Customer Reviews

Women From Another Planet?: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism

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To say I truly love this book would be a vast understatement. Instead of presenting one theory or the "Procrustean Bed" approach of painfully forcing people to support a certain finding, this book provides a myriad of insights into autism among women.

I am good and tired of the Rain Man stereotype that protrays people with autism has having savant abilities and no viable social skills; I am equally tired of the "rocking and staring" stereotype of autism as well. Sadly, stereotypes are so often applied to any population and this book unfortunately has passages wherein other groups are painted with the Stereotyping Brush. That is the only drawback.

Since this book contains a myriad of descriptions, it provides the much needed service of explaining that autism and its related neurobiological condition Asperger's is as unique as there are individuals who are on the spectrum. As the NT (neurotypical) population recognizes and claims individuality, the same applies among the a/A population.

How wonderful to find a book by people with autism about people with autism. This is the only work I am currently aware of that is concentrated on women who have autism. The fact that the authors come from all walks of life is representative of the multi-cultural/multi-ethnic world we all, as people live in is a very powerful statement. Autism does not discriminate.

I also like the way the authors describe their individual needs in coping with a largely NT world; the voice for accessibility can be seen, heard and felt throughout this work. The authors are not reluctant to challenge stereotypes and make individual claims describing how they are personally affected by having autism.

What makes this book so unique is that it is connects feminism and autism. NT issues are also addressed in this work as well. At no time did I feel these roads diverged; rather I felt the NT and a/A road converged frequently throughout this book.

A wide range of issues are discussed such as the spiritual aspects of people's lives; their core values and beliefs; their work experiences; things they do on a routine basis. Indeed, it is just this wide range that speaks even more to the diversity of the Autism Experience and encourage people to celebrate that part of their lives. Readers will come away wanting to wave the Autism Banner with Pride!

This book is a masterpiece. Like the Autism Ribbon made up of multi-colored, interlocking pieces, this book puts together a beautiful mosiac of the Autism Experience among a diverse group of women. The image as a whole, prose and poetry combined with each individual voice makes for a very unique work of art.

This book is for everybody. NT readers will come away with a greater understanding and appreciation for autism; readers on the a/A spectrum will feel this book speaks to some aspects of their lives. It contains a fresh set of perspectives about human lives and how autism is a part of those lives and not the sole focus. This is a book I'll keep banging on the drum for because I think the messages it imparts need to be heard by all, and not just the seemingly intended audience.

A good companion book to this one is Asperger's and Girls

This is certainly a book that will leave readers deep in thought for a very long time.

Disclosure - I received my copy of this book as a gift from one of the contributors, who has been a personal friend of mine for years.
As a woman on the spectrum, I am used to our views being constantly ignored. The female experience of autism is qualitatively different from that of the male. If we don't talk, we are "shy". If we don't socialize with others, or need to watch what they are doing before we can attempt to join in, we're "not socially adept". If we don't join in the backstabbing and constant talk about makeup, sexuality, and clothing starting in junior high and high school, we're downright weird.

It is both easier and harder to be a woman autistic. People who think we are just shy frequently try to find ways to encourage us to "join in". And a lot of behavior that people find threatening from males on the spectrum, while not precisely acceptable in us, is less socially inappropriate. If one of us likes someone and doesn't know how to approach them, but constantly hangs around that person, someone might find a way to introduce us, if the person doesn't notice us by him or herself. In a male autistic, this same behavior could lead to stalking charges and restraining orders.

The fact that so many different women contributed to this book is a big factor in its success - at least one voice in there is likely to speak to someone.

And as for being self-diagnosed and "trivializing" autism... it is very hard to get diagnosed as an adult. Most of us, even those who have documentation of our severel language delay, are either "too successful" to be diagnosed (i.e., we have a relationship, employment, or advanced degrees and doctors dismiss our concerns about ourself), or are just diagnosed "Asperger's".

Personally, I spent much of my childhood echolalic and couldn't speak in sentences until I was almost 8. I still flap, rock, and enjoy watching spinning objects, and am extremely auditorily hyper-sensitive. I can still heard dog whistles. Bright colors disturb me, and I still can't drink out of cups that are colors other than clear, white, or blue without throwing up.
My childhood "diagnosis" was elective mutism (now called selective mutism) with autistic features, because I could read and answer yes/no or multiple choice questions. At the time, to be called autistic, you had to be mentally retarded. Learning disabilities (such as my inability to do even the simplest mathematical calculations) do not count. As an adult, I am labelled Asperger's, even though I STILL meet the DSM-IV-TR criteria for autism, since I have Semantic-Pragmatic Language Disorder, and the speech of people with Asperger's is supposed to be intact.

I work with children on the spectrum. I love most of them very much, and hope that they can become at least as high-functioning as I am. But I cannot understand their parents (other than a few who are actually on the spectrum or close to it [ADHD, etc]) to save my life. I have a very succesful history of being able to connect to autistic children, including ones who "don't like strangers" who were climbing all over me within moments of being introduced, and even occasional words or eye contact from children who otherwise live in their own worlds. People on the spectrum recognize each other, and these children seem to mostly realize that I am like them on some level. At least one of the other women whose writing can be found on this book shares this kind of relationship with these children, and works in the caring professions.

Open your mind, and at least read what some of us think. For people who are supposed incapable of thinking about ourselves or others, or of empathization, I find that most of us actually do better at these things than at least some neurotypicals (people who aren't on the spectrum).

I loved the multiple-writers approach of this book. Many of the stories were similar to my own experiences as an Autistic woman, some were different. it helps me to understand the variations within our variation. Jane Meyerding's "Growing up Genderless" essay summed up for me a lot of the insidious problems faced by autistic women: as females we're supposed to be the socially adept gender: smoothing the way and facilitating the school dance, the weddings, children, family, school, church, husbands' career, etc.. When (because of autism) we don't act or look like "real girls" we are subjected to extreme ridicule and abuse and a feeling of not belonging anywhere.

These stories from women outside the box are and important part of Autistic culture; both to serve as solidarity literature for other mature AS women and hopefully give today's AS girls some more accurate pictures of how we really are and how we navigate the world.

the essay format is easy to read in chunks and the variety of voices make it a broader overview than any single-author book. I recommend this to Autistic women of all ages, especially if you've just learned that your "weirdness" is really called "autism". You're not alone, let these sisters share their stories.

Women From Another Planet knocked my socks off, enlightened me and gave me insight into the lives of autistic people. It also points out how we neurologically typical people often treat autistic people as if they are worth less than we are, sometimes with absolute cruelty. It was quite ironic to read about the "normal" persons insensitivity, lack of imagination, and selfish selfcenteredness (all supposedly autistic traits) around many of these women. I found the whole book marvellous and fascinating. Since there are 19 contributors, the variety of experiences and traits is huge. A good read!

This fascinating collection of writings by autistic women is perhaps the best value read for women wanting to find out what they have in common with others on the spectrum, but could still be interesting for anyone wanting to get an insight. Sharing experiences, feelings, conversations, and poetry in a frank and thought provoking way, this book has a charming and refreshing honesty that perhaps autistic people are best capable of and most likely to appreciate. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a very worthwhile read.

This book is written by autistic women with all different backgrounds and experiences, so it helps even people that have no contact with autism to learn about how an autistic person lives and the sort of experiences that that person has, but in more depth than simply a description of characteristics that is typically found when researching a developmental disorder such as autism online or in the library. The best part of this book is that all of the stories and poems are real; they are real experiences and real thoughts and feelings told by real women. It is an invaluable resource both for people simply willing to learn about autism and for people living with autism, perhaps undiagnosed, and especially for friends or family members of autistic persons.

Personally, I am very close to two people with Asperger's Syndrome and at first, it was very hard for me to relate to either of them. I think at first, people often misjudge others' actions as being rude or cold just because the way they act is different from what "society" is used to. However, that is not fair. There is no "normal". We are all different and that's what makes us interesting. If I had judged the two people I know that have Asperger's, I would have missed knowing two extremely intelligent, interesting, and inspiring individuals who mean more to me than I could have ever imagined. We all adapt to our environments in whatever way is comfortable to us. As I have learned more about Asperger's Syndrome and autism, I notice that I can relate quite a lot to the actions and feelings typical of these disorders.

I think this book helps people understand what it is like living with a developmental disorder and also makes both diagnosed and undiagnosed people say, "Hey, there are others out there kind of like me!" The stories and poems are honest and interesting and provide an excellent resource for anyone.

P.S. My favorite story in the book is called "'Cause It's Friday" (219) because it's so honest, funny, and well-written... and shows how sometimes, people have to make the most out of life at even the worst of times. The author, Kimberly Tucker, is one of the best non-fiction writers I've ever seen, so if anyone ever gets the chance, read more of her work! I mean it.

I am very excited about this book! Years ago there were not enough books on ASD and now there are too many to choose from. This book is now on my must-have list, for female or male readers.
The many voices represented make it clear that ASD is not a one-size-fits-all description; each contributor is a strong individual, an interesting person, and a poet at heart. The personal stories are fascinating; the poetry is beautiful and pertinent. This is book of revelations and the reader will have many "I never thought of it quite that way" moments no matter how much they think they know about ASD.
There are also many excellent references, which I happen to think is very important.

My daughter and I were diagnosed with Asperger's a few months ago.

I have been digging painfully through the literature, trying to find a book that "fit" her (our) symptoms enough to help her (us) out.

I am a scared father with Asperger's trying to understand what having Asperger's means to a young woman. I know what it meant to me when I was younger and I don't want any of that junk to happen to her.

Jean Miller and her contributors know and (thank goodness) they share what they know.

You cannot imagine how relieved finding this book made me.

So often we stereotype autistics as being very limited in their ability to do basic functions of daily life. While this is true of some autistics, this book reveals that autism is not a single,universal condition, but a spectrum with a wide range of abilities as well as disabilities (the book's editor, who is autistic, is a college instructor). This book opens both the mind and the heart, enlightening readers about the variety of people who fall under the umbrella "autistic".

This book is all written by women with Asperger syndrome, divided into sections. If you start it and find the first section of discussion random and therefore not very gripping go and read the autobiographical pieces either topically from front to back or by author as I did. Then continue with the first chapter which you will find meaningful. Your eyes and heart will open up! Not that we can fully understand what another person experiences, but this remarkable book undoubtedly goes as far as any, particularly because there are many different writers.

I have a friend who is self-diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. She and I do not meet one on one very often, nor communicate very often. When we do I have a good time. Still puzzled as to why she doesn't communicate often and some other slightly puzzling behaviors, I decided to try to find out.

EVERY TEACHER should read this book as girls with Asperger's often are not readily identifiable without insight into how they feel and act. I think a person with Asperger's would also relate strongly to this book and feel comforted and less isolated. Parents should read this if their daughter is noticeably quirky.

This book is extremely helpful. It would also probably be helpful in understanding men with Asperger's, too. But women have different social expectations and roles, such as being a mother, so this book is of inestimable worth for a "neurotypical" (NT) person whether parent, classmate, doctor, or sibling, etc. to empathize with someone with Asperger.

It is not clinical. Clinical books have their uses no doubt, but you cannot experience many feelings with clinical descriptions and treatment protocols. This book engages your feelings. it will make you a better person as well as possibly an understanding friend or helping person.