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Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity Kindle Edition

by Devon Price (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 1,974 ratings

in Autism

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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 shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in. For Dr. Price and many others, Autism is a deep source of uniqueness and beauty. Unfortunately, living in a neurotypical world means it can also be a source of incredible alienation and pain. Most masked Autistic individuals struggle for decades before discovering who they truly are. They are also more likely to be marginalized in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, and other factors, which contributes to their suffering and invisibility. Dr. Price lays the groundwork for unmasking and offers exercises that encourage self-expression, including:

• Celebrating special interests
• Cultivating Autistic relationships
• Reframing Autistic stereotypes
• And rediscovering your values

It’s time to honor the needs, diversity, and unique strengths of Autistic people so that they no longer have to mask—and it’s time for greater public acceptance and accommodation of difference. In embracing neurodiversity, we can all reap the rewards of nonconformity and learn to live authentically, Autistic and neurotypical people alike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Unmasking Autism is at once a most deeply personal and scholarly account of the damage caused by autistic (and all) people leading masked lives, and how unmasking is essential to creating a self-determined, authentic life. It provides a unique and revealing perspective on the sensory and social-cognitive experience of autism. It provides practical guidance and exercises for neurodivergent people to learn to be comfortable in their own skin and dramatically change their own lives, and it details the necessary changes that society needs to make to honor neurodiversity. This is a remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement.”—Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, Visiting Scholar, Brown University, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

“Reading this felt like being at home—I didn’t realize how much I masked. What an incredible book that I know will be re-read many times over.”—Dr. Camilla Pang, author of An Outsider’s Guide to Humans

“Price’s accessible and compassionate writing shines, and readers will feel encouraged to embrace a new understanding of themselves. Its potential to help masked autistic adults, especially those from systemically marginalized backgrounds, makes this book essential for most collections.”—Library Journal (starred review)

About the Author

Devon Price, PhD, is a social psychologist, professor, author, and proud Autistic person. His research has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and the Journal of Positive Psychology. Devon’s writing has appeared in outlets such as the Financial Times, HuffPost, Slate, Jacobin, Business Insider, LitHub, and on PBS and NPR. He lives in Chicago, where he serves as an assistant professor at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

What Is Autism, Really?

When Crystal was young, she exhibited many behaviors psychologists today would recognize as traditionally Autistic: she lined up toys in rows instead of playing pretend with them, chewed on her blanket while staring at the wall, and had trouble understanding in-jokes and teasing. But she didn’t “look Autistic enough” to get easily diagnosed in the 1990s, when she was growing up.

“My mom actually thought I should get assessed,” she says. “But my grandpa shut it down. He was all, no, no way, Crystal’s such a good girl! There’s nothing wrong with her. Don’t even think about stuff like that.”

Crystal’s grandfather probably figured he was protecting her from getting stuck with a label that would bring a lifetime of abuse. He certainly isn’t alone in that. Label avoidance (taking steps to evade diagnosis) is a very common consequence of disability and mental health stigma. Publicly identifying as disabled does mean being viewed as less competent—and less human—by many people. As damaging and self-defeating as it can be to camouflage one’s disability status, it is by no means a paranoid act. It’s a rational reflection of the prejudices disabled people face. It’s not unique to Autism, either; many people with mental illnesses and hidden physical disabilities elect to avoid the mark of shame a diagnosis might bring.

My dad hid his cerebral palsy and seizure disorder for his entire life. No one knew about his condition other than my grandmother, my mom, and eventually me. He never went to college because he would have needed to reveal his access needs to campus disability services. He only ever applied to jobs that didn’t require him to write or type, lest his poor fine motor control be revealed. As a child, I typed up the flyers for his lawn mowing business, because he couldn’t work the computer himself. I only found out about his condition as a teenager; he sobbingly confessed it to me, as if it were a terrible secret, after his marriage to my mother had already fallen apart. He told me that his mother had made him hide his condition because it wouldn’t have been acceptable to be openly disabled in the tiny Appalachian town where he grew up. Shame and self-loathing followed him until the day that he died of diabetes (a condition he developed as an adult and also refused to treat).

I didn’t find out I was Autistic until many years after his death, but he was the first person who demonstrated to me just how painful and self-destructive hiding your disability can be. He had erected an entire life around hiding who he was, and his defensive mechanisms had slowly killed him.

Label avoidance was common among the parents of potentially Autistic children during the 1990s, because the condition was so poorly understood and demonized. Autistic people were assumed to be intellectually disabled, and intellectual disabled people were not valued or respected, so many families did their damnedest to keep the label off their kids’ backs. Though Crystal’s grandfather intended to protect her from bigotry, and from being infantilized, he also denied her important self-knowledge, educational resources, and a place in the Autistic community. Without consulting Crystal, her family determined it would be better for her to suffer and hide her neurodiversity than to have a name for her marginalized position in the world. The weight of this decision is one Crystal continues to deal with now, as an adult who was diagnosed in her late twenties.

“Now I know I’m Autistic, but I kinda found out about it too late,” she says. “If I tell people, they don’t want to believe me. I have my life together too much for them to realize how hard it all is. Nobody wants to hear now about how hard it’s always been, always still is, frankly.”

At this point, I have heard hundreds of Autistic people tell versions of Crystal’s story. Some of the details change, but the narrative arc is always the same: A child exhibits early signs of difficulty, but their families and teachers balk when disability is raised. Parents or grandparents who themselves have Autism spectrum traits dismiss the child’s complaints, claiming that everybody suffers from the social stress, sensory sensitivities, stomach issues, or cognitive fuzziness they themselves experience. Everyone in the child’s life views disability not as an explanation of how a person functions (and what help they need in order to function), but a sign of damage. So they push the label away, and tell their child to stop making such a fuss. Believing they are helping their child “rise above” a limitation and be tough, they encourage the child not to be visibly odd, or to ever ask for assistance.

Though a masked Autistic child has no way of explaining why they find life so difficult, they suffer all the same. Peers detect there’s something unnameably “off” about them, and exclude them despite their best attempts at friendliness. When the child makes themselves small and inobtrusive, they’re granted some of the affection they desperately crave and never get enough of. So they do it more and more, quieting the voice inside themselves that says how they’re being treated isn’t fair. They work hard, demand little, and play by society’s rules as closely as possible. They grow into an adult who is even more self-effacing, and even less capable of voicing how they feel. Then, after decades of forcing themselves into a restrictive neurotypical box, they have some kind of breakdown that finally makes all the turmoil bubbling beneath the surface impossible to ignore. It’s only then that they discover they’re Autistic.

In Crystal’s case, the breaking point took the form of a months-long case of Autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is a state of chronic exhaustion where an Autistic person’s skills begin to degrade, and their tolerance to stress is greatly reduced. It hit Crystal like a Mack truck after she completed her senior thesis in college. College had taken her a few years longer than the rest of her friends, though she couldn’t explain exactly why. She was always having to drop classes in order to hold her life together. A full course load just wasn’t possible. When people asked about it, she lied and said she also worked a full-time job.

In her final year of college, Crystal was required to oversee set design for the theater department’s biggest show of the year. Designing dozens of props, sourcing their materials, managing the building of them, and then keeping track of all the items in a big Google spreadsheet was simply too stressful for her to manage, especially while taking her final remaining classes. She pushed through, losing hair and losing weight, but once the project was completed, she collapsed.

“After I graduated, I was in bed at my mom’s house for three months,” she says. “Didn’t apply to jobs. I barely showered, had all these McDonald’s wrappers on the floor of my bedroom, and my family still insisted I was just being lazy.”

Eventually, Crystal became so lethargic that she no longer wanted to watch TV or play with the family dog. That was concerning enough for her mother to suggest she go see a therapist. An Autism assessment came shortly thereafter.

“At first I couldn’t believe it,” Crystal says. “My family still doesn’t believe it. They had every indication, my whole life, but they don’t want to see it.”

At last, Crystal had an explanation for why she couldn’t get as much done as other people, and why basic-seeming tasks like running to the bank or sitting through a two-hour lecture left her too tired to think or speak. Regular life actually did require more willpower out of her; Autistic people frequently experience inertia in starting a task, and challenges in breaking complex activities down into small steps that follow a logical sequence. This can make everything from basic household chores to applying to jobs and filing taxes incredibly challenging, or even impossible without help.

In addition to all the baseline cognitive and sensory challenges that came with Autism for Crystal, she was also having to put a lot of energy into always seeming “normal.” She constantly fought the urge to suck on her fingers, and when people spoke to her, she had to forcibly point her attention at their words and face. Reading a book took her twice as long as the average person. All she had the energy to do at the end of the day was sit in bed and eat french fries. Crystal’s mother and grandfather were unsatisfied by this newfound explanation, though. They said that if she had really been hurting that bad all her life, they would have realized it.

“I wish I could make them understand,” she says, “Autism isn’t what you think.”

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B098PXH8CK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harmony (April 5, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 5, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4383 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 295 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0593235231

Best Sellers Rank: #15,091 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1 in Autism
- #1 in Parenting eBooks on Children with Disabilities
- #2 in Children's Health (Kindle Store)

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4.7 1,974 ratings

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Dr. Devon Price is a social psychologist, writer, and professor at Loyola University of Chicago’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Price’s work has appeared in numerous publications such as Slate, The Rumpus, NPR, and HuffPost and has been featured on the front page of Medium numerous times. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

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Joshua Awesome

Unmasking Autism: A Personal Journey of Discovery and Acceptance

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2024

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"Unmasking Autism" extends beyond the confines of a mere book; it resonates deeply with my personal journey, weaving a narrative of familiarity and profound self-discovery. The term "Autism" has been a lingering source of apprehension in my life, especially as I recognized echoes of my own experiences reflected in the stories of others. The pivotal point in my quest for self-acceptance came in March 2023, focusing initially on acknowledging my ADD diagnosis from 1990—a facet of my identity I had rarely discussed.

Diving into ADD literature revealed a captivating parallel, drawing connections between ADD and autistic brains. This revelation served as a catalyst, igniting a year-long exploration into the intricate world of autism. What commenced as a personal endeavor evolved into a collective journey, with my immersion in literature becoming a shared experience, offering insights to those grappling with similar questions.

In the course of this exploration, a trans friend recommended "Unmasking Autism," recognizing its potential to illuminate shared experiences. The book surpassed the confines of its pages, transforming into a reflective mirror that captured the nuanced contours of my own narrative. Despite life's challenges, the joy and enlightenment found within the book emerged as guiding forces, shaping my ongoing pursuit of authenticity.

Navigating the terrain of special interests presents its own challenges. While many autistic individuals find their passions in objects or subjects, my most profound special interest has always been people. This led to a lifetime of attempting to blend in, striving to avoid standing out and seeking acceptance. I've learned that autistic individuals with this unique special interest often go unnoticed, appearing "normal" to the outside world, making it challenging for others to fathom the intricacies of our minds.

One of the most painful moments of my past year occurred when my therapist of 8 years dismissed the idea of autism, insisting, "I don't see that in you. Nothing you have shared makes me think you are autistic. You need to stop self-diagnosing." To my dismay, my therapist, with whom I had shared my innermost thoughts for nearly a decade, did not believe in neurodivergence. Dismissing my experiences, she chuckled, attributing ADHD diagnoses in the 80s to all boys. This experience spurred me on a quest to find a therapist who understands the autistic brain, a journey that, unfortunately, remains unfulfilled. "Unmasking Autism" stands as a pivotal chapter in my journey of self-discovery. Compelled to share its profound insights, I gifted copies to significant figures in my life—my mother and lawyer—in an earnest attempt to foster understanding.

Devon's work transcends the constraints of a conventional book; it serves as a companion, guiding through the intricate landscape of life with a unique perspective. With heartfelt gratitude, I commend Devon for crafting an insightful and relatable exploration of the autistic experience, providing individuals like me with a roadmap to embrace their authentic selves.

This truly is one of the most profound books I have ever read. Thank you! Also, I highly recommend the audiobook which is read by the author. It makes the story come alive and feels even more personal.

21 people found this helpful

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Katie

Informative

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024

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Liked it. Very helpful for a newly diagnosed autistic. Validating and educational.

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Jonas Mitchell

Eye Opening and Professionally Written!

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2024

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I LOVE how informational this book is. It is a very opening view to those who are on the spectrum or even want to understand those who are neurotypical!
This book answered a lot of confusing things going on as an undiagnoised Autistic/ADHD inflicted man. I grew up knowing i thought differently and worked differently to others, and i never really understood Autism fully until i came across videos. Eventually one recommended this book and I just had to order it.
Thank you, Mr. Price P.H.D, for writing this.

8 people found this helpful

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Andrew Moore

Good info, less powerful if you are a cis-white male

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2024

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I understand the author's drive to be inclusive, but I found it to be exclusive to me. It is difficult to receive a diagnosis like this, read the first book about it, and be cast as the demographic that has made it so difficult for everyone else. I do not fit the stereotypes about cis-white males who are autistic described by the author. I am quiet, empathetic, and not aggressive. There is a lot of talk about how everyone except cis-white males have had it so bad because they have been forced to adapt in different ways so they appear different, defying the previous diagnostic tests that were based on that behavior. While that is important information to have for a historical context, it seems like it would have been better presented as inclusive of everyone who did not fit the previous models rather than endlessly focusing on non-cis white individuals and the troubles they have. While I found the info helpful, it did not make me feel particularly welcomed or give me any epiphanies like many others. The constant "I am the problem" talk was distracting to the overall message for me.

28 people found this helpful

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E. Hood

Life changing & empowering

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2022

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This book, no exaggeration, changed my life. I’m a late-identified Autistic and it’s been tough to process… I’m still coming to terms with a lot and figuring out what it all means for my life going forward. This book gave me a place to start.

Dr. Price’s book is thorough (in true autistic fashion lol) and heartfelt. It includes not just his own story and reflections, but features an array of quotes from voices not typically centered in discussions of the autistic experience (and clearly that inclusive approach has upset some reviewers, and it is pretty disturbing that apparently any mention of the experiences of non-white, non-male, non-cis person is so deeply threatening).

It’s also concerning to see all critical reviews so far seem to boil down to “this book talks about trans and gay people, ew”, and even “hey, don’t be so mean to TERFs!” (no, I don’t politely refer to anyone expressing blatant homophobia and transphobia as “gender critical” just like I don’t call white supremacists “race realists”, because I refuse to sanitize and validate bigotry). This is so troubling considering a significant number of Autistic folks are trans or otherwise LGBTQIA+. To reject our identities, to other us and complain when we merely speak of our experiences, is fundamentally to deny and reject the lives and experiences of Autistic people. In other words, it’s yet another variety of ableism. You can’t claim to care about Autistic people if you *only* want to hear the stories of cis, straight, white Autistics, or if you find the mere mention of the existence of the rest of us troubling or offensive. We aren’t going anywhere and we don’t owe you an apology for existing out loud.

But I digress… if you or someone you know is Autistic, this is a must-read. *Especially* if you grew up thinking only little white boys can be Autistic, or that there is only one way autism is expressed in a life… or if, like me, diagnosis has brought on a lot of fear or loss of identity. This is a book that I believe will help many navigate the path towards not only awareness, but community, and not only acceptance, but liberation. Make no mistake; this book IS radical. And I firmly believe it’s the medicine we need right now.

76 people found this helpful

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Alexandre Veillette

Wonderful.

Reviewed in Canada on April 5, 2024

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Bought for my wife.

Meghan: "I haven't been much of a reader in my life so far, but to me, it says a lot, that this book was very enjoyable and relatable for me as a person who struggles with focus and comprehension. I recommend it to Autistics, Neurodivergents and their Neurotypical friends/family (Anyone, really) seeking a sense of understanding, validation, belonging and to broaden their sense of empathy in general while humans generally share overlapping traits and struggles in common. It's incredibly uplifting to read another person's words which name the things we feel and therefore, consolidate our thoughts and clarify perspective, which we struggle to understand about ourselves and crucially articulate for survival. I've found that it's helped to give me the language I need to communicate my emotions and needs while understanding how I can also teach and advocate for others.

Since reading Unmasking Autism, I and others notice how much more comfortable, relatable, enjoyable and honest I've been with my expression physically, verbally and emotionally. I'm finding my authentic self and it's good.

It's worth it."

Amazon Kunde

Absolutely love it

Reviewed in Mexico on July 1, 2023

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A must have for neurodivergent people in their self discovery journey

3 people found this helpful

Gisela Moreira ortt

Very touching and important.

Reviewed in Brazil on June 3, 2023

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This product is a must read for every autistic person or close friend or family member.

2 people found this helpful

Victor

Fist book where I felt understood and not as a subject

Reviewed in Germany on April 11, 2024

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I heard the saying "As neurodivergent, don't listen too much of what alistics think would be right to you" before from other AuDHD people before and I think this book is a pretty good example.
I've read a few books before about ("Asperger") Autism, and they where mostly absolutely useless or insulting. Either it repeated overhauled compendiums of childhood autism, or was catered to other alistics. Often with nitpicking of certain behaviours, double standards and generalizations.
Here I actually feel represented and heared. Its THE book that autistic people need to read if the want something that really helps them.
Thanks to the Author for this book!

Simone

Neurotypicals need to read.

Reviewed in Australia on April 18, 2024

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I loved this not only did it help me uncover who I am with my neurodivergence but it explained a lot about the ostracising alienating gaslighting manipulative oppressive marginalised group that fellow neurodivergents like myself are forced to live in.

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