My Autistic Awakening

April 15, 2015
From childhood on, Harris knew she was different from other children. She tended to play alongside but not with friends. She had a hard time reading faces, and she was unsettled by disruptions in routines. Asperger's syndrome had yet to be widely diagnosed, and Harris was labeled by those outside her family as troublesome and uncooperative. In her insightful memoir, Harris recalls vividly her attempts to fit in at school, her search to find a place in the world (which included a three-year stay in a convent), her unhappy marriage, her becoming a mother, and, finally, her successful career as a psychotherapist and advocate. Along the way, she breaks through the usual stereotypes and shares the invaluable perspective of someone on the autism spectrum. Harris is careful to point out the genuine benefits of the syndrome (attention to detail, sensory sensitivity) as well as its challenges and speculates that many talented people have shared this condition. Harris' chronicle is honest and involving and will give readers a useful and uplifting understanding of Asperger's.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)