Review of What is Autism?

[Ajiferuke Ajibola]

[Following is a volunteer review of "What is Autism?" by Damien Rist.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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"Palilalia is when you repeat yourself, while echolalia is repeating someone else."
"Palilalia is when you repeat yourself, while echolalia is repeating someone else."

When I originally read the above, I assumed there was a recurring error. After reading a few more lines, I realized the repetition was intentional. The author was only trying to emphasize that autistic people frequently repeat things and that non-autistic people should be aware of this. Damien Rist's What is Autism? communicates much. According to the author, more than ten years of research, coursework, and experience obtained through his years of living with autism contributed to the knowledge utilized to compile the content in the book. Autistic people are not abnormal, but rather differently wired. This book is more of a vehicle for explaining the reality of autism and how others should be understanding while communicating with autistic people, whether verbally or nonverbally. Autistic people and those who care for them face several difficulties. Autistic people sometimes need more time to process information and accept the present reality. Get a copy of this book if you want to learn more about autism.

From the introduction to the habits, attitudes, tendencies, and challenges, this book on autism is instructive. Autistic people deserve to be understood in the same way that we try to understand other people in our families, jobs, and social circles. I am concerned about how defenseless some of them are when a phase emerges out of nowhere and takes possession of their minds. In his analysis of autism, the author encourages individuals who are not autistic to attempt to understand those who are. He delivers several ideas in a way that only the most astute can comprehend. I love how poetry is used to express a message like this. Poetry is a more innovative and effective way of conveying deep thoughts in a few words. As a result, I was able to avoid taking the words at face value; instead, I spent time analyzing and meditating on each sentence to extract the author's intended meaning.

I learned about Sensory Processing Disorder. I noted that this is influenced by feelings of anxiety when they notice that a few things are out of order. I also learned that autistic people have more senses than the traditional five senses taught in schools. I discovered that masking is a way for autistic individuals to feel safe in their protective bubble. The majority of these behaviors are also displayed by non-autistic people; they just do them less frequently. The most intriguing to me are the terms 'echolalia' and 'palilalia'. I was drawn to them by the dramatic explanation approach taken by the author.

There is absolutely nothing to dislike in the book, but I do have one observation. Instead of using the word "fool" to emphasize his point, the author could have avoided rhyme or chosen a more appropriate word. However, this did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book.

The fact that only one error was discovered in the book suggests that it was professionally edited. I was able to read it numerous times and gain crucial insights because it is brief and written in poetry. For these reasons, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It can be used as a guide for anyone who wants to provide the best possible care to autistic people.

I recommend this brief but comprehensive book to parents, teachers, especially those who work with special needs children, coaches, and anybody else interested in creating healthy relationships with autistic people.

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What is Autism?
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[Bettny Andrade]

This is a book with a great theme. I think we should all have knowledge about autism because then, we know how to express ourselves and what attitudes to avoid when we are interacting with someone with autism.