Book Review: Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD

I’m not Autistic myself, so I’m always looking to learn more about the Autistic experience. Learning from actually Autistic people has helped me to better understand my late husband, our two late-diagnosed Autistic children, and the many Autistic people I work with and meet.

One of the best resources I’ve found lately has been Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price, PhD. This book is professionally and factually informative with a ton of research backing it up. It is also intensely personal, as Dr. Price is a proud Autistic person himself, as well as an author, professor, and social psychologist.

Unmasking Autism dives deep into Autism and what it means to be Autistic. It also defines masking and addresses the associated cost. A mask can be a heavy burden to wear, but it’s not always easy or safe to unmask. Dr. Price highlights the challenges faced by Autistic women, people of color, and those who are gender non-conforming, who are often marginalized.

Through stories of actually Autistic people he knows, Dr. Price takes us through the many aspects of learning about Autism, about masking, and the process of unmasking.

This book proposes new ways to re-think Autism, for example, reframing Autistic stereotypes. Rather than describing an Autistic person as stubborn, let’s say they are assertive and persistent. And isn’t assertiveness an important skill we want all of our children to learn? Instead of calling someone distractible, let’s call them perceptive. Autistic people notice and perceive so much that the rest of us might miss. And rather than calling someone loud, recognize that they are enthusiastic and zestful. I’ll take enthusiasm over apathy any day. Traits that many people share don’t need to be used as negative labels when applied to Autistic folk.

Dr. Price offers wise counsel and evidence-based strategies for building an authentic Autistic life. Such a life is based on a person’s strengths, values, and needs. No one should feel compelled to “perform” a “normal” life that meets others’ expectations. To that end, he provides practices for everyday unmasking and becoming “radically visible” rather than hiding behind a mask. He describes radical visibility as both self-advocacy and self-expression. In order to undertake this admittedly terrifying challenge, he promotes forming meaningful Autistic relationships as well as Autism-friendly relationships with people who are allistic (not Autistic).

In this book, Dr. Price shares his vision of creating a neurodiverse world where Autistic folk would not feel the need to mask. Such a world would have sensory-friendly public spaces, broadened social norms, and systems in place for everyone to get their needs met. He supports an end to the medical model of disability that implies that there is something “wrong” or “abnormal” about being Autistic. There is nothing wrong with Autism

There is so much more of value in this book that I cannot begin to share every topic that is covered. You really need to read this book yourself. You will be glad you did.

One of my favorite quotes from this book is:

“To unmask is to lay bare a proud face of noncompliance, to refuse to buckle under the weight of neurotypical demands. It’s an act of bold activism as well as a declaration of self-worth. To unmask is to refuse to be silenced…Together we can stand strong and free…with the recognition that we never had anything to hide.” ~Devon Price, PhD, Unmasking Autism

Unsolicited review written by Wendela Whitcomb Marsh