Untypical World: Why it’s not built for autistic people, and what we should all do about it

Rule 1: You should never ask for something directly. If you want something, you must imply or hint your need for it … somehow.

The modern world is built for neurotypicals. Needless noise, bright flashing lights, small talk, implication and ‘unwritten rules’; it can be a nightmarish dystopia as far as the autistic population is concerned. In A World for Us, Pete Wharmby lays bare the experience of being ‘different’, explaining with wit and warmth just how exhausting it is to fit into a world not designed for you.

But this book is more than an explanation. After a late-diagnosis and lifetime of ‘masking’, Pete is the perfect interlocutor to explain how our two worlds can meet, what we can do for the one-in-thirty autistic people in our schools, workplaces and lives. The result: a practical handbook for all of us to make the world a simpler place for autistic people to navigate. A call to arms for anyone who believes in an inclusive society, and wants to be part of the solution.