Living with Autism Undiagnosed by Ruth Horowitz is quite an unusual book in that it's not exactly an "autism book".
By that, I mean that the vast majority of the events in the book occur well before Ruth received a diagnosis and that thus far, I don't get the impression that Ruth as done a complete review of her life in the frame of autism. This is something that many of us on the spectrum do but it also takes many years and a lot of insight.
This is quite a good thing though because the book is very much a biographical retelling of the events of Ruth's life without a lot of explanations. We are left to interpret those events and actions and there are many clues to how these relate to autism spread throughout. This makes the reader think and pulls them into the story.
Ruth's story is a very interesting one for several reasons. It's rare to hear the voices and stories of older autistic women and usually these stories are either triumphs against adversity or explanations of how various interventions have assisted them in life.
In some ways, Ruth's story runs in reverse and upon reaching adulthood she achieves some very impressive goals only to be broken down over the years by failing systems, people with issues and a lack of self awareness. There are many places throughout the book where Ruth makes it clear that knowing that she was autistic would have changed the way she reacted to things and would most likely have resulted in a more positive outcome. It's a very clear call for early diagnosis, particularly for women who are less frequently diagnosed and more often diagnosed incorrectly.
Ruth provides a strong commentary on the ways in which society fails autistic women, the importance of clear and early detection and the importance of good role models. She also makes a very good case for more positive parenting models.
Along the way, Ruth talks about her upbringing, life in Israel and the US, military service, cats, horses, relationships, soil, academia and hazardous waste. There's a lot to take in. Ruth also takes us a little deeper into an understanding of how Complex Post Traumatic Stress disorder can develop, how it impacts individuals and it can leave people open to toxic relationships.
I feel that Ruth is far too hard on herself in the book but I know this is also an autistic trait, as are the unrealistic expectations we have for ourselves. Ruth talks about failure while leaving a legacy of actions that most people would be proud to have achieved.
It's very clear that with early diagnosis and support, Ruth would have achieved even greater things and this is a very pertinent message for women on the autism spectrum today.
At around 200 pages, this book is reasonably light reading and is highly recommended, particularly for girls on the spectrum and for the people who love and support them.
Living with Autism Undiagnosed by R. Horowitz is available at Goodreads and Amazon as a paperback or Kindle book.
Honesty Clause: I was provided with a review copy of this book.
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