Library of Congress Control Number: 2022940092

This book offers a medical and neuroscientific view on autism combined with other insights, from social, legal and labor to education. Page by page, a more global concept of autism is described, finally offering a description of how people on the spectrum live, perceive, feel and think. This is done without forgetting the ‘other characteristics’ of autism, which often do not appear in the diagnostic criteria: autism in women, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, among others. Subsequently, the impact of autism from birth to old age is explored in the varied spheres of life, such as schooling, the world of work, and family and interpersonal relationships. Finally, everyday strategies and tips are proposed that help with better adaptation to the environment, for people on the spectrum as well as all other individuals, with the goal of achieving a more inclusive, respectful society.

Maria J. Portella (Menorca, 1975) is a specialist in clinical neuropsychology and has a PhD in neurosciences from Oxford University. Currently she is the head of the Research Group in Mental Health of the Research Institute at the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona.

Defining autism is not an easy task, and even less so now that the concept has become polarized between those who defend neurodiversity versus those who are fighting to find a cure. In an attempt to understand autism in all its magnitude, the author offers a wider and deeper perspective on this complex world.