Untypical: How the world isn’t built for autistic people and what we should all do about it

It’s time to remake the world – the ground-breaking book on what steps we should all be taking for the autistic people in our lives. The modern world is built for neurotypicals: needless noise, bright flashing lights, small talk, phone calls, unspoken assumptions and unwritten rules – it can be a nightmarish dystopia for the autistic population. In Untypical, Pete Wharmby lays bare the experience of being ‘different’, explaining with wit and warmth just how exhausting it is to fit in to a world not designed for you. But this book is more than an explanation. After a late diagnosis and a lifetime of ‘masking’, Pete is the perfect interlocutor to explain how our two worlds can meet, and what we can do for the many autistic people in our schools, workplaces and lives. The result: a practical handbook for all of us to make the world a simpler, better place for autistic people to navigate, and a call to arms for anyone who believes in an inclusive society and wants to be part of the solution. In Untypical, Pete Wharmby, a renowned author in the field of psychology and neurology, delves into the spectrum of autism, shedding light on the social and familial relationships of those on the spectrum. This latest work is not just a biography or an autobiography, but a comprehensive guide to understanding and embracing the different. For fans of Devon Price (Laziness Does Not Exist), Steve Silberman (Skeleton Key), Megan Anna Neff, Psyd (Embodying Integration), Bianca Toeps (But you don't look autistic at all), and Dr Luke Beardon (Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Adults). HarperCollins 2023