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nataliecoyne 's review for:
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
This is an excellent read, and one that I would recommend to almost anyone, whether you are Autistic and chronically ill yourself (like me), or want to learn more about the best way to accommodate people who are Autistic and/or chronically ill. I won't go too much into the latter part of that, but for the former, I felt incredibly seen in so many of the things highlighted in this book and, while some of the tips were things I already knew, there are also some tips and motivational words in this that are new.
I also just saw myself seen in the experiences of the interviewees, especially as there was some overlap in some of the chronically ill conditions. I, myself, have endometriosis, ADHD, fibromyalgia, GI issues, and non-24 sleep-wake cycle disorder (amongst other conditions, but these are just the ones I recall interviewees in the book also having). Which, by the way, I was caught off-guard by seeing non-24 mentioned in the book, especially as it was early on in the book, as I feel it is really not talked about and I didn't even know about the overlap between Autism and circadian rhythm disorders.
All of this being said, this book, while something I think everyone should read, is written to be best suited for British readers. That makes sense, seeing as Charli Clement is British. But it means that there are some resources, laws, etc. throughout that, as an American, I read and there's nothing I can do with those particular resources. A piece of advice that is mentioned multiple times throughout the book is using a sunflower lanyard to signify that you have an invisible disability, something very common and very easily recognizable in the UK to, well, signify someone has an invisible disability. But I ended up sighing each time I read it, because it's just not applicable in the US.
Of course, this is a bit picky on my part. Obviously, not every advice in every situation will apply to everyone. But I did want to throw this out there so other potential readers know, especially other potential readers who are Autistic and/or chronically ill themselves. This is also what, personally, led me to rating this book 4.75 stars instead of a full 5 stars.
Otherwise, I do still recommend this. It's also a really easy read, and the paperback was clearly designed with readability/accessibility in mind. The font size, font choice, and spacing is really great.
I also just saw myself seen in the experiences of the interviewees, especially as there was some overlap in some of the chronically ill conditions. I, myself, have endometriosis, ADHD, fibromyalgia, GI issues, and non-24 sleep-wake cycle disorder (amongst other conditions, but these are just the ones I recall interviewees in the book also having). Which, by the way, I was caught off-guard by seeing non-24 mentioned in the book, especially as it was early on in the book, as I feel it is really not talked about and I didn't even know about the overlap between Autism and circadian rhythm disorders.
All of this being said, this book, while something I think everyone should read, is written to be best suited for British readers. That makes sense, seeing as Charli Clement is British. But it means that there are some resources, laws, etc. throughout that, as an American, I read and there's nothing I can do with those particular resources. A piece of advice that is mentioned multiple times throughout the book is using a sunflower lanyard to signify that you have an invisible disability, something very common and very easily recognizable in the UK to, well, signify someone has an invisible disability. But I ended up sighing each time I read it, because it's just not applicable in the US.
Of course, this is a bit picky on my part. Obviously, not every advice in every situation will apply to everyone. But I did want to throw this out there so other potential readers know, especially other potential readers who are Autistic and/or chronically ill themselves. This is also what, personally, led me to rating this book 4.75 stars instead of a full 5 stars.
Otherwise, I do still recommend this. It's also a really easy read, and the paperback was clearly designed with readability/accessibility in mind. The font size, font choice, and spacing is really great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racism, Transphobia, Gaslighting
Minor: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Classism