Untypical: How the world isn’t built for autistic people and what we should all do about it

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Pete wants to bust a range of myths and stereotypes, particularly in schools. As an example, he says: What I didn't expect is to be able to relate to the book as much as I have done! At one point I actually burst into tears as he described something that I do all of the time. Like every possible moment I can do it, I'm doing it. I've never heard anyone else talk about it before and then suddenly I'm reading it in this book as if I could have written it. It shooketh me.

Solely cis-male perspective and light-heartened, yet revealing the sad truth on the society's view and treatment to people who are autistic. Navigating and surviving in a world where there is less tolerance as a generalisation to autistic people is already tough and equally challenging enough, what more about thriving?It often begins in childhood, when it becomes apparent that their social skills are different to that of their peers and they’re frequently at a loss to understand what’s going on. Frequently, autistic people are mistreated and bullied because of all or some of these things. This leads a lot of the autistic community to learn how to adopt a kind of persona – based on all the things they have noticed in other people – to fit more easily into society. Considering it’s usually self-taught, it’s often extraordinarily successful and is one of the main reasons why so many autistic people slip through the diagnostic net and only realise they’re neurodivergent much later in life.” A wonderful book about achieving better awareness and a more inclusive society for people on the autism spectrum.’ – Roger Clark

This had lots of good information and was coming from a good place, plus I also appreciated that it was a UK autism book.The book seeks to explain what it is like to navigate society from the perspective of an autistic person, and is a call to arms to create a more inclusive society for neurodivergent people. By far the book that comes close to describing my own experience of life as an adult who has been diagnosed with autism and adhd in his lae thirties. This book is a great starting point for people, not autistic and autistic alike, who want to know what life for autistic people can look like. It's an important source for friends, family and especially employers!

Hij benadrukte dat speciale interesses niet beperkt zijn tot het stereotype beeld. Even verderop besprak hij steeds onderwerpen zoals wiskunde, computerspelletjes en superhelden. Ik vind hier weinig vrouwelijke insteek terug, net zoals in de rest van het boek eigenlijk. Net daarom dat ik een ding zoals een literatuurlijst essentieel vind om een grondig onderzoek te kunnen doen. The modern world is built for neurotypicals: needless noise, bright flashing lights, small talk, phone calls, unspoken assumptions and unwritten rules – it can be a nightmarish dystopia for the autistic population. In Untypical, Pete Wharmby lays bare the experience of being ‘different’, explaining with wit and warmth just how exhausting it is to fit in to a world not designed for you. At one point he wrote: 'I poured a great deal of energy into meditation and mindfulness, acupuncture and even to yoga.' and I was out, even yoga? What's that supposed to mean (I teach yoga). My difficulties with the book may be that I have simply reached my present limit with the "zeal of the autism 'convert'" (ie recently adult diagnosed) I don't think I would have found the book quite so irritating where I did (and I did) had the book been titled differently. For me, it was not the book it says it is on the cover... and doesn't need to be. That's not where its value lies. He's vehement about the annoyances of 'we're all a bit on the spectrum' and 'we all experience that' and rightly so... but, like so many he generalises and stereotypes the 'neurotypical' experience (ie non-autistic)

I expected something more researched than ‘autistic people I have spoken to over the years’. I now have a very clear idea of what autism as experienced by the author is like, but none of the way in which it can vary between individuals (and between men and women). So read this, because we need to build a better world for autistic kids and adults, which would benefit everyone else, too. This brilliant, funny, important book shows how we can all make the world a bit better for everyone but especially our neurodiverse friends, loved ones and possibly ourselves.’ Sarah Hart This book was different to the usual non-fiction book which centres around autism. I myself have autism and ADHD so i found it refreshing to read another autistics persons take on how they viewed the world.

Pete graduated with a BA in English in 2004 and an MA in Modern and Contemporary Writing from Loughborough in 2005. My son always comes home from school or social outings absolutely shattered and needing time to decompress after hours of sensory stimulation and Pete's writing has helped me to better understand how all of life's unwritten rules to socially adapt are hugely mentally and physically draining. But this book is more than an explanation. After a late diagnosis and a lifetime of ‘masking’, Pete is the perfect interlocutor to explain how our two worlds can meet, and what we can do for the many autistic people in our schools, workplaces and lives. The result: a practical handbook for all of us to make the world a simpler, better place for autistic people to navigate, and a call to arms for anyone who believes in an inclusive society and wants to be part of the solution.

In seeking to encourage a change in the world, the book also looks at how people can be allies. Tips include being aware of masking, reserving judgement, and understanding that “communication differences can have drastic outcomes”. So if you want to learn how to make life for your Favorite Autistic™ a little less confusing and overwhelming, this is the book.