Summary of Devon Price’s Unmasking Autism

Sample Book Insights:

#1 Crystal’s grandfather, who was Autistic, did not want to diagnose his granddaughter, because he feared the consequences of having a disabled grandchild. He hid her condition from everyone, including Crystal, until his death.

#2 Crystal’s story is common among Autistic people. They experience the world differently, but their parents and teachers don’t believe them when they say they are struggling. They push the label away, and tell their child to stop making such a fuss.

#3 Crystal’s family still does not believe she is on the spectrum. They had every indication that she was hurting, but they didn’t want to see it. She was constantly fighting the urge to suck her fingers, and when people spoke to her, she had to forcefully point her attention at their words and face.

#4 Autism is a neurological condition that is developmental in nature. It is largely genetically heritable, but it is also multiply determined, meaning it has no single cause. Every Autistic person’s brain is unique and exhibits its own distinct patterns of connectivity.