Unmasking Autism: Discovering the Newfaces of Neurodiversity: Devon Price

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently use a common strategy known as “masking” or “camouflaging.” This strategy refers to the act of concealing specific traits commonly attributed by those with ASD and replacing them with more typical characteristics in an attempt to evade identification as neurominorities. Examples include stifling stims, suppressing emotional expressions, and partaking in social contexts with repressed discomfort and anxiety. This attempt to conform to societal norms and adopt fraudulent characteristics is often exercised at the expense of short-and long-term mental health.

In his recently published book, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity, Devon Price (2022) explores the ASD experiences of individuals across the spectrum and the phenomenon of masking ASD phenotypes. Price offers typical readers comprehensive insights into an under-researched topic and gives them neurodivergence with abundant resources and strategies to safely unveil their authentic selves. As a transgender man who did not receive an ASD diagnosis until later years as an adult, Price offers a qualitative inquiry through autoethnography. In doing so, Price unites autobiographical experiences to share stories from his own life and ethnography by connecting his lived experiences as evidence to examine cultural phenomena impacting individuals with ASD.