Just recently got diagnosed and I’m in my 30s, I think this book will be one I recommend to anyone who gets a diagnosis because it was so so important and helpful

There have been multiple books about autism and others about chronic illnesses, but until now there wasn’t one that talked about both and what it is like to live with them. All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness by Charli Clement takes into consideration that there are many people who have both autism and chronic illnesses. Talking from their own experience, and incorporating the experiences of people they have interviewed, Clement has built a valuable resource.

The topics, listed as chapters, are:

Navigating diagnosis and healthcare

Everyday life

Sensory needs

Pacing and routines

Education and employment

Personal relationships

Experiencing ableism

Gender, medical misogyny and menstrual health

Disability pride and disability joy

I found this book to be instrumental in helping me learn more about myself. Any doubts I had about my autistic identity were banished by the time I had finished it. I’m currently on a long waiting list for a formal assessment and have had to piece together information as I go along. It was great to finally have someone explain things like interoception, proprioception and the vestibular system in terms that relate to my chronic illnesses as well.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is autistic and chronically ill, but also to anyone who has not been diagnosed or self-diagnosed as autistic. There are a lot of overlaps with chronic illnesses, and many people have been overlooked and/or misdiagnosed due to medical bias. This is something that Clement discusses, and All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness may help you learn something new about yourself.

I found this book to be a very well-written exploration of different aspects of autism and chronic illness, and how they can interact together. I thought it was very relatable and I enjoyed reading about the experiences of different people, as it showed how different a shared experience really can be. I would recommend this to any autistic people who may or may not have chronic illnesses, and to any non-autistic people and people without chronic illnesses, as I think there is something in this book for everyone.

Amazing and informative book! Its structure, clarity and depth make it so easy to read and follow! It is ideal for those embarking on their learning journey about chronic illness and autism; I would also suggest it to people who want to understand their autistic/chronically ill loved ones. Unfortunately, as someone with already extensive knowledge on it, I found it slightly challenging to maintain interested in reading it. However, it remains an amazing resource for those at the beginning of their journey!

In many cases, people diagnosed with autism also have other chronic illnesses they contend with daily. This in and of itself, presents unique challenges, not only for medical professionals who are not always well-versed in this medical dynamic, but also for the patient and care giver trying to explain the complexities of the situation.

The author does a fantastic job with this book of highlighting the complex challenges that an individual not only with autism, but also with other chronic illnesses faces. An informative resource, not only based on the author's personal experiences, but on factual research, that will help to bring awareness to this complex type of a situation. Highly recommend.

I thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for my ARC of this book.

I’m fairly picky when it comes to books about autism. I find a lot of content very samey and from people I can’t relate to. This book is not like that.

Charli’s book is full of helpful advice for autistic people dealing with chronic illness or for the people who have an autistic person in their life. She gives advice without being condescending and with a wisdom of someone a couple of decades older.

I wish this book had been written a couple of decades earlier.

Although there is not many books and easy to access research on autism and chronic illnesses separately, there is even less about the overlap between chronic illness and neurodivergence and how each experience affects the other. Charli has done an excellent job of filling this gap in a digestible way. I really liked how they incorporated many different voices and experiences and I’ve learnt lots from reading this book. I think not only neurodivergent people would benefit from reading this book but also health care professionals, teachers, parents etc including both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals. I truly haven’t come across something like this book before (in a good way!).

"All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness" by Charli Clement is a heartfelt exploration of the intersection between autism and chronic illness. With a warm and authentic voice, Clement shares her personal journey as a parent navigating the complexities of raising a child with both autism and chronic health challenges.

The book not only provides valuable insights into the daily struggles faced by families in similar situations but also offers a beacon of hope and resilience. Clement's candid storytelling allows readers to connect on a profound level, fostering understanding and empathy.

What sets this book apart is its balance of vulnerability and strength. Clement doesn't shy away from the tough moments, yet her unwavering determination and love for her child shine through. The narrative is both informative and emotionally resonant, making it an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the intricate web of challenges faced by families dealing with autism and chronic illness.

In "All Tangled Up," Charli Clement delivers a powerful message about the strength found in embracing the complexities of life, turning a personal journey into a source of inspiration for others.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
very relatable coverage of both neurodivergence and disability!
a personal guide to living with both autism and chronic illness, sharin stories, lists, tips and advice 🩷

best bits👇🏻
🧠 i relate on a SPIRITUAL level to the things written here, i loved being able to SEE myself in a book for once 🥹
🧠 written in as easy-to-navigate format for neurodivergent readers. i love lists, and this book delivered!!!
🧠 perfect for bookmarking/tabbing sections to look back on when i'm struggling and need ideas for coping or managing things in my life

complaints👇🏻
🪀 i genuinely can't think of any as of yet! i really found this guide helpful!

knowing charli, they are such a bright light and genuinely want to help so many people which comes across well in this book - i highly recommend!!!

This is an excellent book. I am a neurodivergent person who does not experience chronic illness or physical disability, but I have friends who do. This book will help me better understand their experience.

I found this book affirming throughout in all the important ways - anti-ableist, anti-racist, and generally full of kindness and compassion.

Thank you so much for this information, it is needed in the world. I will recommend it and will buy copies for friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charli Clement’s “All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness: A Guide to Navigating Multiple Conditions” lays bare the keen balancing act she uses to navigate her life with autism spectrum disorder and chronic illness.

A young advocate for herself and other autistic, queer, disabled, and chronically ill folx, she approaches her writing with generosity and candor while explaining the path that led her to seek particular kinds of support. Clement dissects the core components of autism and what tools she utilizes to find relief. She also includes additional #actuallyautistic voices for varied points of view.

She distinguishes the types of sensory sensitivities that autistics (identity-first language instead of person-first language, which many autistic advocates prefer) encounter, as well as distinguishing between hyper and hypo arousal. Clement also discerned that some ways that might solve sensitivities for autistics might amplify chronic illnesses, which is often a challenge most non-autistic healthcare professionals cannot grasp.

A favorite chapter of “All Tangled Up in Autism” is Experiencing Ableism, where Clement disentangles the types of ableism autistics with chronic illnesses might experience each day, including:
o casual ableism (“you don’t look autistic”)
o lateral ableism
o medical ableism (“it’s all in your head”)
o systemic ableism (Human Rights Act or ADA not being followed)
o common ableism ("autism needs a cure" or "chronically ill people are lazy")

Thank you to Charli Clement, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, and NetGalley for the eARC!!

This is a book that I will recommend to anyone and everyone. Whether you’re chronically ill and/or autistic, love or know someone who is, or work with people who are, All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness won’t just skim the surface of living with these conditions, but will empower and enlighten you on how you can better understand yourself/your peers.

The take-home points are particularly helpful, and the short profiles from contributors offer a huge range of thought-provoking POVs.

Charli’s writing is clear, concise, and they have a unique way of putting the most informative content into easy-to-understand literature.

I truly think All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness will change lives, Charli offers so much advice for particular issues faced by autistic chronically ill individuals, and so many small changes/adaptations that can be used in day-to-day life to make an such ableist world a little more disability friendly.

Thank you Charli for writing this book, it has already helped me in my personal life, and I know it will help countless others too.

Charli has written an absolute wonder of a book. I've followed Charli online for years and have always admired the approach they take to talking about topics such as chronic illness and autism, but I did wonder how they would fill a whole book with useful information for people existing at such a specific intersection.

However, each chapter was full of succinct, useful, inspiring information and anecdotes from other autistic people with chronic illnesses, and I ended up learning a great deal about things despite thinking I may know everything in the book already as a result of my own lived experience.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is personally autistic and has chronic illnesses, anyone who belongs to just one of those categories, and to ALL healthcare professionals everywhere.

Overall, Tangled Up was such an important book and I will definitely be buying copies for lots of people in my life.

Posted on Goodreads:

4.5/5⭐️

In October of last year I was diagnosed AuADHD at the age of 41 while in the middle of breast cancer treatment. The past 14 months have been exhausting and confusing and lonely. I strongly believe this book would be very helpful for:

▪️neurodivergents
▪️neurodivergents with chronic illnesses
▪️late stage diagnosed adults
▪️late stage diagnosed adults with illnesses
▪️self diagnosed neurodivergents
▪️self diagnosed neurodivergents with illnesses
▪️family, friends and loved ones of neurodivergents

I want to be as inclusive as possible because the diverse group of people interviewed was incredible. This book shows just how complex and under talked this scenario is.

Late stage diagnosed autistic adults could benefit from this guide. It’s hard going through life knowing you’re autistic all along, being diagnosed like me at 41 is overwhelming. You’re listening and can feel hopeless.

Even though I would have loved having this one year ago, I’m proud of myself for figuring out how to help myself. I realized I was doing a lot of these things already. I just didn’t know what those things were called.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jessica Kingsley publishers and Charli Clement for this ARC.

All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness is a fantastic read. Easy to follow, positive vibe, and overall helpful to balancing autism and chronic illnesses. As someone on the spectrum and with type 1 diabetes, I appreciated that there was a positive way to view life with all of these complications.

All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness is a decent place to start when it comes to trying to figure out how to deal with neurodivergence and chronic illnesses. It is incredibly basic but has some good anecdotes. I feel that being on the spectrum it is almost to broad for me, what goes in one situation doesn’t always translate into other situations. In this case it might be helpful to buddy read this with someone to allow for easier translation to life situations. Someone without these issues might find this book easier to use and comprehend.
I received an ARC and am leaving a review of my own volition.

This was a very well researched and thorough book which takes an in-depth look at navigating autism *and* chronic illness hand-in-hand. As someone researching autism and considering gaining a diagnosis, I found the book very helpful and could relate to many of the experiences detailed. I also gained a lot of knowledge about how I would be able to make certain situations easier, ie doctor's appointments and am now aware of 'adjustments' that can be made for me to make things easier, if I ask for them.

What makes this book a stand-out is the fact that the author not only describes their own experiences, but has made the effort to speak to and learn from many other chronically ill autistic people, which gives a well rounded view across every chapter. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

A great #ownvoices autism and chronic illness debut that combines personal anecdotes with snippets from other chronically ill and autistic individuals to bring a new lens on life living with both conditions. Perfect for fans of authors like Alice Wong and a must read for the disability/neurodivergent community. Many thanks to NetGalley and the author/publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book is fantastic! I am autistic and have chronic and long-term conditions, and feel so lucky to have been given early access to this book, thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers! It is fantastically written, and it's filled with useful information, helpful tips, and useful perspectives from so many diverse individuals with a variety of chronic illnesses. I loved that the book has a glossary at the back, it also has a list of social media accounts that you can follow with positive representation of disability and chronic illness and autism. The accessibility of this book is fantastic - it has chapter summaries, large text size, a clear font choice, and accessible language, it's written in such a clear and friendly way with minimal unnecessary medical language. I will be buying a copy of this book when it comes out and referring back to it many times because it has so many useful tips and ideas that I will be using in the future. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Firstly, this book made me feel less alone, which is honestly the best praise I could ever give a book.

This book was so useful to me as both a chronically ill person and a support worker and I will be recommending it all over the place, from my YouTube to my colleagues.