Our most recent book read in our “Healing Space Book Club” was Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Dr. Devon Price. This book beautifully captures the genuineness of neurodiversity and aims to promote an acceptance of diverse neurotypes.
By intertwining the stories of real people with current research and forming a timeline of how we have come to understand neurodiversity, Dr. Price has been able to demonstrate how Autistic individuals have been put into a position where the severity of their disability is based on the impact it has on neurotypical or Allistic people.
Masking, camouflaging, and compensating are terms used to describe how Autistic people have created systems and tools in which they can navigate the neurotypical world. In addition to helping define the lingo around these topics, the book thoughtfully navigates the systems in place that hinder the neurodivergent paradigm shift, such as capitalism, colonization, the legal system, the education system, the economy, politics, and the application of the medical model.
This book is filled with useful values-based reflection exercises and visual categorizations of Autistic communication needs, reframing of stereotypes, and reasons for masking. Overall, this book is helpful for anyone looking to better understand Autism and wanting to expand their knowledge on social justice advocacy related to this topic.