The Autistic Experience: Silenced Voices Finally Heard

’My autism and ADHD are as integral to me as my sense of personal ethics’ --Lettie
’That clearly visible line for everyone else was non-existent for me, and often I was ridiculed’--Parnel
’Questioning authority? I was seeking clarification!’ --Loukas
’I hate eye contact but I do it in order to look normal’ --Diana

These are Autistic Voices, and this is The Autistic Experience.

Curated by psychologist and psychotherapist Marie-Laure Del Vecchio, and the Autistic Photographer, Joe James, whose own experience of trauma drives his mission to create an inclusive society. This book is a brave, unflinching and ultimately optimistic collection of stories about life in the lens of autism.

Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, often shocking and always eye-opening, these stories from people across the globe explore all aspects of autistic life - from the earliest childhood memories to the challenges facing the autistic parent or grandparent. From school days to office life, from teenagers to those in their seventies, across all genders, from people who are homeless to NASA scientists, The Autistic Experience explodes the myths around autism and celebrates the right to be autistic.

Taking a deep dive into controversies like the ’causes’ of autism this is, above all, a book that speaks to the hundreds of thousands of people both with and without an autism diagnosis who need to know that to live in a more inclusive, adjusted and autism-friendly environment is a right worth fighting for.

Joe James is The Autistic Photographer. Having experienced a very traumatic childhood and early adulthood prior to being diagnosed as autistic, he is determined to ensure no child or adult experiences the same combination of disadvantages and poor understanding that he did. His photography has attracted critical acclaim, and he is building a platform from which to inform and empower other autistic people, and as an outreach worker in schools and organizations such as Autism Oxford, and NEST.

Marie-Laure Del Vecchio is a Swiss psychologist and psychotherapist who specializes in Emotionally Focused Therapy and who is affiliated with the Swiss Federation of Psychologists and by the Association of Psychologists from the Vaud Canton.