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.

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.

Pete Wharmby is an ex-English teacher who has immersed himself in the world of autism advocacy since his diagnosis in 2017. He has a highly engaged Twitter following, a YouTube channel and a blog, and dedicates his efforts to improving the general public’s understanding of autism.

· This is the first book to speak directly to neurotypical people and broaden out the audience of autistic books. It is the book to tackle the next great social injustice of our times – how society treats people with disabilities – in the way recent bestsellers have done for racism and gender.

· There are (as of late 2019) an estimated 1.6m autistic people in the UK, and likely another 2m people either caring for or in a relationship with an autistic person.

· Pete is well-respected within the autism community and has a strong, engaged twitter following.

· This topic will be very newsworthy – particularly chapters on school and the workplace – and Pete is a fantastic advocate. As an ex-teacher and having spoken at many autism conferences and events, he is very comfortable in front of an audience.

Competition: Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race;How to Be a Woman;Trans;Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight;Odd Girl Out;An Adult with an Autism Diagnosis;Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate; Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew;How to be Autistic;Drama Queen;The Reason I Jump