The Autism Handbook: Everything You Wanted to Know About Life on the Spectrum

The Autism Handbook: Everything You Wanted to Know About Life on the Spectrum

by Joe Biel Author and Dr. Faith G. Harper Author

A autism primer by an autistic person (co-written with a trusted therapist)!

What's it like to be autistic? As many as one in forty-five people live that reality every day, but our culture remains full of myths, stigma, and dangerous misunderstandings of this type of neurodiversity. This guide to life on the autism spectrum is a must-read for autistic adults, their friends, coworkers, partners, and parents—and for anyone who wants to understand the experiences of many people they meet every day. Joe Biel, who was diagnosed as an adult, writes about what it's like to be autistic, joined by the bestselling Dr. Faith G. Harper who speaks from her experience as a parent, friend, and therapist to autistic people. Their real talk and accessible language discusses a wide range of topics, including the diagnostic criteria for autism and how they play out in practice, what it means for autism to be a disability, and co-occurring conditions like depression and anxiety. They answer many frequently asked questions from neurotypicals, and offer some basic life and social skills that the world doesn't always think to explicitly teach autistic folks. Most of all, they affirm the many strengths of the autistic brain and point the way to a world where autism is just another way of being. 

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Zine description: If you're an autistic adult, there probably hasn't been a whole lot of guidance or community out there for you past the age of 18 or so. Joe Biel writes about what it's like to be autistic (anyone who knows an autistic person can really benefit from reading this!). Microcosm Publishing bestseller Dr. Faith writes about what it's like to care for autistic folks, based on her experience as a parent, friend, and therapist. The zine covers diagnostic criteria and how they play out in practice, what it means for autism to be a disability, and co-occurring symptoms, like depression and anxiety. Then it gets into life skills and social skills that a neurotypical world doesn't always think to teach autistic people; so we get to teach each other.