“This book needs to be in the hands of teachers everywhere. Myers demonstrates how students often thought to be withdrawn, quiet, and tense can in different contexts be fanciful, reflective, and even boisterous, always with their own perspective on others and a deep sense of self. Autobiography on the Spectrum illustrates how a teacher can meld a gift for facilitating storytelling with a belief that her students have much to say, unleashing rich, compelling, seldom-heard narratives. In the tradition of other extraordinary teachers, Myers shows the agency and power that accrue when people traditionally ignored or assumed to be disconnected from a sense of self discover their own voices.”
—Douglas Biklen, dean emeritus, Syracuse University, School of Education and co-producer of Academy Award–nominated documentary Autism Is a World
“Beth Myers' book, Autobiography on the Spectrum, gives voice to the lives and experiences of a group of students labeled autistic and, in so doing, provides a powerful counternarrative to deficit perspectives that characterize autism in terms of deficiency and disease. This splendid book will appeal to anyone committed to the principle that all people are thoughtful, interesting, and competent—even if they’ve had a label attached to them.”
—Curt Dudley-Marling, professor emeritus, Boston College
“The voices of those on the spectrum need to be at the center of conversations on autism. Beth Myers has made this crystal clear in the pages of this important book. She not only makes a powerful case for using autobiography in the classroom and beyond, but offers suggestions and guidance for how to support individuals to tell stories, share experiences, and express themselves. Perhaps more important, she offers readers opportunities to learn from often-marginalized voices and illustrates many ways educators can expand how they listen to autistic children and adolescents.”
—Paula Kluth, consultant, author, and independent scholar
