Written by autistic trans people from around the world, this vital and intimate collection of personal essays reveals the struggles and joys of living at the intersection of neurodivergence and gender diversity.

Unique and individually authentic. Each piece and each person who gave the thoughts and experiences to paper for us to read. Thank you for your service.

An illuminating anthology full of dignity, heart, and honesty. I am so glad to have a book I can recommend to my trans autistic friends that will make them feel seen & understood, as well as neurotypical/cis friends who could use an opportunity to listen.

This was a really nice reading experience to get all of the many different perspectives of folks who are both trans and autistic. The title story in this has some depictions of self-harm and suicide which took me by surprise, but these are clearly all very real and emotionally captivating stories from real perspectives.

This collection of pieces written by the people who lived the experiences is on of the most informative and comprehensive books I've read on these topics. The pieces have a central merging of being both trans and autistic. They are original and the collection as a whole resonates with the sincere voices of a diverse group of people in a manner that is refreshing and relevant in society.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Spectrums is a collection of short personal narratives and poems by trans autists from all over the world. Each of these authors has a unique perspective based upon any other intersections in their own identity, but each piece is centered around what it’s like to be transgender and autistic in today’s society.

Even after having sought out information on the relationship between these two identities for years, this was one of the most informative and comprehensive books that I’ve read addressing it so far. The short, factual introduction to the anthology was necessary for any readers not already aware of the correlation between being trans and autistic, and provided a lot of great talking points for the following authors to touch on in their own stories. One excellent element was the lack of oversimplification in the data that was presented, making it not only more factually accurate, but providing strong evidence for the argument that research into both of these is underfunded, and the intersection between the two, barely acknowledged.

As a trans and autistic person myself, I have enjoyed anthologies written by trans and autistic people respectively, but never read anything which echoes my own experiences quite as authentically as those in this book written by other people who are both. The underlying theme between all of these individual stories is the idea that gender is perceived very differently by autistic people, and therefore our relationship to gender, and being transgender, is unique to our own understanding of that concept. We hear “gender is a social construct” everywhere these days, but when you don’t have a solid grasp on those constructs to begin with, it’s harder to understand where the chalk lines dictating gender are drawn, and very easy for them to become blurred.

Another common thread is the thought that “because of the ways our society largely acknowledges neither gender diversity nor neurodiversity, [we are] also prone to feeling doubly invisible.” This being said, none of these stories are focused on the tragic side of either of these identities, rather, they celebrate the unique connection they possess, and use their negative experiences as evidence for the need to increase access to medical care in various countries. Overall, I really enjoyed reading about other people’s experiences in a way that didn’t oversimplify or minimize either of their identities, and as an anthology I appreciated the styles of writing and layout of each author’s piece.

Spectrums is an anthology of personal writings from people who are both trans and autistic. The contributers cover a wide range of gender identities, races, locations and life experiences. These pieces of writing are human stories at the intersection of two identities, and they are wonderful to read. Some of the pieces are short, others are longer, and many of them do cover heavy topics such as suicide.

At the beginning of the book there is a short discussion on the benefits of research about trans and autistic people. The numbers show that trans people are more likely to be autistic and vice versa, and I found it interesting to read about why the data is a bit confusing. One example is that different researchers count different groups of people as transgender. This book takes a wide view of the word trans, not limiting itself to strict definitions of medical transition and binary genders, which is really great to see. Some of the pieces talk about the unique ways a lot of autistic people interact with and understand gender, so if you've ever been curious about words like neurogender, this book has some insight. It is made clear in the introduction that any research into these intersecting ideas must prioritise the voices of trans autistic people. Research should be of benefit to the people it is about, and a lot of research in the past related to these two groups has been detrimental.

All of these pieces are in the contributors' own word, and the pieces take several different forms. Some are accounts of their life and journey, some are poems, and some integrate special interests. One of them, 'An Exploration of the Intersection of Autistic and Transgender Coding in Star Trek' even has a more academic feel to it. This brings variation to the anthology. There is something new to discover in each chapter.

There are lots of differences between the life experiences of the contributors. Different schooling, from home school to mainstream school to SEN school. Different journeys to transition, whether socially or medically. Different journeys to an autism diagnosis, sometimes self, sometimes medical, sometimes as a child, sometimes as an adult. But weaving the different pieces together are many similarities. The positives of being autistic, and celebrating being neurodivergent. Interacting with the world in unique ways, both to do with autism and gender identity. Taking ownership over your own body, claiming autonomy, which is something often denied to both trans and autistic people. The pain of living in a world not built for your neurotype or your transness. The joy of finding your people and understanding yourself. Comparing the experiences of masking as an autistic and passing when trans comes up multiple times, along side discussions of the exhaustion and stress of having to change the way you are for society's benefit.

Of all of the pieces, two stuck out to me in particular. The slam poem 'Ableism in Poetry' was really powerful. 'The Rightness of Being Wrong' described a trans narrative that of not being born in the wrong body, but of becoming wrong for the body you were born in, which really struck me as describing my own experience with gender.

This book contains advice, explanations, encouragement, explorations, expression and validation. It holds hope for the future of autistic trans people. Hope of growing up and finding happiness and our place in the world. I see myself reflected in these stories. Maybe you'll see yourself too. Or maybe it'll give you a window of insight into people who are doubly misunderstood.

“Spectrums” brings together and uplifts the voices of transgender and autistic people. I found this book, filled with personal stories, of joys and sorrows and the continual experience of self-discovery, to be deeply relatable. I think that this would be an incredible read for anybody along this particular intersection and it would make a reader feel less alone, more seen. And, regardless, I think it is vital to read, read, read everything, to understand and have empathy for more people.

I loved endever* corbin’s essay in which they state that their “six-word personal memoir is mostly: ‘one long drag show: no tips.'” I would love to read that memoir honestly. Rae Kersley’s poetry was also among my favorite sections. Their poems brought a smile to my face, with a pleasing usage of spacing and repetition to emphasize certain words.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and perhaps I’m a little nitpicky here, but I think it would read a little more cohesively if the entries were organized by theme.

This book was fascinating. I'd requested it to try and understand autism a little better, as a few of my friends have autism. It was emotionally resonant to read about those on the autism spectrum who identify as transgender and, as a trans person myself, I felt like I related to a lot of the feelings expressed.

As an autistic non-binary person, this non-fiction anthology is one of the most empowering and affirming things I've ever read. It's such a diverse collection of voices, people of very different backgrounds and with very different life stories and identities. It truly shows how both being autistic and being trans/non-binary are different experiences for everyone. It was also amazing to see a lot of somewhat older people being included in this, since a lot of people make the assumption that these identities are somehow new.

One thing I found lacking is the writing style. Of course everyone wrote their own contributions and because of that, not every story was as readable. On the plus side, I did think this also enhanced my reading experience at times, because the stories didn't feel polished and that made them feel very real.

This is an anthology of essays written by 'Autistic Transgender People In Their Own words' edited by Maxfield Sparrow.

I always find it valuable to hear from people's who's identities differ from my own and massively appreciate the people in this book for being so candid and expressive. I enjoyed being able to see the diversity within the trans and autistic communities.

I felt the book could have benefited from some more editing, perhaps in grouping stories with similar themes together it felt quite disjointed and like a bunch of essays just thrown together with little thought.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in return for an honest review*

CW : mentions of suicide and drugs/substance use

An anthology written by trans people who find themselves on the autism spectrum? HECK YAS!! My sibling identifies as trans, and ever since their transition, they told me about people who realized they were trans in their early adult life, because they're ASD had taken so much room in their earlier lives. Not necessarily by their own means, but often because of how people on the outside treated them.

Every story is very well written, and captivating in its own way. The contributors all vary widely in ages, experiences, and some even wrote poems! I found it interesting how one of the writers used Star Trek (the tv series) to explore "ethical dilemmas, and lifestyles that would normally be taboo subjects when set in the present." Society accepts aliens alternating between genders in Star Trek... because it's sci-fi? Ugh.

"They were not listening to their patients, but viewing them through a medicalizing lens that left no room for the possibility that an autistic person might have enough empathy, theory of mind, and cognitive capacity to actually be transgender." Sadly, quite a few contributors to this anthology experienced the same thing. Many were told they couldn't be trans, because they are Autistic. As if whatever they say or choose to be, they are not taken seriously in general because of their autism.

I was fascinated by the story of one of the contributors, stating the amazing results when a 'severe' non verbal Autistic child was finally taken seriously and the correct pronouns were applied = the 'severe autism' turned out to be layers of anxiety and gender disphoria. That child could converse and speak in full sentences in just a few weeks of the correct pronouns applied.

SOME OF MY FAVE REMINDERS :
• Transition is a perpetual process, and you can vary along the spectrum your entire life
• One of the contributors wrote : "being non-binary is seen by others as a political act rather than simply being how I am." this also reminds me why I hate people lol.
• These stories confirm that ADHD is often misdiagnosed (instead of ASD)
• Society undervalues the love/passion for subjects or activities that bring people profound joy
• You have a right to consider yourself trans, even if you realized your true identity 'late'. Better late than never, right? Your identity is VALID. NO MATTER WHAT. 🌈💛