Spectrums

by Maxfield Sparrow (Editor)

Solely written by trans people on the spectrum, this collection of personal stories foregrounds their own voices and experiences on a range of issues, such as coming out, access to healthcare, employment, relationships, parenting, violence and later life self-discovery among other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, LGBT, Disability, Queer, Transgender, Gender

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2020

Reviews

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an autistic non-binary person, this non-fiction anthology is one of the most empowering and affirming things I've ever read. It's such a diverse collection of voices, people of very different backgrounds and with very different life stories and identities. It truly shows how both being autistic and being trans/non-binary are different experiences for everyone. It was also amazing to see a lot of somewhat older people being included in this, since a lot of people make the assumption that these identities are somehow new.

One thing I found lacking is the writing style. Of course everyone wrote their own contributions and because of that, not every story was as readable. On the plus side, I did think this also enhanced my reading experience at times, because the stories didn't feel polished and that made them feel very real.

[Geneviève (thefreckledbookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW : mentions of suicide and drugs/substance use

An anthology written by trans people who find themselves on the autism spectrum? HECK YAS!! My sibling identifies as trans, and ever since their transition, they told me about people who realized they were trans in their early adult life, because they're ASD had taken so much room in their earlier lives. Not necessarily by their own means, but often because of how people on the outside treated them.

Every story is very well written, and captivating in its own way. The contributors all vary widely in ages, experiences, and some even wrote poems! I found it interesting how one of the writers used Star Trek (the tv series) to explore "ethical dilemmas, and lifestyles that would normally be taboo subjects when set in the present." Society accepts aliens alternating between genders in Star Trek... because it's sci-fi? Ugh.

"They were not listening to their patients, but viewing them through a medicalizing lens that left no room for the possibility that an autistic person might have enough empathy, theory of mind, and cognitive capacity to actually be transgender." Sadly, quite a few contributors to this anthology experienced the same thing. Many were told they couldn't be trans, because they are Autistic. As if whatever they say or choose to be, they are not taken seriously in general because of their autism.

I was fascinated by the story of one of the contributors, stating the amazing results when a 'severe' non verbal Autistic child was finally taken seriously and the correct pronouns were applied = the 'severe autism' turned out to be layers of anxiety and gender disphoria. That child could converse and speak in full sentences in just a few weeks of the correct pronouns applied.

SOME OF MY FAVE REMINDERS :
• Transition is a perpetual process, and you can vary along the spectrum your entire life
• One of the contributors wrote : "being non-binary is seen by others as a political act rather than simply being how I am." this also reminds me why I hate people lol.
• These stories confirm that ADHD is often misdiagnosed (instead of ASD)
• Society undervalues the love/passion for subjects or activities that bring people profound joy
• You have a right to consider yourself trans, even if you realized your true identity 'late'. Better late than never, right? Your identity is VALID. NO MATTER WHAT. 🌈💛

[Anwen Hayward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the idea of this anthology, but it feels like it would have benefited from much more prudent editing. Maybe it could have been separated into sections based on themes to prevent some of the repetition, or to give it a more cohesive structure. As always with an anthology-style book, some of the essays were much more readable than others, but it feels like them could have been vastly improved with some editorial revision.

Still, I did appreciate the aims of this book, and what it tries to do (and largely succeeds in doing.) I really liked how it shows so many different perspectives, and the diversity really works in its favour. It feels like a lot of people are being represented here, and I definitely feel like it works well as a counter argument to the idea that all autistic people are somehow the same. I would love for there to be a follow-up or sequel anthology, because this one was close to hitting the mark for me, but didn't quite get there.

[Effie (she-her) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο αποτελείται από 37 διαφορετικές ιστορίες ανθρώπων με ανησυχητικά κοινές εμπειρίες. Μετά την 3η - 4η ιστορία γίνεται πλέον αντιληπτό ότι οι εμπειρίες των ατόμων με αυτισμό αγνοούνται και περνούν αδιάφορες στα νευροτυπικά άτομα. Πέραν του ότι προσπαθούμε να χωρέσουμε τα αυτιστικά άτομα στα δικά μας μέτρα αντίληψης του κόσμου, αδιαφορούμε ακόμα και για το πως βλέπουν εκείνα τους εαυτού τους.

Μέσα από αυτές τις καταγραφές γίνεται αντιληπτό, ακόμα και σε όσα άτομα δεν έχουν ασχοληθεί ξανά με το να κατανοήσουν τα άτομα με αυτισμό, το πόσα λίγα γνωρίζουμε για τον αυτισμό και πόσο έντονο στίγμα υπάρχει. Ενώ μια διάγνωση μπορεί να γίνει από τους 18 πρώτους μήνες ενός παιδιού, και πιο συχνά στα 3-4 έτη, τα περισσότερα άτομα που γράφουν τις εμπειρίες τους στο βιβλίο αναφέρουν ότι δεν είχαν διαγνωστεί μέχρι τα 18, 30, 40 τους χρόνια. Επιπλέον, κάποια άτομα είχαν διαγνωστεί, αλλά οι γονείς τους δεν τους το αποκάλυψαν μέχρι που έφτασαν σε μεγάλη ηλικία.

Πέρα από το στίγμα του αυτισμού, τα άτομα αυτά έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν ένα ακόμα πολύ έντονο στίγμα, αυτό της τρανς ταυτότητας. Μέσα από έρευνες που αναφέρονται στην εισαγωγή του βιβλίου και σε συνδυασμό με τις προσωπικές ιστορίες των γραφώντων, μαθαίνουμε ότι πολλά άτομα στο φάσμα του αυτισμού βιώνουν το φύλο τους διαφορετικά από τα νευροτυπικά άτομα. Μάλιστα, τα περισσότερα από τα άτομα που μοιράζονται τις εμπειρίες τους στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, είναι non-binary, genderfluid και κάποια χρησιμοποιούν τον όρο autigender ή παρεμφερείς όρους που αφορούν το φύλο σε σχέση με τον αυτισμό.

Τα περισσότερα άτομα φαίνεται να έχουν πολύ καλύτερη αντίληψη του φύλου τους απ'ότι ένα cisgender άτομο, κι όμως οι εμπειρίες τους απορρίπτονται διαρκώς με τη δικαιολογία ότι δεν μπορούν να αντιληφθούν σωστά τον κόσμο λόγω του αυτισμού. Επιπλέον, πολλά άτομα αναφέρουν ότι έχουν έρθει αντιμέτωπα με εκφράσεις όπως "είσαι πολύ έξυπνος για να είσαι αυτιστικός".

Πιστεύω όπως όλα τα cis νευροτυπικά άτομα οφείλουμε να διαβάσουμε το βιβλίο αυτό, όπως και άλλες εμπειρίες τρανς και νευροδιαφορετικών ατόμων ώστε να μάθουμε να τα σεβόμαστε και να προσπαθήσουμε να τα κατανοήσουμε, αντί να απορρίπτουμε τις εμπειρίες τους επειδή δεν ταιριάζουν με τις δικές μας.

[hon · Rating 2 out of 5]

as a trans autistic person i had high expectations and enthusiasm about engaging with this text. the subject matter is an important topic of discussion that i place great stakes on, but while there were a few essays that resonated with me, i found this collection to be particularly limited in its scope (especially with regards to other intersections of identity and which voices it amplified the most) and at times both grating and divisive. i wouldn’t discourage other trans and autistic people from reading it and don’t want to dismantle or undercut how other individuals describe their own experiences, but this was perhaps just not for me.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't fully explain in words how much I loved this anthology. Basically mini memoirs of different autistic queer people. Every single one autistic and queer, like me. Every one, in their own words.

It was like a warm hug. I saw myself in so much of it. Of course we're all different. Neither autism nor queerness are a monolith, but of course all being queer + autistic there was a lot to relate to.

So much of what I related to, I used to feel all alone about. I didn't know I'm trans until I was 30. I was nearly 32 when I realized i'm autistic. I went 30+ years without knowing either of them, though I did consider myself being trans long before 30 but I thought it was a sin + I was already "too much" being multiply physically disabled and bisexual (and "weird" as I put it at the time...as I now know...autistic) so I pushed those feelings back back back, stuffed them down, tied them up and gagged them as much as I could...until I couldn't anymore.

The autism, well, I had no freaking idea what autism meant beyond false stigmas and stereotypes. I realized i'm autistic through becoming an avid reader in my mid 20s and relating to character after character after character, none of them explicitly stated as autistic but again and again i'd see autistic people saying "Those characters are autistic, like me!" because of their autistic traits, that I didn't know where autistic traits at the time, and while that was frustrating because "I'm not autistic!" what was downright depressing was I also saw all the non-autistic people reading those same books...and *hating* those characters....for those same traits...that I related to...because autistic. I couldn't help but think "Do you hate me to?"

Eventually that happened so many damn times I went "OK OK FINE I'LL LOOK INTO THIS AUTISM BUSINESS ALREADY GEEZ!" and so I did...and then I couldn't stop learning all I could about autism and following autistic people on youtube, instagram, and elsewhere and reading up on autism. Which lead to me realizing...i'm autistic, and now i'm proud of that. I'm proud to be me now. I'm almost 35. It was a journey to get to this point, and the journey isn't over yet. It's not over as long as i'm still breathing.

Anyway, I love this book, so much. <3

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book meant so much to me.

I identified closely with many of the writers' experiences in this collection of essays by autistic trans people. I appreciated that contrary to the 'born this way' narrative we usually get in the mainstream about trans people, many of the authors here (though not all) did not 'always know' or always cross-gender identify. For many of us, it takes longer to come to realization about our gender because there are so many ways we don't fit with the world and the identity packages it offers up. It is virtually impossible for many of us to separate out the various ways we are queer. Gender dysphoria gets muddled up with our general anxiety and overstimulation and can be hard to recognize. And many of us live outside the binary.

I appreciated the diversity of the stories in terms of identity and age, and that there was some diversity in terms of geographical location and ethnicity (although most folks are white folks from UK or North America, there are some exceptions). There are different styles of pieces, with most taking a personal essay form, but there are also some poems and one essay about trans representation in Star Trek. I related to some more than others but I also appreciated learning from experiences different from my own. I enjoyed every piece.

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is so good and makes me feel very seen. I loved everything about this - the variety of personal experiences, writing styles, and topics that people chose to focus on within the more general theme. Might update this review later on when my thoughts settle but yeah big happy feelings related to this book

[cloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read this review and others hereon my blog!

“Spectrums” brings together and uplifts the voices of transgender and autistic people. I found this book, filled with personal stories, of joys and sorrows and the continual experience of self-discovery, to be deeply relatable. I think that this would be an incredible read for anybody along this particular intersection and it would make a reader feel less alone, more seen. And, regardless, I think it is vital to read, read, read everything, to understand and have empathy for more people.

I loved endever* corbin’s essay in which they state that their “six-word personal memoir is mostly: ‘one long drag show: no tips.'” I would love to read that memoir honestly. Rae Kersley’s poetry was also among my favorite sections. Their poems brought a smile to my face, with a pleasing usage of spacing and repetition to emphasize certain words.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and perhaps I’m a little nitpicky here, but I think it would read a little more cohesively if the entries were organized by theme.

[Noah Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🌟 a really fascinating, educational read from actual autistic, transgender individuals. i enjoyed this a lot for many reasons, but like many of the authors pointed out, there is very limited research on people who are both transgender AND autistic, despite researchers knowing that there’s a strong correlation between the two identities, so i think this series of essays is crucial for society to gain a better understanding of the lives of the autistic trans community. i learned a lot from this book and really enjoyed getting to hear the different voices of this community of wonderful people. i highly recommend!!!

[cé. · Rating 5 out of 5]

first and foremost, have you seen what the concept behind this anthology is? of course it was amazing, of course it is the kind of projects that are desperately needed, and of course you should read it

there are no times when reading own-voice texts could not be interesting and enriching, and as someone who is neither trans nor on the autism spectrum, this was truly a valuable read, as well as also being really enjoyable

props to all the authors who shared their words for creating such an important book

[Enya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry but no amount of solidarity with fellow trans autistic people can make me overlook bad writing.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley, many thanks to the publisher.

As a member of the trans and LGBTQI+ community and a neurotypical person (as far as I am aware), I was conscious of the overlap between trans/autism, but not in great depth. I think this is a very special collection of writing and I think it will help a lot of people, especially those who are on the spectrum(s). Reading these essays I found myself astounded by the clarity with which the writers discussed gender; something often so elusive and vague in other peoples' words. I found this whole book great at dealing with the subject of gender and for that I am very grateful, perhaps it is due to the fact that many of the writers are non-binary.

It is by no means an easy read, I found it quite emotionally demanding and struggled to make my way through it at my usual pace. Part of this is because most of the writers have dealt with a lot of hardship, some of which they cover in the book, and despite it being presented in a rather matter of fact way, it is still quite an emotional journey. But it is well worth it, all I had to do was pace myself and take breaks.

Having read this book, and as someone who wants to be a parent one day, I can see clearly how harmful denial and projecting on your children can be. So many lives could have been less distressing if people were listened to, trusted, taken seriously and not denied their differences. I will do better as a parent, friend, co-worker and stranger.

The collection consists mostly of personal essays, occasionally broken up by poetry. I particularly appreciated the breadth of experiences represented; the inclusion of narratives outside of the anglosphere and the essays penned by BIPOC writers.

[Harri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectrums is an anthology of personal writings from people who are both trans and autistic. The contributers cover a wide range of gender identities, races, locations and life experiences. These pieces of writing are human stories at the intersection of two identities, and they are wonderful to read. Some of the pieces are short, others are longer, and many of them do cover heavy topics such as suicide.

At the beginning of the book there is a short discussion on the benefits of research about trans and autistic people. The numbers show that trans people are more likely to be autistic and vice versa, and I found it interesting to read about why the data is a bit confusing. One example is that different researchers count different groups of people as transgender. This book takes a wide view of the word trans, not limiting itself to strict definitions of medical transition and binary genders, which is really great to see. Some of the pieces talk about the unique ways a lot of autistic people interact with and understand gender, so if you've ever been curious about words like neurogender, this book has some insight. It is made clear in the introduction that any research into these intersecting ideas must prioritise the voices of trans autistic people. Research should be of benefit to the people it is about, and a lot of research in the past related to these two groups has been detrimental.

All of these pieces are in the contributors' own word, and the pieces take several different forms. Some are accounts of their life and journey, some are poems, and some integrate special interests. One of them, 'An Exploration of the Intersection of Autistic and Transgender Coding in Star Trek' even has a more academic feel to it. This brings variation to the anthology. There is something new to discover in each chapter.

There are lots of differences between the life experiences of the contributors. Different schooling, from home school to mainstream school to SEN school. Different journeys to transition, whether socially or medically. Different journeys to an autism diagnosis, sometimes self, sometimes medical, sometimes as a child, sometimes as an adult. But weaving the different pieces together are many similarities. The positives of being autistic, and celebrating being neurodivergent. Interacting with the world in unique ways, both to do with autism and gender identity. Taking ownership over your own body, claiming autonomy, which is something often denied to both trans and autistic people. The pain of living in a world not built for your neurotype or your transness. The joy of finding your people and understanding yourself. Comparing the experiences of masking as an autistic and passing when trans comes up multiple times, along side discussions of the exhaustion and stress of having to change the way you are for society's benefit.

Of all of the pieces, two stuck out to me in particular. The slam poem 'Ableism in Poetry' was really powerful. 'The Rightness of Being Wrong' described a trans narrative that of not being born in the wrong body, but of becoming wrong for the body you were born in, which really struck me as describing my own experience with gender.

This book contains advice, explanations, encouragement, explorations, expression and validation. It holds hope for the future of autistic trans people. Hope of growing up and finding happiness and our place in the world. I see myself reflected in these stories. Maybe you'll see yourself too. Or maybe it'll give you a window of insight into people who are doubly misunderstood.

[Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectrums is a collection of short personal narratives and poems by trans autists from all over the world. Each of these authors has a unique perspective based upon any other intersections in their own identity, but each piece is centered around what it’s like to be transgender and autistic in today’s society.

Even after having sought out information on the relationship between these two identities for years, this was one of the most informative and comprehensive books that I’ve read addressing it so far. The short, factual introduction to the anthology was necessary for any readers not already aware of the correlation between being trans and autistic, and provided a lot of great talking points for the following authors to touch on in their own stories. One excellent element was the lack of oversimplification in the data that was presented, making it not only more factually accurate, but providing strong evidence for the argument that research into both of these is underfunded, and the intersection between the two, barely acknowledged.

As a trans and autistic person myself, I have enjoyed anthologies written by trans and autistic people respectively, but never read anything which echoes my own experiences quite as authentically as those in this book written by other people who are both. The underlying theme between all of these individual stories is the idea that gender is perceived very differently by autistic people, and therefore our relationship to gender, and being transgender, is unique to our own understanding of that concept. We hear “gender is a social construct” everywhere these days, but when you don’t have a solid grasp on those constructs to begin with, it’s harder to understand where the chalk lines dictating gender are drawn, and very easy for them to become blurred.

Another common thread is the thought that “because of the ways our society largely acknowledges neither gender diversity nor neurodiversity, [we are] also prone to feeling doubly invisible.” This being said, none of these stories are focused on the tragic side of either of these identities, rather, they celebrate the unique connection they possess, and use their negative experiences as evidence for the need to increase access to medical care in various countries. Overall, I really enjoyed reading about other people’s experiences in a way that didn’t oversimplify or minimize either of their identities, and as an anthology I appreciated the styles of writing and layout of each author’s piece.

[Emkoshka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps one of the most niche books I've read, but so worthwhile. I was initially drawn to it at the library because of the promise of stories from neurokin. It was the added dimension of transgenderism that really lifted it, though, and led me to reflect a lot on gender, discrimination and identity politics as well as my own childhood spent in baggy clothes, climbing trees and grappling with the body horrors of being female (periods, anyone?). As a child, I explicitly referred to myself as a tomboy, and as a teenager and adult struggled to understand and uphold the expectations placed on women. Even now, at age 40, I regularly 'forget' to put on make-up before leaving the house, which perhaps suggests that I've been successful in evading those stupid sociocultural norms imposed on women to look pretty at all times. I've never really thought about it before, but this book led me to realise that my attitude towards my own gender is pretty ambivalent. Forget the labels; I'm just me. And that's what this collection celebrates: the intersectionality of autistic authenticity and interrogating gender results in people who — despite much initial trauma and suffering — eventually get to the point where they feel free to be themselves, a great privilege that I suspect many neurotypical, cisgender people never experience, steeped as they are in those restrictive sociocultural
norms. All power to us, my gender-diverse neurokin!

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, let me start off by saying that although I am part of the lgbt+ community, I do not think I am either on the autistic or the trans spectrum. Despite the fact that I read this from an outsider's perspective, and I couldn't rely relate with a lot of things, there is something really special about this collection.

Through the essays, the poems, and every single text you get to see all those difference experiences, you find all the different ways in which those identities exist. Most importantly this book is a great medium to put these voices on a loudspeaker, of people that might not have been heard otherwise.

My only "problem", and the reason I don't give it 5 stars, is to be expected really. This anthology is not written by professional authors or something similar. In some texts this is more evident, meaning that occasionally their 'style' makes them harder to read. But as I said that is to be expected when the writing is not made by people who are professionally doing that. Other than that everything else was really great!

You should definitely have a go at this book!!

[Honorah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wide cross section of short essays by people at different points in their life. I liked that this included both people who were quite young and just starting out their life and considerably older folks who had lived a good portion of their life before they figured out they were autistic and/or transgender. That worked well for illustrative that often people knew a lot about themselves but didn't have the right language to explain that inner self to others.
Some of the writers were obviously much more polished than others due to this, but that also worked well for illustrating the range of experience. The person that wrote about how they were perceived as less capable of understanding themself simply because they used assistive technology to communicate also hammered home that point that just because its not polished, academic writing does not mean that people's lived experience is any less valid!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book comprises over 35 short pieces written by people who are on the autistic spectrum and also trans or nonbinary. Many of these people did not realize they were trans or on the spectrum until they were older teenagers or adults. So many interesting people!

Many of the stories were similar (this is how I realized I was on the spectrum, this is how I realized I was nonbinary, plus they were bullied in school) and for me, that repetition made it not so easy to read. At points, I found it disturbing, both because of the bullying (bad flashbacks to my childhood) and because I found myself almost inside somebody's head, and it was weird there (though no weirder than inside mine). I wondered if the book should have been edited more thoroughly, but that might have taken away from its "own voices" aspect. As it is, all the voices come through clearly. Nice collection.

[A Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book, I was expecting a collection of academically written extracts from study groups. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't the case.

With each "chapter" so to speak being an entry from a different gender non-conforming individual with autism spectrum disorder, I found this book extremely engaging and related to many aspects mentioned by these individuals. Moreover, with each submission being by a different writer, there was a combination of forms such as: poetry, memoirs and letters.

Definitely recommend to those looking for either research on ASD and being trans, or those who are on either spectrum looking for reassurance that they are not alone in this world.

[Nim · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of texts that I really loved in this anthology, but I felt that it surprisingly lacked some diversity. It could definitely have benefited from more editing, a lot of the texts are very similar in their tone, experiences, writers' backgrounds, and writing style. It felt that some where not so much sharing their stories with a reader, but were more writing their stories for themselves so there's not much to connect with or to take away. Which I feel defeats the purpose of such an anthology. Overall though, the ones I enjoyed felt really good to read and I'm glad that this book exists!

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intersection of neurodivergence and gender non conformity is an interesting one.

Although the research on this is just beginning, and data is not yet where we’d like it to be, it’s clear that there is a higher rate of trans identities among autistic people (and vice versa) than in the general population.

The anthology isn’t perfect nor reflects every single possible experience, and I feel that something in the editing could have been done to make the reading experience more cohesive. However, reading the voices and stories of people at this specific intersection is fascinating and, I’m sure, will be a precious and incredibly affirming experience for many.

[Oz Paszkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was extremely validating to someone who is both non-binary and is struggling to figure out their diagnosis. As an adult, I realized I might be on the spectrum and I wanted to join the community and listen to autistic voices to see if my experience was similar. This collection goes through transitions, diagnosis, school, friendships and more and I feel so seen. My only complaint is parts were somewhat redundant, such is the nature of this kind of collection, but really i just want more.

[Silas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m glad an anthology like this exists :) didn’t really learn anything new, which I perhaps could have guessed from the premise of the collection. Could’ve used some more editing for sure. A lot personal stories of when/how people realized they were trans and autistic. And literally one essay that wasn’t exactly that, which was incredible. Bodies with Purpose: An Exploration of the Intersection of Autistic and Transgender Coding in Star Trek. Literally just a single random essay about Star Trek when every other one was about the author’s life. Immaculate vibes, Gil Goletski ☺️

[Leah Berridge-Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought when I bought this book that I was going to want to share it with everyone - make all those around me read it so they understood me a little better. But as I finished it, I looked back at all the notes I wrote and things I highlighted and I think this book needs to be just for me. It was the most curious and powerful feeling to read so many’s stories and feel so connected with them for a few pages; people who knew exactly what it was to be me. And to share this with others right now seems painfully vulnerable. But, I love this book. It will be something I reread and refer to often.

[Ashton Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for hearing straight from the mouth of Autistic transgender people. It shows that these people have such a variety of experiences. And there is a sense of optimism that if they can get through their experiences, so can you. I found so much I could relate to as well. This book helped me also put my own experiences into perspective of how others dealt with similar things. It is beautiful seeing how many people came to find out who they are, even though many struggles can come our way.

[sallanvaara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enlightening anthology. I enjoyed the variety of experiences relayed between these covers, even though many of them perhaps quite naturally followed similar paths. The structural similarity of most texts made reading this a little monotonous at times, and some texts felt a little short to make a very big impact, but overall the whole of this collection is very strong despite some (to me) less impactful parts.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really eclectic selection of writings (as you might expect from authors with a spectrum condition). Some accounts were much more accessible than others, with some really interesting insights but in places reading this book was also like wading through mud (though, in some cases, perhaps that’s an accurate reflection of living with autism). Took me far too long to get through it but it was worth a read.

[Bug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that contains many different experience I could relate to (or not). Based on other reviews pointing out the lack of diversity, which I didn't notice too much, a majority of authors must be white and middle class and educated like I am. I am trying to read from more diverse point of views and I like anthologies for that reason: they let me read from different voices which aren't as common in published novels (what I usually read).

My favourite essay was the one which presents Star Trek characters as being trans and/or autistic coded, which lead me to watching the whole Deep Space 9 series over the past year and read it from this point of view. Maybe I love the book in retrospect because it brought me a new autistic point of view and a new special interest and habit, but it definitely impacted me a lot.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read, especially for neuroqueer folks: Autistic + Trans (either binary or non-binary).

Quote:
To every person on the spectrum who has paused to think about gender and every Trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming person who learned of Autistic traits and mused, “I’m just like that.” Your search for your deepest and truest self is beautiful to behold.