My husband was recently diagnosed autistic, which came as both a relief and a surprise following over a decade of trauma within our marriage, challenges in his career, and struggling with life in general as a neurodiverse adult trying to live in a culture built for neurotypical individuals.

I decided to borrow a book from the library that might help me learn how his brain operates and why he behaves the way that he does, so that I can try and be a little more accommodating to his needs rather than reverting to exasperation and accusations as in previous years.

Read my review to see if I recommend the book and where you can buy it.

My Review of “Autism in Adults (Overcoming Common Problems)” by Dr Luke Beardon

I found this book easy to read despite its heavy subject matter. Autism has become a hot topic in society, and it seems that lots of people are chasing diagnoses for the condition, almost as though it is a bit of a trend. Believe me, there is nothing trendy about autism. I am a neurotypical, average adult woman, and my husband has been incredibly difficult to live with. The book helped me to understand a little about how his mind operates. I was able to read conversation scenarios between neurotypical people and autistic individuals with explanations about how differently they see the world. Autism is not an illness. It isn’t something bad. It is simply something that exists, and if we can recognise it and adapt our way of life to support individuals with autism, maybe we can all get along a little better.

The book led me to ask my husband questions about situations we had struggled with. This time I could ask him why he responded the way that he did to something that upset both of us, and I was able to learn how to respond differently to him in the future. Thanks to reading this book, I can imagine how my husband might interpret a situation, and I can better prepare him to cope with it, or I can change it to make it easier for him. We must learn to compromise so that our needs are met, and I think having books like this available to us is a great starting point.

About the Book

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with ASD, or think you might be, or you are close to someone with ASD, one of the things you will like most about this book is the way in which it challenges the idea of autism as a ‘disorder’ or ‘impairment’. Instead, Dr Luke Beardon will help you to reframe what you feel, and challenge what you

know, about being on the spectrum. He explains how autism impacts on the individual, and what purpose a diagnosis might – or might not – serve. There is a lot of myth-busting and dismantling of the stereotypes and clichés around ASD and areas like communication, social interaction and relationships. Practical tips for undiagnosed adults will help you navigate things like school, work, study, parenthood and even to understand what happens when autistic people break the law.

Above all, this book is a celebration of what it means to be autistic – of the passion, honesty, humour, lack of ego, loyalty and trustworthiness that make you, or your loved one, such an amazing person.

Buy the book: Amazon; Waterstones; WHSmith.

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