Autism Is Not a Disease by Jodie Hare. Finished 1-21-25, 4/5 stars, Neurodiversity, 160 pages, 2024

Neurodiversity is one of the most urgent political issue of our times. As the number of diagnoses of Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia rise, we are starting to understand that there is no such thing as a normal brain. But society is still organised around neuro-normalcy, and autism is treated as a social disease. Jodie Hare, diagnosed with autism at twenty-three, argues that it is time to redefine the politics of who we are.

from Goodreads

This was a very thoughtful and eye opening book about the current state of the neurodiversity fight written by a woman diagnosed with autism at 23.

It’s 120 pages of the why, the numbers, and the way the fight for neurodiversity intersects with many other groups struggling for a way to change the system we live in.

I appreciated her perspective. As a parent, I still need to process some of it. A few things I’m not sure I see the way she does and that’s okay. It still gave me a lot of new information and I’m glad that she covered how these other fights, LGBTQ and others..) intersected with the one of neurodiversity.

An interesting and current book on what’s happening in the world of autism.

“Autistic people are thought to experience a substantially increased risk of self-harm in comparison to non autistic people, studies suggesting their likelihood of self-harming is three times higher.”

“In medical settings, neurodivergent individuals are often denied access to life-saving transplants on the basis of their disability…The extent of this discrimination became so widespread that, in 2021, laws were passed in multiple US states to ensure that disabled people were eligible for organ transplants…”

“Recent studies suggest that transgender and gender-diverse people are between three and six times more likely as cisgender adults to be diagnosed as autistic.”