Off The Spectrum is a meticulously researched book. Ultimately, it was not for me, despite its merits.

I wasn’t familiar with Gina Rippon’s work before this book, so I did some searching. In 2020 work, Gender and Our Brains, “Rippon urges us to move beyond a binary view of the brain and to see instead this complex organ as highly individualized, profoundly adaptable and full of unbounded potential.”

It’s unfortunate, then, that Off The Spectrum seems to riff on the idea of “female autism” vs. “male autism.” I found this off-putting and it was difficult for me to get into the book as a result.

Off The Spectrum is well-written and, again, thoroughly researched. I think Rippon is a passionate scientist doing good work. In the end, I believe it comes down to personal preference, and I just don’t tend to enjoy reading allistic scientists' work on autism.

This book has great insights on gender and autism. The research is solid, but the writing can be slow and repetitive at times. I learned a lot, but it wasn’t the most engaging read.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC!

Off the Spectrum is an engaging and respectful exploration of autism in women, blending scientific research with relatable anecdotes. The book is well-organized, making complex topics easier to understand, and the author approaches the subject with care and nuance. The mix of personal stories and research keeps it engaging, though some sections can feel a bit dense.

Despite that, it’s a valuable and well-written read for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of autism, especially as it presents in women.

This book shared a lot insight about gender and the autism spectrum. I actually had my family take one of the tests about reading expressions. There was some repetitiveness, but I really enjoyed it.

This was fascinating, especially the research on how autism may present differently in AFAB people and how the threshold AFAB people must meet to be taken seriously by clinicians is higher than autistic boys and men. I came to this book with the perspective of a transgender man who was diagnosed with autism in my twenties and appreciated the thought Rippon put into addressing trans/non-binary autistic issues and in general treating it with respect. This seems like a good book for clinicians to read to help eliminate bias in their evaluation process.

Off the Spectrum by Gina Rippon is the ideal book for anyone to read, those with children male or female diagnosed with Autism (ASD), people maybe a carrier for ASD or late diagnosis or Adult diagnosis of ASD. The book gives insight of what ASD is, diagnosis and how it’s different for male and females. I’m a very late diagnosis for ASD and other issues surrounding ASD. After reading the first few chapters I realized on how different I was growing up. I recommend the book to anyone.

Good read for anyone but especially if you know or love a female with autism. Very enlightening about how symptoms are overlooked so often in girls vs. boys.

Well-written, and informative. I’m kind of embarrassed to say I never heard of Grunya Sukhareva before this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

The author demonstrates a strong commitment to thorough research, thoughtfully acknowledging both her past mistakes and those of others. However, I found the writing style less engaging, Overall, this book was a mixed experience for me. I earned a quite a bit from this book, but the first one-third of the book failed to engage me or include much information I found noteworthy. If you enjoy in-depth detail, you may find this book valuable. But if you prioritize reader engagement, there may be other books on this subject better suited to your preferences .

Off the Spectrum by Gina Rippon is a fascinating and eye-opening read. It challenges so many misconceptions about autism and provides a fresh perspective on what it really means to be on the spectrum. I really appreciated how the author breaks down complex science in a way that’s easy to follow and engaging. The book is full of facts and personal stories that make you think, and I love how it encourages readers to rethink stereotypes. I think our library patrons will love it too—it’s an enlightening, thought-provoking book that offers valuable insights, and I can see it sparking a lot of great discussions.

As an autistic female (I say female as I’m nonbinary), this book was mind blowing and will stick with me for a long time.

Off the Spectrum is an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder and its associations,with women.

Gina Rippon goes into detail of the history of Autism Spectrum Disorder and why women have been thought to not being able to develop and further on, be diagnosed with the disorder. Using research, Rippon backss up her hypotheses regarding women and Autism Spectrum Disorder and goes on as to possibilities as to how presentation of symptoms could be key to being able to give females diagnoses of said disorder and to even why the disorder can be overlooked as a,possibility for a female.

With the research and historical perspectives of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Off the Spectrum asks hard questions and possibilities to answer questions about the lack of women with Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses, why, and improvements that can be implemented that may balance something that has been historically off-balance.

✨ Thanks to NetGalley and Seal Press for providing a digital version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For years, we heard that autism was mostly a "boy's thing." Sure, girls could be autistic too, but they were seen as outliers. What if we were wrong? What if we couldn't find as many autistic girls simply because we weren't looking for them?

This book is written by a neuroscientist, so it comes with actual science, which was sometimes a bit tough to read (I found the behavioral part easier to digest than the neuroscience one, but that's just me). It was fascinating—and depressing—to see how girls are being failed at every step. They don't get as many referrals, and when they finally see a specialist, the tests meant to diagnose them miss the mark because they're designed for autistic boys. No diagnosis means no support. And it goes on and on because all the data we use for diagnosis is based on those already diagnosed (boys).

Here's a little story time: I'm one of those girls, even if I'm a woman now, obviously. I got tested and the results said, "Well, you don't meet our threshold, but you meet enough criteria for us to think you're not neurotypical." That's probably the worst answer to get. Now it's too late for me as an older millennial, but if things could change for the girls and women coming after me, that would be enough. The part about the tests (there's one set used basically everywhere to diagnose) was weirdly validating for me (even if it won't give me a diagnosis), so I'd like to thank the author for that.

It's also a super interesting read if you're into learning about how research works and how science constantly recalibrates itself. We learn along the way and make changes. It was really cool to see this process in the context of autism research.

Very thorough research and conveyed in a way that was easy to follow and retain. Did a very successful job highlighting how past research bias and current diagnostic tools impact the quality of identification, diagnosis & access to resources given to girls/females on the spectrum/of the autism community.

It is finally being realized that autism takes different forms if you are a man or a woman, and lately there are several books on the subject. I liked this one because the author doesn't have trouble acknowledging her own and others' mistakes that were made until they continued to consider the autistic male, as the standard. Hopefully, these studies will continue.

Finalmente ci si sta accorgendo che l'autismo prende forme diverse se sei un uomo o una donna e ultimamente ci sono parecchi libri sull'argomento. Questo mi é piaciuto perché l'autrice non fa fatica a riconoscere gli errori suoi e di altri, commessi fino a quando si continuava a considerare il maschio autistico, come lo standard. Speriamo che questi studi proseguano.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

As a mother of a little girl with autism I loved being able to read this. Was able to connect and understand it in so much of a deeper level and I know so many need to read this as well

This compelling book delves into the evolving understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), especially in relation to girls. Historically, autism was viewed as a condition that predominantly affected boys, leading researchers to overlook girls for decades. Girls with autism often camouflage their behaviors and mimic social skills, making their autism less noticeable and contributing to years of underdiagnosis. The author highlights the distinct experiences of girls with ASD and emphasizes the importance of ensuring they are no longer excluded from the conversation.