decompress after hours of sensory stimulation and Pete's writing has helped me to better understand how all of life's unwritten rules to socially adapt are hugely mentally and physically draining. In seeking to encourage a change in the world, the book also looks at how people can be allies. Tips include being aware of masking, reserving judgement, and understanding that “communication differences can have drastic outcomes”.