On the Spectrum

On the Spectrum is a book about Daniel Bowman (He/Him) and his experience of Autism. Daniel Bowman was diagnosed as Autistic at thirty-five and uses this new-found lens to look back through his life at his struggles and triumphs. What makes On the Spectrum stand out from many other books about being Autistic is that it breaks the trends of many stereotypes of Autism. Daniel Bowman is a novelist, poet, professor, and Christian, all qualities that are typically not associated with Autism due to stereotyping.

It is this breaking of stereotypes which brought me to the book in the first place. Stories like this give us an interesting and unique glimpse into the lives of others, as a diagnosis of anything in adulthood often triggers a reflective exploration of the past. In On the Spectrum, we get exactly that, as Daniel Bowman talks about his life growing up and trying to navigate the world. He does not shy away from struggles but also highlights the good qualities that being Autistic afforded him. He manages to achieve this without overlooking the realities of life, and does not talk about the strengths in terms of superpowers. Daniel Bowman also talks a lot about representation, its importance, and what he feels needs to change. The book includes a handful of interviews he has taken part in, which go into details about all aspects of life as an autistic individual. The combination of reflecting over life, combined with more direct answering of questions in the form of interviews, gives the reader an excellent view in to the life and experiences of the author, and this is one quality I absolutely love about books like this.

As you might expect, On the Spectrum is written from the perspective of Daniel Bowmen and is his experience of Autism, and therefore should not be considered the norm. This might feel like an odd and perhaps obvious statement but all too often when Autism, and neurodiversity as a whole, are shown in a particular way that way is assumed to be the norm, just take the film Rain Man as an example. It is important to read about the lives that we ourselves will not live, as it can open our eyes to experiences we may never gain. The world is bigger than what we alone experience. For that reason, reading books like On the Spectrum can be a valuable experience, this is especially true when a book like this breaks from stereotypes and sheds light on the diversity that exists.