TITLE: Adult Autism Support Guide: Simple & Effective Strategies to Create a Supportive Environment, Recognize & Understand Symptoms, and Help Autistic Individuals Be Heard (Kindle Edition)
AUTHOR: Kelley, Maxine
SUBJECT AREA: Autism-Adulthood
PUBLICATION DATE: 2023
NUMBER OF PAGES: 189 (for Print Edition)
As more and more adults with ASD make their way into broader society, there have been more guidebooks and other tools to help them navigate the complexities of life. Maxine Kelley’s new book Adult Autism Support Guide is one of the best as it addresses the newer concept of neurodiversity which means that people have various ways of neurological functioning and that “normal” is only relative and may be a meaningless concept.
At the beginning of the book, the author explains the concept of being “neurotypical” and the concept of “neurodiversity” where people may have brains that function differently from the general population and may result in more challenges such as difficulties with sensory processing. Kelley then segues into an introductory description of autism including the more obvious signs such as difficulties with eye contact, not appearing to listen to the person speaking or looking at him or her and not always sharing interests and enjoyment with other people. I was fascinated by the author’s description of the brain differences in autism including the excess amount of cerebrospinal fluid in children with autism and the tendency toward a smaller amygdala and less tissue in the cerebellum.
Then, Kelley explores the concept of normality in greater depth that gives a more flexible definition of what being normal is to the reader. Other concepts that are explored include that of camouflaging one’s autism or “masking,” to look more acceptable that ties into the ableism so prevalent in our society. This has been found to be detrimental to the mental health of many adults with ASD and Kelley explores this and the prevalent discrimination that many adults on the autism spectrum face. It can result in difficulty with finding employment and problems with accessing health care.
I was also intrigued by her exploration of camouflaging which is apparently more common in women with ASD and she also discusses the consequences of masking and camouflaging. This section also includes suggestions on how to combat ableism, not an easy task, but an important one. Other concepts explored include the eight senses including interoception which is the awareness of one’s internal state such as hunger, illness or having to use the bathroom This section also includes strategies on dealing with sensory overload such as scent-free environments.
In addition, the author explores communication issues including expressive and receptive communication, mental health issues including anxiety and depression and related problems, such as task paralysis where one has difficulty starting or completing a task.
Emotional flexibility as well as executive functioning are important so that one can better plan for the day ahead and what needs to be done right at the moment, often a problem for adults on the Spectrum that Kelley discusses.
The cherry on top is that of the all-important diagnosis that can often make adults feel worse, but when I was diagnosed at 30, it changed my whole life for the better! Again, the author delivers timely advice and guidance including warning folks not to self-test with tools such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS), as it may not accurately pinpoint a diagnosis for that person as each person with ASD is different and there is a great deal of overlap among neurological conditions. This is the BEST ever book on helping adults with ASD and is geared both toward support people and the autistic adults themselves. A real winner!