Sarah O'Brien (1)

4.5/5
A perfect introduction for anyone soon to be leaving high school and/or starting university or work.

Like Charli Clement says on the back: "... an autism-affirming starter guide to the world as an autistic person..."

This was very positive and affirming even though some of the topics are tough. Sarah O'Brien talks about autism paired with other conditions, medication types, handling school and work, challenges, therapy, and so much more. There's a list of books and podcasts about autism, show more there's a glossary, references, and an index. We love to see it!

There were a few errors that weren't caught by the editing that I noticed, but you'll still understand everything.

I loved this book. It's exactly what it says it is. It's for teens and young adults who are leaving high school soon and going to university or entering the work force. She's British so she is writing from a British/UK point of view, but it's a stepping stone to get you started. There's plenty of resources you can take from this that will help regardless of your location, like the types of questions to ask and things to figure out for support. It's written very plainly and was very easy to read. The formatting was simple, but not huge amounts of white space. I still found it very easy to read and it kept my attention.

I would recommend this. I will happily buy it. I now have 18 new books to look for in my library. I'll link them here in case people want to add them to their TBR list.

1. [b:All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism|29360622|All the Weight of Our Dreams On Living Racialized Autism|Lydia X.Z. Brown|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500318509l/29360622._SY75_.jpg|49605278] edited by [a:Lydia X.Z. Brown|16995534|Lydia X.Z. Brown|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1504692675p2/16995534.jpg], [a:E. Ashkenazy|15066949|E. Ashkenazy|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], and [a:Morénike Giwa Onaiwu|15066950|Morénike Giwa Onaiwu|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1637799078p2/15066950.jpg]

2. [b:The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic|50308978|The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic|Siena Castellon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578286132l/50308978._SX50_.jpg|74204834] by [a:Siena Castellon|19737494|Siena Castellon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1580820503p2/19737494.jpg]

3. [b:Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism|38884913|Spectrum Women Walking to the Beat of Autism|Barb Cook|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534033798l/38884913._SX50_.jpg|60426776] edited by [a:Barb Cook|17759507|Barb Cook|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and Dr. [a:Michelle Garnett|6989147|Michelle Garnett|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

4. [b:The Autism and Neurodiversity Self Advocacy Handbook: Developing the Skills to Determine Your Own Future|60820687|The Autism and Neurodiversity Self Advocacy Handbook Developing the Skills to Determine Your Own Future|Barb Cook|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650087204l/60820687._SY75_.jpg|95913021] by [a:Barb Cook|17759507|Barb Cook|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Yenn Purkis|19785762|Yenn Purkis|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

5. [b:Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Guide For LGBTQIA Teens on the Spectrum|56669784|Queerly Autistic The Ultimate Guide For LGBTQIA Teens on the Spectrum|Erin Ekins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614882638l/56669784._SY75_.jpg|88569420] by [a:Erin Ekins|21083414|Erin Ekins|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

6. [b:We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation|55985404|We're Not Broken Changing the Autism Conversation|Eric Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606026641l/55985404._SX50_.jpg|87211805] by [a:Eric Garcia|158804|Eric Garcia|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236666210p2/158804.jpg]
7. [b:Drama Queen: One Autistic Woman and a Life of Unhelpful Labels|57663544|Drama Queen One Autistic Woman and a Life of Unhelpful Labels|Sara Gibbs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621188366l/57663544._SX50_.jpg|90321945] by [a:Sara Gibbs|1023456|Sara Gibbs|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

8. [b:Stim: An Autistic Anthology|44776034|Stim An Autistic Anthology|Lizzie Huxley-Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583256121l/44776034._SY75_.jpg|69415090] edited by [a:Lizzie Huxley-Jones|19024254|Lizzie Huxley-Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1707053080p2/19024254.jpg]

9. [b:Odd Girl Out|34617842|Odd Girl Out|Laura James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490990501l/34617842._SY75_.jpg|55771752] by [a:Laura James|386955|Laura James|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

10. [b:I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder: A Memoir|53625200|I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder A Memoir|Sarah Kurchak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590771845l/53625200._SY75_.jpg|71246242] by [a:Sarah Kurchak|19252657|Sarah Kurchak|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1609191946p2/19252657.jpg]

11. [b:The Electricity of Every Living Thing|37831997|The Electricity of Every Living Thing|Katherine May|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515152504l/37831997._SY75_.jpg|59514887] by [a:Katherine May|611020|Katherine May|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1662225193p2/611020.jpg]

12. [b:Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times|52623750|Wintering The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times|Katherine May|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1629894278l/52623750._SY75_.jpg|70486056] by [a:Katherine May|611020|Katherine May|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1662225193p2/611020.jpg]

13. [b:Diary of a Young Naturalist|48853063|Diary of a Young Naturalist|Dara McAnulty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574068686l/48853063._SX50_.jpg|74242168] by [a:Dara McAnulty|19744406|Dara McAnulty|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1578936976p2/19744406.jpg]

14. [b:The Neurodiversity Reader: Exploring concepts, lived experience and implications for practice|50532252|The Neurodiversity Reader Exploring concepts, lived experience and implications for practice|Damian Milton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591456048l/50532252._SX50_.jpg|75513883] edited by [a:Damian Milton|15668310|Damian Milton|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

15. [b:How to Be Autistic|53118079|How to Be Autistic|Charlotte Amelia Poe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568242393l/53118079._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73350166] by [a:Charlotte Amelia Poe|8940558|Charlotte Amelia Poe|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]

16. [b:Existing Autistic|54637025|Existing Autistic|Megan Rhiannon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596787117l/54637025._SX50_.jpg|85245050] by [a:Megan Rhiannon|20526888|Megan Rhiannon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1666600467p2/20526888.jpg]

17. [b:NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity|22514020|NeuroTribes The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity|Steve Silberman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421707890l/22514020._SY75_.jpg|41957894] by [a:Steve Silberman|3892405|Steve Silberman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1449234450p2/3892405.jpg]

18. [b:University And Chronic Illness: A Survival Guide|50966129|University And Chronic Illness A Survival Guide|Pippa Stacey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580730590l/50966129._SY75_.jpg|75824903] by [a:Pippa Stacey|18109976|Pippa Stacey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1675265154p2/18109976.jpg]

TBR: 2023
Read: July 6, 2024 show less