Narrating the Many Autisms: Identity, Agency, Mattering

The book "Narrating the Many Autisms" explores the central question of what it takes for autistic people to participate in a shared world as equals with other people. It highlights the creativity and imagination in autistic accounts and considers the possibilities that emerge when the unexpected and novel aspects of experience are attended to and afforded their due space. It unpacks and reframes understandings about autism and identity, agency and mattering, and calls on readers to listen to what autistic people have to say about resistance and solidarity against intersecting currents and eddies of power.

Format: Hardback
Length: 234 pages
Publication date: 08 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Autism is a complex and highly debated concept that has captured the attention of researchers, clinicians, and the general public alike. This book takes a unique approach by focusing on the question of how autistic individuals can participate in a shared world as equals with others.

Author Anna Stenning delves into a wide range of texts and narratives written by autistic authors, filmmakers, bloggers, and academics to explore this topic. Through her close analysis, she highlights the creativity and imagination displayed in these accounts, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and valuing the unexpected and novel aspects of experience.

Stenning situates these narratives within the context of the Anthropocene and neoliberalism, challenging prevailing understandings about autism and identity. She unpacks and reframes concepts such as autistic intelligibility, autistic sensibility, and community-oriented collaboration and care, offering fresh perspectives on these topics.

By shifting the focus away from non-autistic stories and cognitive and psychoanalytic paradigms that have reduced autism and autistic people to a homogeneous group, the book reveals the multiplicity of autistic subjectivities and their diverse understandings of well-being and vulnerability. It encourages readers to listen to the voices of autistic individuals and to recognize the potential for resistance and solidarity against intersecting currents and eddies of power that threaten those who challenge the neoliberal conception of Life.

Narrating the Many Autisms is a thought-provoking and meaningful departure from atomized accounts of neurological difference. It ponders important questions about autism and provides clarity and meaning through the sense-making practices of autistic individuals. This book offers valuable insights into the experiences and perspectives of autistic people, contributing to a more inclusive and understanding society.

Weight: 621g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367478384