On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity
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- Author：Daniel Bowman Jr.
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Summary
Nearly everyone knows someone on the autism spectrum， whether it's a niece or nephew， a student in their classroom， a coworker， or a sibling， spouse， or child。 One in 54 children has autism， according to the CDC， and autism is reported across racial， ethnic， and socioeconomic groups。 Yet most of what people think they know about autism is wrong。
On the Spectrum debunks myths with a realistic yet hope-filled deep dive into the heart， mind， and life of a Christian。 Daniel Bowman， a novelist， poet， and professor， received an autism diagnosis at age thirty-five after experiencing crises in his personal and professional life。 The diagnosis shed light on his experience in a new， life-giving way。 In this captivating book， Bowman reveals new insights into autism， relationships， faith， and the gift of neurodiversity。
Rather than viewing autism as a deficiency， Bowman teaches readers--through stories of his heartbreaks and triumphs--authentic ways to love their neighbors as themselves， including their autistic neighbors who are fearfully and wonderfully， if differently， made。
On the Spectrum debunks myths with a realistic yet hope-filled deep dive into the heart， mind， and life of a Christian。 Daniel Bowman， a novelist， poet， and professor， received an autism diagnosis at age thirty-five after experiencing crises in his personal and professional life。 The diagnosis shed light on his experience in a new， life-giving way。 In this captivating book， Bowman reveals new insights into autism， relationships， faith， and the gift of neurodiversity。
Rather than viewing autism as a deficiency， Bowman teaches readers--through stories of his heartbreaks and triumphs--authentic ways to love their neighbors as themselves， including their autistic neighbors who are fearfully and wonderfully， if differently， made。
Reviews
Luke
，
This is an important book。Through essays， letters， and vividly realized anecdotes， Daniel Bowman Jr。 offers the rare gift of empathy， inviting readers into his life and his beautiful way of seeing the world。 This book is billed as being about the many contributions that neurodiversity can make to creative fields and to society in general。 It is about that， but it’s also about ancillary subjects: the value of art， the importance of compassion， the most honest ways to find and present truth。 Using This is an important book。Through essays， letters， and vividly realized anecdotes， Daniel Bowman Jr。 offers the rare gift of empathy， inviting readers into his life and his beautiful way of seeing the world。 This book is billed as being about the many contributions that neurodiversity can make to creative fields and to society in general。 It is about that， but it’s also about ancillary subjects: the value of art， the importance of compassion， the most honest ways to find and present truth。 Using an #OwnVoices narrative， Bowman makes insightful observations about problems in the Church and provides advice for how neurotypicals can be more welcoming to and affirming of people on the autism spectrum。Having taken one of Dr。 Bowman’s writing classes in college， I knew there would be aspects of this memoir I might struggle with—specifically， his perspectives on storytelling and his beliefs about what qualifies as worthwhile art。 There were moments when his views on that subject felt less inclusive than they might’ve。 Some readers might wonder if Dr。 Bowman believes it is possible to produce any work of literary merit that is not saturated with high artistic reference or rooted in a viewpoint of Christian spirituality。 Even in those moments， however， the intent shines through: Bowman is dedicated to a model of creative endeavor that illuminates healing， provides hope， and urges compassion for the struggles of our neighbors。Once again， this memoir is a gift of empathy。 It is an important book。 。。。more
Joy Wright
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I was amazed by Bowman's honesty， vulnerability， and insight throughout this book。 The content itself is so rich with meaning and beautifully written。 Each essay kept me engaged and interested--I never wanted to stop reading！ There is a lovely balance of ethos， pathos， and logos: the personal， tangible experiences were anchored in references to outside sources and facts， and I felt that I could trust Bowman as a writer early on。 As a whole， I left the book feeling more informed and equipped with I was amazed by Bowman's honesty， vulnerability， and insight throughout this book。 The content itself is so rich with meaning and beautifully written。 Each essay kept me engaged and interested--I never wanted to stop reading！ There is a lovely balance of ethos， pathos， and logos: the personal， tangible experiences were anchored in references to outside sources and facts， and I felt that I could trust Bowman as a writer early on。 As a whole， I left the book feeling more informed and equipped with a greater sense of compassion and empathy for those that are "on the spectrum，" which is the most I desire out of a book。 Well done！ 。。。more
Michelle
，
In a world where most everyone knows someone diagnosed with Autism， I found this book interesting and intriguing。 I wanted to know more about Autism and being on the spectrum， so once I came across this book on NetGalley I knew I had to request it。 I recommend this book。
Nathan Shuherk
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Full review: https://vm。tiktok。com/ZMdob1owC/ Full review: https://vm。tiktok。com/ZMdob1owC/ 。。。more
Joshua Henreckson
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I haven't read a book this quickly in a long while。 The writing is lovely--vivid， warm， and unfailingly generous。 It's insistent and impactful but also nuanced and personal， in a "come with me and let me show you what I've seen" kind of way。 I tend to steer clear of memoirs （especially if the word "faith" appears on the cover， to be honest）， but there's nothing trite or narrow or artificial about this one。 I'm very glad I had the chance to read this。 I haven't read a book this quickly in a long while。 The writing is lovely--vivid， warm， and unfailingly generous。 It's insistent and impactful but also nuanced and personal， in a "come with me and let me show you what I've seen" kind of way。 I tend to steer clear of memoirs （especially if the word "faith" appears on the cover， to be honest）， but there's nothing trite or narrow or artificial about this one。 I'm very glad I had the chance to read this。 。。。more
Christy Wilkens
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I'm an adult-diagnosed autistic Catholic， and Bowman's profound， beautiful， and necessary book soothed a very rumbly place inside my soul。This collection of essays ranges in length and focus， but they all bear Bowman's signature frank， earnest style。 I appreciated his commitment to honesty and vulnerability from the opening pages， which outline one of his darkest experiences， one that nearly cost him his marriage， his family， and his very life。 Depression， anxiety， and trauma are common among au I'm an adult-diagnosed autistic Catholic， and Bowman's profound， beautiful， and necessary book soothed a very rumbly place inside my soul。This collection of essays ranges in length and focus， but they all bear Bowman's signature frank， earnest style。 I appreciated his commitment to honesty and vulnerability from the opening pages， which outline one of his darkest experiences， one that nearly cost him his marriage， his family， and his very life。 Depression， anxiety， and trauma are common among autistics -- whether diagnosed in adulthood or childhood -- due to years of skewed interactions in a neurotypical world; Bowman gains our trust as a narrator by confronting these painful truths up front。In the words that follow， he moves skillfully from grief to joy， isolation to community， building a vision of possibility and hope。 I especially enjoyed his discussion of his autistic experience of place， and how he approaches environments through physical presence， research， and literature。 His piece on the dangers of bad literature （and how the dishonesty of bad storytelling is an affront to the autistic core sensibility of honesty） was also invigorating and wise， an indication of the depth of his gifts as a teacher。His discussion of the intersection of his autism and his Christian practice resonated strongly for me， particularly his self-recrimination about not always being able to engage in Christian service in standard and expected neurotypical ways。 He notes， “Because I have to engage life at such a profound level in order to enter into any Christian service， the good news is that it generally has a transformative effect on me… if I can say yes。” That “if” can be a hard and lonely place to reside， and his discussion of the ways he is honoring both his God-given gifts within the context of his God-given natural limitations is a strong opening gambit toward a larger conversation within individual church communities about building paths for active discipleship and ministry for people with all kinds of disabilities。If there is anything this book lacks， it is an acknowledgement that， for all his challenges， Bowman’s support needs are lower than many other autistic people’s。 His vision of community-supported life would be much more challenging， if not impossible， for someone with intellectual and physical disability or communication differences related to their autism。 There is a great （and paradoxically inaccessible） need for #OwnVoices stories about autistics with higher support needs， who are often consigned to bleak state-supported living， over-medicalized or even torturous programs， and subhuman theories of mind… even within the walls of Christian churches。Bowman is lucky to have supportive family， friends， and colleagues， and he acknowledges this。 But that nexus of support was built through painstaking conversation， hard work， honest feedback， and many mistakes along the way。 This is how Christian communities are built， how we manifest the Kingdom of God on Earth。 I’m grateful for Bowman’s entry into the public work of carving an openly autistic space in those endeavors。 。。。more
Corrie
，
Daniel Bowman Jr。 does a beautiful job in this book at weaving his experience with Autism and his faith。 I highly recommend all Christians read this book， especially those who are neurodivergent， in the disability community， or strong advocates for the community。 Bowman's journey towards a diagnosis is one that many people know。 It isn't easy to find someone who will take the time to diagnose， expensive to get it done， and not an easy process。 Self-diagnosis is valid and super common in those wh Daniel Bowman Jr。 does a beautiful job in this book at weaving his experience with Autism and his faith。 I highly recommend all Christians read this book， especially those who are neurodivergent， in the disability community， or strong advocates for the community。 Bowman's journey towards a diagnosis is one that many people know。 It isn't easy to find someone who will take the time to diagnose， expensive to get it done， and not an easy process。 Self-diagnosis is valid and super common in those who are neurodivergent。 I wish there were more support and understanding in this experience。As someone who is neurodivergent and has experienced difficulty with diagnoses， I related to much of this book。 。。。more
Laura
，
As an #OwnVoices author， Daniel Bowman Jr。 gives a vulnerable， open， and intimate perspective on his experiences as an autistic adult。 In the first few chapters， Bowman generously lays out the difference between a pathological view of autism and an embrace of neurodiversity: "A neurodiversity paradigm asserts the basic fact that autism doesn't need to be fixed; it simply needs to be understood and accepted。" He gives examples that clearly explain the problematic nature of treating autism as a di As an #OwnVoices author， Daniel Bowman Jr。 gives a vulnerable， open， and intimate perspective on his experiences as an autistic adult。 In the first few chapters， Bowman generously lays out the difference between a pathological view of autism and an embrace of neurodiversity: "A neurodiversity paradigm asserts the basic fact that autism doesn't need to be fixed; it simply needs to be understood and accepted。" He gives examples that clearly explain the problematic nature of treating autism as a disease。But in addition to these basic ideas about autism and how we should view it， Bowman also writes beautiful essays about his personal experiences navigating a world built for neurotypical people。 In particular， I really enjoyed his essay about riding his motorcycle and how it helps him to regulate his sensory needs。 As the parent of an autistic child， I am always seeking to learn and listen to first-person accounts of how I can best support and celebrate my son's neurodiversity。 And like Bowman says， "there is no autistic point of view。 There are as many autistic points of view as there are autistic persons。" But his point of view is incredibly valuable and I am glad to have listened。 。。。more
Katie Karnehm-Esh
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Full disclosure: I'm friends with Dan。 And I can objectively say this is a wonderful book。 My little brother is autistic， so over the last 20 years since his diagnosis I've read many books on autism， most from the perspective of parents， but some memoirs of individuals on the spectrum。 Dan's book is unique because it's story， advice， and inspiration written across multiple essays。 The included interviews were also helpful--one can see the questions neurotypical people often ask， and the question Full disclosure: I'm friends with Dan。 And I can objectively say this is a wonderful book。 My little brother is autistic， so over the last 20 years since his diagnosis I've read many books on autism， most from the perspective of parents， but some memoirs of individuals on the spectrum。 Dan's book is unique because it's story， advice， and inspiration written across multiple essays。 The included interviews were also helpful--one can see the questions neurotypical people often ask， and the questions that neurodivergent people （often） want to be answering instead。 One reviewer called this a book more for neurotypical readers， which I can see now that I've finished it。 I hope this is a subject Dan keeps writing on--clearly he has much to say。 Also， someone needs to publish his YA novel （ mentioned in this book） ASAP！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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What a fabulous collection of essays on autism， creativity， faith， and so much more。 Check out my review on Ruminate's The Waking: https://www。ruminatemagazine。com/blog。。。 What a fabulous collection of essays on autism， creativity， faith， and so much more。 Check out my review on Ruminate's The Waking: https://www。ruminatemagazine。com/blog。。。 。。。more
Emmy Gregory
，
With thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book is a series of short #ownvoices pieces about autism， faith and life。 Like Bowman， I am autistic。 We are both creative types。 We were both diagnosed as adults。 Nonetheless， I’ve read a lot of nonsense about autism in my time， so Bowman was going to have to work to win me over。 He did。I must admit， I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book when I first picked it up。 I had some dif With thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book is a series of short #ownvoices pieces about autism， faith and life。 Like Bowman， I am autistic。 We are both creative types。 We were both diagnosed as adults。 Nonetheless， I’ve read a lot of nonsense about autism in my time， so Bowman was going to have to work to win me over。 He did。I must admit， I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book when I first picked it up。 I had some difficulty connecting with the rather roundabout and metaphorical approach to language。 Bowman will suddenly meander off into talking about cornfields， or his favourite shirt， or a tree – but he’s a poet， so he gets a pass on that one。 It does always come back to a point about autism。 I think this might make it a love-or-hate book for many。 If you think that’s the kind of thing that might put you off， it probably will。It’s a relatively short book but it’s by no means an easy read。 It’s challenging for two reasons。 First， Bowman will force you to think， pulling in novels， poems， Christian scripture， and philosophy in order to make his point。 Secondly， if you’re not autistic， you’re probably going to have to re-evaluate what you’ve always thought about autism in a way that might be uncomfortable。 Nothing said here is revolutionary。 Most of it has been shouted from the rooftops by other autistic people， including myself。 Another autistic voice is always welcome on this roof， though。 There are a few little slip-ups （yes， the average life expectancy for autistic people is thirty-six years， but that’s largely because of common comorbid conditions like severe epilepsy， which can be fatal in themselves。） But there’s so much that is relatable。 I cringed along with him when he talked about people touching him unexpectedly， the backhanded compliments， the “but why aren’t you， a real person， more like [fictional character written by a neurotypical person]？” I didn’t connect so well with the section about faith and autism， but it’s right there in the title so it’s not like it was unexpected。 I’m sure those essays will be of value to many; they just didn’t do much for me。The most interesting part was the interview section in the final quarter of the book。 In this section， Bowman doesn’t just talk about how autistic people think， but directly reveals it。 Over and over， he answers the exact question he is asked， which is not necessarily the question the interviewer thought they were asking。 When the interviewer clearly expects a broad answer （a more neurotypical way of thinking） Bowman begins by narrowing down to a fine point and being clear about what he is and isn’t speaking about: there is no one answer。 This is how what you’ve said relates to me， and me only。 That aspect really spoke to me。 On the one hand， answering the exact question you’re asked gets you good grades on essays。 On the other， you get called impolite constantly for some reason。 This book is a precise and specific exploration of exactly one autistic person’s life， and is clear that it doesn’t claim to be anything else， even if some of the experiences within have far broader connotations。 If you want to understand more about autism than you did before， read the thoughts of this Bowman chap。 He’s smart and eloquent。 And then keep reading。 。。。more
Hunter Pardue
，
I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Everyone in all levels of the church will benefit from reading Bowman's book。 There is so much value for all members of the Body that are apart of our churches。 Bowman gives us a series of essays that will open up our hearts to our autistic brothers and sisters in the church。 Even if you think you are open and affirming to all humans， you will be challenged and convicted in making a more neurodiverse community。 I got this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Everyone in all levels of the church will benefit from reading Bowman's book。 There is so much value for all members of the Body that are apart of our churches。 Bowman gives us a series of essays that will open up our hearts to our autistic brothers and sisters in the church。 Even if you think you are open and affirming to all humans， you will be challenged and convicted in making a more neurodiverse community。 。。。more
Phillip Cole
，
Growing up， I never heard about autism。 I was out of college before I even met someone that had been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum。 However， I want to know as much as I can about how to help them， especially when it comes to serving in church。 That made this book one that I really wanted to read。Through the compiled essays， you can get an idea of how people on the autism spectrum experience everyday things。 Thankfully， more people are working to undo stereotypes， but there are still Growing up， I never heard about autism。 I was out of college before I even met someone that had been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum。 However， I want to know as much as I can about how to help them， especially when it comes to serving in church。 That made this book one that I really wanted to read。Through the compiled essays， you can get an idea of how people on the autism spectrum experience everyday things。 Thankfully， more people are working to undo stereotypes， but there are still those that think neurodivergent people just need to try harder。 I realize I still have more to learn， but reading this book gives me a foundation to work with。I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Scott Carter
，
The first half of On the Spectrum acts to normalize much of the language， such as “spectrum” and “neurotypical，” while providing a picture of a human being’s life dealing with Autism。 Each chapter varies between seemingly broad focus stories and direct spectrum experiences in the Christian life。 Some chapters are brief， and though my version was digital， I doubt they would take up three pages。This book feels disjointed or scattered to a reader （meaning myself） who typically bounces between biogr The first half of On the Spectrum acts to normalize much of the language， such as “spectrum” and “neurotypical，” while providing a picture of a human being’s life dealing with Autism。 Each chapter varies between seemingly broad focus stories and direct spectrum experiences in the Christian life。 Some chapters are brief， and though my version was digital， I doubt they would take up three pages。This book feels disjointed or scattered to a reader （meaning myself） who typically bounces between biography， history， and theology。 There is nothing wrong with this， but one should know this before picking the book and expecting any typical trajectory。 Bowman himself alludes to this early on stating， “it may feel a little different at times from more linear memoirs。”Because most of what I review is theologically oriented， I think a simple note is required: the author and I would disagree on several such topics。 Nevertheless， it is not necessary for the majority of this book。 Daniel Bowman invites the reader to learn about his life， the various ways in which it is typical of anyone， and how it is drastically different because of possessing a “neurodivergent” brain。 Towards the end of the book， three chapters contain interviews the author gave to various people: a high school student， a mother to an autistic child and writer， and a pastor。 These interviews offer a more specific glimpse of a person living day-to-day with autism。Reading through the book causes me to appreciate being married to a counselor。 Autism spectrum disorder is frequently a topic of conversation。 Because she regularly works with kids and sees patterns， she is able to educate parents and provide referrals to those able to diagnose。 All that to say: autism has become normalized for me。 Yet， it is because my wife has to provide basic ASD education to parents of children that I realize it is not generally well known。 It is not easy to write a book chronicling your personal challenges， and for that， I appreciate On The Spectrum。I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review purposes。 Comments are my own。 。。。more
Kari
，
Vacation book 4: I know Daniel Bowman Jr online because I attended the Glen Workshop one year， and so we have some mutual friends。 He offered me an early copy of his book and I absolutely loved it。 “I am autistic，” he declares and then goes on to describe his experiences， the struggle to get a diagnosis， and the way that being able to name his differences has been life-giving。 He also points out harmful stereotypes， languages， and biases， and makes suggestions and observations that are helpful t Vacation book 4: I know Daniel Bowman Jr online because I attended the Glen Workshop one year， and so we have some mutual friends。 He offered me an early copy of his book and I absolutely loved it。 “I am autistic，” he declares and then goes on to describe his experiences， the struggle to get a diagnosis， and the way that being able to name his differences has been life-giving。 He also points out harmful stereotypes， languages， and biases， and makes suggestions and observations that are helpful to parents， teachers， and churches everywhere。 I appreciated when he named adjustments that could help neurodiverse people feel more welcome and less pressure to conform in public spaces。 I think this book is a gift and I hope many pastors and church leaders read it and learn from Daniel’s gracious mentoring of us all。 。。。more
Sarah
，
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for offering a free copy of the ARC in return for an honest review of the book。 As the author， Daniel Jr。 Bowman states， it's so important that we read stories by #OWNVOICES in all areas of literature。 I'm happy that more memoirs are being published by autistic people。 I enjoyed following the thoughts that Daniel Bowman shared in this memoir about his life and work。 It was interesting to get inside of his thoughts and to learn more about neurodiversi I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for offering a free copy of the ARC in return for an honest review of the book。 As the author， Daniel Jr。 Bowman states， it's so important that we read stories by #OWNVOICES in all areas of literature。 I'm happy that more memoirs are being published by autistic people。 I enjoyed following the thoughts that Daniel Bowman shared in this memoir about his life and work。 It was interesting to get inside of his thoughts and to learn more about neurodiversity。 I liked that Daniel shared many stories， poems， and authors that he has read and enjoyed。 There were several times that I created lists of authors to read as I read Daniel's memoir。 My only wish was that Daniel shared more stories about his wife and children。 I really enjoyed the stories he did include about them and wished for more about how those relationships worked。 。。。more
Amy
，
Full disclosure: the author is one of my best friends。 Even so， you can trust me when I say that this book is a generous invitation to knowing and loving your neighbors better— reading it， for a moment you can begin to see from the perspective of an autistic artist， and the view is lovely。
Penny
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Daniel Bowman， Jr。 a professor of English at Taylor University was found to be on the autism spectrum in his thirties。 In On the Spectrum， Professor Bowman brings together his life experience with autism， his beliefs as a Christian， and his world of the arts。 I found the writing interesting and intellectual。 I enjoyed the essays on the art of writing as a Christian with autism and the interviews he included at the end。 He gives honest insight into his world and credit to his family。 If you are i Daniel Bowman， Jr。 a professor of English at Taylor University was found to be on the autism spectrum in his thirties。 In On the Spectrum， Professor Bowman brings together his life experience with autism， his beliefs as a Christian， and his world of the arts。 I found the writing interesting and intellectual。 I enjoyed the essays on the art of writing as a Christian with autism and the interviews he included at the end。 He gives honest insight into his world and credit to his family。 If you are interested in learning more about the spectrum and how it affects adults， this is a book with great insight。 It is not however a light read， so be prepared to take your time and delve into Professor Bowman's book essay by essay。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Richard Propes
，
Every once in a while， a book comes along out of nowhere and simply blows you away。 For me， Daniel Bowman Jr's "On the Spectrum: Autism， Faith， and the Gifts of Neurodiversity" is such a book。 I'd not heard of Bowman until stumbling across Bowman's upcoming release despite the fact that we share a Midwestern home state， a lot of theology， and an interest in the world of disability - in Bowman's case Autism and in my own Spina Bifida/Paraplegia/Amputee/Brain Injury。 It was like when I discovered Every once in a while， a book comes along out of nowhere and simply blows you away。 For me， Daniel Bowman Jr's "On the Spectrum: Autism， Faith， and the Gifts of Neurodiversity" is such a book。 I'd not heard of Bowman until stumbling across Bowman's upcoming release despite the fact that we share a Midwestern home state， a lot of theology， and an interest in the world of disability - in Bowman's case Autism and in my own Spina Bifida/Paraplegia/Amputee/Brain Injury。 It was like when I discovered that Shannan Martin， another writer of faith， is an Indiana resident。 I instantly wanted to drive up， say hey， have coffee， and talk about life。 After having recently read yet another expert's opinion on church and theology and disability and having once again been disappointed by what I read， I approached "On the Spectrum" gingerly and with low-to-modest expectations。 "On the Spectrum" brings to light the phrase "nothing about us without us。" Indeed， the greatest benefit for me of "On the Spectrum" is that Bowman immerses us in his world of living with Autism from tackling the inevitable comparisons to Temple Grandin to dealing with high school academic challenges to wondering about "outing" himself while working in the often high-pressure tenure-seeking academic world and， of course， to the everyday life of faith。 There isn't a page of "On the Spectrum" I didn't love because this book is filled with truth-telling and stories demanding to be heard。 Bowman， who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 35 after having put the pieces together in his own heart and head， speaks of Autism in a way that no non-Autistic theologian or academic or religious researcher ever could。 While this is not to say that those other voices are not valuable， Bowman has the stories that need to be told。 "On the Spectrum" is simultaneously memoir and a collection of both short and longer essays。 Bowman writes more like a Rachel Held Evans or a Shannan Martin than he does your typical theologian。 This is not to say there isn't tremendous intelligence in "On the Spectrum。" Indeed， there is。 Bowman is a professor at Indiana's Taylor University and his writing beautifully balances being intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant。 For those of us who embrace the power of natural supports and true community rather than a life in paid supports， "On the Spectrum" is a powerful vision of how beautiful this life can be。 As a person myself who left the "system" in favor of seeking true community that would both empower and provide the supports for daily life I need， I resonated greatly with Bowman's honesty about daily living， daily challenges， daily triumphs， personal relationships， marriage， mentors， life in the professional world， and even the challenges of travel。 Truthfully， as much as I use the word "disability" here and I believe it to be an important word to use there's also an awareness that rises from the book that we are often more disabled by society and the church's response to our diagnoses than we are by the diagnoses themselves。 Autism， of course， presents with its everyday challenges and they portrayed realistically here。 Yet， when the church is ultimately doing its job Autism， or neurodiversity， becomes a gift and a part of what makes the tapestry of faith so rich。 "On the Spectrum" is， indeed， a realistic portrayal of neurodiversity and also a celebration of it。 Bowman is successful， another story of living successfully with autism among many， as a college graduate， professor， writer， speaker， husband， and father among many other "roles。" He recognizes Autism for the challenges it presents but also for the ways in which it has helped him succeed。 While my challenges are different （though Autism has long been tied to Spina Bifida and I checked off more than a few common traits with Bowman）， the truth is that "On the Spectrum" has emotionally and intellectually informed my own living with spina bifida and its related diagnoses。 I've resonated with Bowman deeply - we both unexpectedly went to college and we're both creatives who value the role of creativity in living AND， of course， we share our faith journeys。 Yet， perhaps more than anything， we both share a willingness to share our journeys and all they're hilarious and frustrating quirks and foibles。 For any church claiming to be truly celebrating of diversity and disability in all its forms， "On the Spectrum" is mandatory reading as it speaks to the church experience and it speaks outside the usual structures and programs to which people with disabilities are so often relegated。 We are not your charity。。。we are your brothers and sisters and so much more。 "On the Spectrum" is one of my favorite books of 2021。 。。。more
Stephanie Agnes-Crockett
，
Although I’m not especially fond of nonfiction （by which I mean， I usually avoid it）， I decided to request On the Spectrum by Daniel Bowman Jr。， from NetGalley。 The publisher provided me a free Advanced Reader ebook in exchange for this review。The book interested me because of its description， which had to do with viewing the gift of autism through a Christian lens。 I am a Christian who has recently been （self） diagnosed with Autism— specifically， Aspergers， which is now identified， instead as b Although I’m not especially fond of nonfiction （by which I mean， I usually avoid it）， I decided to request On the Spectrum by Daniel Bowman Jr。， from NetGalley。 The publisher provided me a free Advanced Reader ebook in exchange for this review。The book interested me because of its description， which had to do with viewing the gift of autism through a Christian lens。 I am a Christian who has recently been （self） diagnosed with Autism— specifically， Aspergers， which is now identified， instead as being “on the spectrum。” Like the author and others referenced in the book， the diagnosis has brought a lot of clarity for me。When I began the book， I was intrigued to learn that Bowman， like myself， was diagnosed in adulthood。 He self-diagnosed and then received a professional diagnosis， while in his thirties。 Bowman’s description of this process， which was often uncomfortable for him， reminds me of my own discomfort speaking with a psychiatry grad student （as part of a Psychology course when I was an undergrad）。 Indeed， one of the aspects of the book that I most enjoyed was its relatability。 Bowman places strong emphasis on the need for #ownvoices in Autistic representation and， as an Aspie， myself， I was able to commiserate with many of his recountings of personal experience。 Because I’m new to the diagnosis， I also enjoyed one or two personal “aha” moments， where I realized that certain personality traits of mine （which I hadn’t yet connected with Autism）， were linked to autism。At the same time， Bowman emphasizes throughout that his experience is not the autism experience。 Repeatedly， Bowman writes， “If you’ve met one autistic person… you’ve met one autistic person，” bucking flat stereotypes of what it means to be autistic。When he does reference traits shared by those with the autistic “operating system” （I really liked this analogy）， he advocates for a shift away from the pathology paradigm， which describes autistic traits as deficits。 Bowman acknowledges the many differences between neurotypicals and neurodivergents （a term which encompasses other learning differences， such as ADHD）， but emphasizes that autists aren’t lacking。This is a major theme throughout the text， which is comprised of essays: The idea that neurodivergents have unique skill sets to share with the world， and shouldn’t be expected to play by the rules of the neurotypical system。 Referencing eye contact， for instance， Bowman mentions instances when people have shut him out of conversations because of his lack of eye contact。 Bowman argues that this treatment is unfair because it penalizes autistic people who are unable to pick up/ demonstrate these basic social skills。 As an autist， I feel that it is important to think about how our social behaviors， or lack thereof， are affecting the other person。 While social situations may present additional challenges， I believe I am accountable for how my behaviors affect another person。Bowman references the tension between the need to adapt to one’s environment （in the context of neurotypical society）， while also seeking to be understood， writing， “I’m drawn to this balanced view。” Throughout the text， Bowman does address both sides of the scale， leaning more heavily toward the adaptation angle in the introduction and emphasizing grace and understanding throughout the majority of the text。 For this reason， passages pertaining to the challenges （and potential pitfalls） of autism particularly resonated with me。 For instance， Bowman notes that， in his interactions with his wife， his need for safety and stability may overreach to the point of attempting to control her。 Insights like these were very important， to me， in the reading， because， even as I embrace the ways that God has made me beautifully unique （even my brain looks different than a neurotypical brain！）， I also do not want to use autism as an excuse for bad behavior。 At the same time， I find that it is valuable for me to recognize that I am dealing with challenges that others are not facing， and to give myself grace for that。 With that said， as an autist， I think I would have liked to have seen a little bit more emphasis placed on how our tendencies affect others。 HOWEVER， I do not think this was the author’s purpose， given that （I suspect） there is a lot of material already written on this topic。 Plus， I think that this book was written more for neurotypicals than for those on the spectrum。In that sense， I believe Bowman accomplished what he set out to do: to “make some sense of” his life， in a way that is “useful” to the audience。 Bowman does not claim to have “arrived，” and provides personal narrative that is vulnerable and （in my case） relatable。 His transparency is truly commendable， as well as empowering。 Having read this work， I feel that I can lend my voice and experiences to the autistic community， without being afraid of misrepresenting it。 I am “one” autistic person， and like Bowman says， do not claim to represent the entire community。Highlights• I especially related to Bowman’s descriptions of the challenges of fellowship in a church setting。 This was one of my favorite essays• Likewise， the essay on serving in the body of Christ， which touched on feelings of guilt as a Christian， was relatable and helpful for me。• My other favorite essay was about the parable of the tares。 Bowman quotes commentary about the Lord being the one to pull our weeds， which was a powerful statement for me。 I think this may be my biggest takeaway from the bookOverall Impression:The book was not what I expected it to be。 Based on the subtitle， I thought that the book would be geared more toward autists， rather than neurotypicals。 I was expecting to read more about how autistic people bring specific contributions to society。 Instead， the book seemed geared toward neurotypicals who are seeking greater insight into the life of an autistic person。 However， this is made pretty clear in the introductory material， and I believe that the book does achieve its stated end。 I do really like that this is packaged as reflections from one person in the community， providing insight into the community without claiming to speak for everyone。The author described autists as a marginalized people group， likening us to persons of color and members of the LGBTQ community。 Bowman is progressive in his opinions and advocacy and I resonated with his comparison between autism and race。 At the same time， Conservative Christians may not resonate with all of the opinions expressed。 I recommend this book for its insight into what autism looks like， particularly with reference to creativity。 I do not， however， agree with every belief the author espouses。 。。。more
G。 Connor Salter
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