'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.