Unique: What autism can teach us about difference, connection and belonging (Jodi Rodgers, Hachette)
Neurodiversity commentary often references the double empathy problem, the concept that (put simply) neurodivergent–neurotypical communication can be more challenging than communication between people with the same neurotype. A related concept—neurodivergent experiences are often filtered through the neurotypical gaze. These concepts highlight the complexity of what Jodi Rodgers (a neurotypical sexologist, counsellor, and disability advocate) aims to do in Unique: What autism can teach us about difference, connection and belonging. Who is us? Clues appear when Rodgers recounts an upsetting succession of hurtful assumptions a teacher makes about a grieving autistic student, and again when she describes feeling ‘crushed’ about having to explain an autistic child’s distress ‘to a complete stranger’. As an autistic reader, I imagined that Rodgers’ tone might have been influenced by these sorts of conversations; I felt that this us, this implied audience, included those who might otherwise judge or dismiss autistic people—and that Rodgers was thus seeking to justify and contextualise, alongside calls for kindness, as though she was still in conversation with the aforementioned teacher. Good intentions shine through, although passages can sometimes read as patronising. Example: comparing communication to dance, Rodgers says: ‘we are not all great dancers’. This comparison—which suggests one communication style is better than another, rather than different—undermines discussions elsewhere in the book about neurodiversity. Unique might be a useful start for neurotypical people who feel they need an introduction to neurodiversity from one of their own. For this, Rodgers is suited and devoted—and it’s clear she has consulted with care. But from here, readers should seek neurodivergent people’s own words, such as Kay Kerr’s wonderful Love and Autism, and Sonny Jane Wise’s Everyone Is Neurodiverse. Read Unique with awareness of the neurotypical gaze and look for the direct quotes from Rodgers’ subjects—often the strongest moments.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Angela Glindemann is a queer writer based in Naarm/Melbourne. She works as an editor for Books+Publishing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews
