The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide
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- Create Date：2021-09-19 09:56:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Siena Castellon
- ISBN：178775183X
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Summary
"Never be ashamed of being different: it is this difference that makes you extraordinary and unique。"
This essential go-to guide gives you all the advice and tools you'll need to help you flourish and achieve what you want in life。 From the answers to everyday questions such as 'Am I using appropriate body language？' and 'Did I say the wrong thing？'， through to discussing the importance of understanding your emotions， looking after your physical and mental health and coping with anxiety and sensory overloads， award-winning neurodiversity campaigner Siena Castellon uses her own experiences to provide you with the skills to overcome any challenge。
With practical tips on friendships， dating， body image， consent and appearance， as well as how to survive school and bullying， The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide gives you the power to embrace who you are， reminding you that even during the toughest of teen moments， you are never alone。
This essential go-to guide gives you all the advice and tools you'll need to help you flourish and achieve what you want in life。 From the answers to everyday questions such as 'Am I using appropriate body language？' and 'Did I say the wrong thing？'， through to discussing the importance of understanding your emotions， looking after your physical and mental health and coping with anxiety and sensory overloads， award-winning neurodiversity campaigner Siena Castellon uses her own experiences to provide you with the skills to overcome any challenge。
With practical tips on friendships， dating， body image， consent and appearance， as well as how to survive school and bullying， The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide gives you the power to embrace who you are， reminding you that even during the toughest of teen moments， you are never alone。
Reviews
L。A。 Hamilton
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Very insightful。 Would recommend for anyone working with children with Autism。
Katie Wright
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I chose not to give a star rating as I am not the intended reader of the book and would not like to speak to the benefit of the book to the intended audience as I have no lived experience of having autism。 That being said， I found the book to be very insightful。 I am a 30 year old teacher， neurotypical， with experience of poor mental health manifesting in anxiety/depression/ocd。 I wanted to understand more about how autism can affect the lives of young people， particularly girls， and the book ce I chose not to give a star rating as I am not the intended reader of the book and would not like to speak to the benefit of the book to the intended audience as I have no lived experience of having autism。 That being said， I found the book to be very insightful。 I am a 30 year old teacher， neurotypical， with experience of poor mental health manifesting in anxiety/depression/ocd。 I wanted to understand more about how autism can affect the lives of young people， particularly girls， and the book certainly helped me in that respect。 Some of it seemed very basic stuff， but then again I am reading it through the eyes of an adult。 It definitely helped me to understand how I might be able to better support my students that have autism and other co-occurring conditions and to understand more about autism in general。 。。。more
Fliss Power
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My daughter loved this book， very good for teenagers
Nelle Findlay
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I wish I had had this book a few years ago。 As a 21 year old autistic girl， I think this gives good general advice and I would recommend this to autistic girls and parents of autistic girls。 I like that it gives autonomy to autistic young people as so many books about autistic children are definitely not designed for the subjects of said book。However one of the book's strongest points is also one of it's weak points。 While I love that it was written by a young autistic girl and not edited beyond I wish I had had this book a few years ago。 As a 21 year old autistic girl， I think this gives good general advice and I would recommend this to autistic girls and parents of autistic girls。 I like that it gives autonomy to autistic young people as so many books about autistic children are definitely not designed for the subjects of said book。However one of the book's strongest points is also one of it's weak points。 While I love that it was written by a young autistic girl and not edited beyond all recognition， the writing does feel rather amateurish and some areas seem to ramble and are not very clear。Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of what it's like to be an autistic girl。 。。。more
Eli
，
When I saw this book in Waterstones， I knew it was for me。 Life as an autistic teenage girl is challenging， mostly because we live in a world that isn't designed for us。 There's so much pressure to hide who we are in order to be accepted by neurotypicals， and it leaves many of us feeling lost and confused， unsure of how to cope with the struggles we face。 There are many guides that show neurotypical teenagers how to deal with their problems， but since our problems are often different， these aren When I saw this book in Waterstones， I knew it was for me。 Life as an autistic teenage girl is challenging， mostly because we live in a world that isn't designed for us。 There's so much pressure to hide who we are in order to be accepted by neurotypicals， and it leaves many of us feeling lost and confused， unsure of how to cope with the struggles we face。 There are many guides that show neurotypical teenagers how to deal with their problems， but since our problems are often different， these aren't always helpful。 There is a serious gap in the market for guides aimed at autistic people that are actually written by autistic people - especially those aimed at teen girls。This is why Siena's book is absolutely essential。 Siena is autistic herself， and she gives examples of what strategies work for her。 She writes in an accessible and encouraging way， which helps her readers feel seen and accepted - something which they may not have experienced before。This book contains chapters that show the reader how to embrace their neurodiversity， how to manage their sensory sensitivities， how to take care of their mind and body， how to deal with bullying and challenges at school， and， importantly， how to deal with romantic and platonic relationships as an autistic person。 The sections on social media and gender identity are also extremely helpful for any teenager as they are a big part of our day-to-day lives and are often misunderstood by older generations。If you've gone your whole life not knowing how to deal with these things， this book is invaluable to help you find strategies that work for you。 It has helped me embrace who I am and I hope it will help you as well。 。。。more
are we there yet
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Good， contains some info I never learned。 The author is right， I'm too far away from my high school days and didn't remember a whole bunch of things until I read this book。My only criticism is the advice， largely based on the 17-yr-old author's own experience， can be limiting。 There's an odd emphasis on wearing a bra， which should ALWAYS be voluntary， and no mention of asexuality at all。 Book is also written from a position of privilege， neglecting the fact that advocating for yourself as a midd Good， contains some info I never learned。 The author is right， I'm too far away from my high school days and didn't remember a whole bunch of things until I read this book。My only criticism is the advice， largely based on the 17-yr-old author's own experience， can be limiting。 There's an odd emphasis on wearing a bra， which should ALWAYS be voluntary， and no mention of asexuality at all。 Book is also written from a position of privilege， neglecting the fact that advocating for yourself as a middle-class white （or white-passing） girl will get more results than if you were additionally disadvantaged in society。 。。。more
Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews
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First， I want to thank Siena Castellon and The Nonfiction Book Awards for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review。Siena Casellon is an incredible teenage girl who opens up and shares her amazing advice The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How To Grow Up Awesome and Autistic。 Every teenage girl who has autism must read this book。 Siena talks right to you girl to girl。 You are not alone in this journey。 The cover graphic on this book is very powerful and positive in nature！ The g First， I want to thank Siena Castellon and The Nonfiction Book Awards for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review。Siena Casellon is an incredible teenage girl who opens up and shares her amazing advice The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How To Grow Up Awesome and Autistic。 Every teenage girl who has autism must read this book。 Siena talks right to you girl to girl。 You are not alone in this journey。 The cover graphic on this book is very powerful and positive in nature！ The graphic designers did a great job catching the concept of the book。 Kudos to them。Siena wants to dedicate this book to all the awesome autistic girls around the world who dance to a different beat。This book starts out with a foreword from Dr。 Temple Grandin， author of Thinking in Pictures and The Autistic Brain。 I have read many acknowledgements in my book reviewing career。 However， this one I could tell came straight from Siena’s heart and was very genuine。 It made me smile knowing how proud she is of this book and all that helped her along the way。If I have learned anything from this book is not to let your disability stop you from living your best life。 Siena truly impressed me with all her accomplishments she achieved at only 16！ Siena is an incredible teenage girl who enjoys many typical things that teenage girls do （then again who doesn’t love watching Netflix， Chocolate， and Makeup？！） However， she is unique as she has autism， is dyslexic， has ADHD， and is dypraxic。 Being a teenager with Autism there was not a book written that addressed the issues she addresses in this book。 So， she decided to write a book specifically for her teens living with this。 I commend her for writing this。One thing I loved about Siena was how positive and upbeat she is！ It was infectious！Rebecca Burgess incorporates well drawn cartoons with captions that are meaningful to what Siena is talking about。 I liked how the two of them worked together on this。 For someone who does not have autism （like me） but have met some people with this-this too is a great book for them。 It opens your eyes to what they are feeling inside and how they react differently to things。 For example they are sensitive to bright lights and smells。 As am I but that is because I am a chronic migraine。 But， I could totally understand their reaction to this。 I have tried the orange tinted glasses and they do work。 I agreed with Siena when she stated it is sad we live in a world where they make little attempt to understand and accept autistic individuals。 Having had friends with Autism in high school and baby sat for some kids that had it I found they are very sweet， smart， and extremely intelligent。 Just like Siena seems like。 Siena brings up some very important topics in this book that relate to most teenage girls。 Such as dating， crushes， bullying， etc。 I was pleasantly surprised to see a section on transgender， gender identity and coming out。 Someone her age to write such a grown up topic that many authors my age even talk about was impressive。 In the back of the book Siena gives you a list of important websites for you to look up。 She also gives a list of recommended reading。 。。。more
Your Books Are Calling
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I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。This book is great。 That’s a good way to start a review， right？No， seriously。 Written by an Autistic Girl for Autistic Girls， the author writes eloquently and with intelligence， but with enough oversight to make it very easily readable， as well as easily able to be digested （unlike that last sentence。。。ugh。）。 It doesn’t read as too childish， which can happen when an adult writes for children。 There is some repetitive I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。This book is great。 That’s a good way to start a review， right？No， seriously。 Written by an Autistic Girl for Autistic Girls， the author writes eloquently and with intelligence， but with enough oversight to make it very easily readable， as well as easily able to be digested （unlike that last sentence。。。ugh。）。 It doesn’t read as too childish， which can happen when an adult writes for children。 There is some repetitiveness at the beginning of the chapters， but this is something that is common in Non-Fiction， so is not an issue。I love love love the different cartoons （which， reading via the Kindle app on my phone， were small and hard to see）， they were cute without being babyish， and I was so happy to see a variety of races， abilities， appearances etc。 Being an eARC I can’t comment on how it will look in the final publication， but it was laid out and simple to follow in my copy。The author was wonderful about showing suggestions。 When she spoke of the varying sensory issues she herself faced， such as clothing tags or uncomfortable clothing that she was required to wear， she also gave many suggestions on how she does and how the reader could potentially mitigate these。 There was a definite understanding on the part of the reader that although she had given you a half page of suggestions， there were more out there and you should try until you find a way that works for you。 She also made it seem like a normal， run of the mill issue， so that was nice。Som subjects I felt could have been expanded on somewhat， such as sex and sexuality， but I do undertand that this is seen as a private topic for many and can understand why it was left open。 I did like that every single topic was left open and given suggestions on how to find out more information。 The links at the back of the book were numerous， and also the referencing of books that the author used was well done， allowing parents or girls to read more if they chose to。 I was glad to see m-to-f trans kids included as “Girls”， after all， if that’s how they identify， then that;s what they are。 I do wish there had been a little about f-to-m， but as it is a guide for girls I kind of understand it。 Speaking of trans and lgbt+， I loved that the author acknowledged that “coming out to yourself” is an important and often difficult step， and how some people would never go further than that， and that that was their decision and totally ok。 Also all relationships someone may get into were treated as the same， regardless of the gender/sexual orientation！Bullying was a recurrent theme， and I liked that the author gave ways to stand up to bullies， as well as genuine examples from her own life， but also that she acknowledged that teachers can be complicite in the bullying， or even be the bully themselves。 I think the biggest thing I took away from this was that despite the fact that many Autistic people struggle with communication， it is important to have people you can communicate well with， and to lean on them and keep them in the loop if things are not going well。 The author gives so much information in this book I could talk all day。 Honestly， if you are Autistic， if you have social skills that leave you struggling with communication with your peers， if you have an Autistic child/niece/nephew/grandchild/godchild - read this book。 Content Warning: Discussions of: bullying， self harm， menstruationOverall Rating: 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Beth
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Castellon writes from her own experience and gives a lot of advice to navigating both typical teen problems that autistic girls face and also the extra challenges they face as part of their neurodiversity。 It's an easy read with good organization but it feels a bit specific; more of a memoir than a general guide。 Castellon tries hard to be more general; the engaging cartoons show a variety of girls in different body shapes， colors， and presentation and there's no assumption about who will be rea Castellon writes from her own experience and gives a lot of advice to navigating both typical teen problems that autistic girls face and also the extra challenges they face as part of their neurodiversity。 It's an easy read with good organization but it feels a bit specific; more of a memoir than a general guide。 Castellon tries hard to be more general; the engaging cartoons show a variety of girls in different body shapes， colors， and presentation and there's no assumption about who will be reading， but since the book is written from a particular viewpoint the solutions and examples are all from a single life。 And kids （and adults） don't always have the distance to see what is going on in their own lives; especially in the chapter on bullying I would have like to see a less personal approach。That said， I would comfortably hand it to any kid looking for help navigating either life as an autistic teen or life with one。 I bet my son would have skimmed it; I think being autistic helped him not be as hung up on reading across the gender line so he would have mined it for stuff that fit and left the rest without complaining。 。。。more
Sam Melnick
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This book is written for an audience around ten years younger than myself， and by an author who is herself very young。 I will try to take these facts into account in my review。If I was a teenage girl， this would be an excellent guide to coping with the messes of society as an autistic teen。 I still remember trying to do that， with no good support， and so this is very needed and will help autistic teenage girls who have a very tough time in life。 There are loads of helpful tips throughout， and I' This book is written for an audience around ten years younger than myself， and by an author who is herself very young。 I will try to take these facts into account in my review。If I was a teenage girl， this would be an excellent guide to coping with the messes of society as an autistic teen。 I still remember trying to do that， with no good support， and so this is very needed and will help autistic teenage girls who have a very tough time in life。 There are loads of helpful tips throughout， and I'd encourage autistic teens to read this book。However， there are a few things that I believe come from a place of naivety on the part of the author， that are not her fault but time may cause further learning on。 One is the paragraph on the wearing of bras， claiming they are necessary。 This is not true; it is a societal custom that is rooted in sexism rather than in any objective truth。 Yes， for those with larger breasts， they are recommended for health reasons， but for those with smaller breasts， they're really not needed for that。 This wasn't acknowledged。 Adhering to societal customs that have a basis in fact is one thing; adhering to societal customs that have a basis in prejudice is another。The chapter on trans issues is also a mess of incorrect language。 It conflates gender presentation with gender identity， uses the "feel they should have been born" phrase and overall promotes certain gender stereotypes that ought to be thrown in the bin。 Now， the author is very young and thus cannot be expected to know everything。 But including a chapter on this without consulting trans people - and I can't believe that language would have been used if they'd been involved - is not good practice。 。。。more
Ricardo Cruz de Carvalho
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Wonderful book that will help me a lot！ 😊
Alex
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This is probably the best book of this type that I've come across so far， for a variety of reasons。 Though I haven't read 100% of the topics， as an autistic librarian I feel I can say this with confidence。1） This book contains a complete lack of judgement。 2） It covers an extreme variety of topics， from hygiene， to mental health， to gender。3） It's matter-of-fact without being clinical or overly scientific。 Additionally， it's not sentimental。 There are personal anecdotes， and little comics， but i This is probably the best book of this type that I've come across so far， for a variety of reasons。 Though I haven't read 100% of the topics， as an autistic librarian I feel I can say this with confidence。1） This book contains a complete lack of judgement。 2） It covers an extreme variety of topics， from hygiene， to mental health， to gender。3） It's matter-of-fact without being clinical or overly scientific。 Additionally， it's not sentimental。 There are personal anecdotes， and little comics， but it's not a memoir （a big difference compared to the "adult" books like this that I've read）4） It's targeted TO teens， and NOT their parents。 This is a huge one。 It covers topics teens of all ages might need to know， including puberty problems。 Incredibly basic， square-one info presented in a non-condescending way that doesn't shame the reader for not already knowing。 （I'm 26 and I picked up a TON of tips that I hadn't thought about before）5） On that note， though it's a book for teens， any autistic young adult/adult will probably find value in a lot of the sections， even if the stuff about puberty， sex ed， and school aren't relevant to you。 You can always skim those！Siena Castellon is/was only 17 at the time the book was published， which is AMAZING， and I hope to follow her career if she publishes more in the future。 If you read this， Siena， I wish I had had a book like this when I was growing up， because it would have saved me a lot of trouble。 。。。more
Stacie
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I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed are my own。 I do admit to being an adult reading this， but I still think it's good！ I definitely see how this could be helpful to teens and kids。 It was enjoyable and not overly heavy or preachy。 And I liked that it was marketed to girls， because a lot of representation for autism is male。 （Even better if we can get some LGBTQ+ out there， but I digress。） Great little book！ I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed are my own。 I do admit to being an adult reading this， but I still think it's good！ I definitely see how this could be helpful to teens and kids。 It was enjoyable and not overly heavy or preachy。 And I liked that it was marketed to girls， because a lot of representation for autism is male。 （Even better if we can get some LGBTQ+ out there， but I digress。） Great little book！ 。。。more
Bettie Furminger
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Great book for teen girls and parents。 Beautifully written with fantastic examples and an easy read。 Highly recommend
Alicia
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I requested Siena Castellon's book for two reasons。 First， because I gained a student in the fall who has behaviors similar to those with Autism （her mother will not accept the diagnosis currently）， and secondly， because I have felt， for several years now， that I am on the spectrum。 "The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide" gave insight to the author's struggles with being on the spectrum and suggestions to those who face similar difficulties。 While I felt that many of her suggestions-especially in r I requested Siena Castellon's book for two reasons。 First， because I gained a student in the fall who has behaviors similar to those with Autism （her mother will not accept the diagnosis currently）， and secondly， because I have felt， for several years now， that I am on the spectrum。 "The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide" gave insight to the author's struggles with being on the spectrum and suggestions to those who face similar difficulties。 While I felt that many of her suggestions-especially in regards to speaking to staff at school-were excellent， the book was a bit narrowly focused on what she experienced。 I recognize that it might be difficult， as girls are underdiagnosed， to find others for collaboration， but I feel that some other points of view would have enriched the book。 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
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This book's audience is teen girls who identify as autistic。 It begins with a foreword by Temple Grandin， a very successful and smart professor who is well known for her work on animal welfare。 She is also autistic。 Being endorsed by Ms。 Grandin is an impressive beginning to this excellent resource by Siena Castellon。 Siena， herself， is on the spectrum and is a teenager; as a result she is a good guide to the issues that her audience may face。 Siena is also a role model as she is quite acc This book's audience is teen girls who identify as autistic。 It begins with a foreword by Temple Grandin， a very successful and smart professor who is well known for her work on animal welfare。 She is also autistic。 Being endorsed by Ms。 Grandin is an impressive beginning to this excellent resource by Siena Castellon。 Siena， herself， is on the spectrum and is a teenager; as a result she is a good guide to the issues that her audience may face。 Siena is also a role model as she is quite accomplished， open and honest as she talks to （not down） her readers。The book itself is so comprehensive。 It can be read as written or can be browsed through。 The table of contents is clear and a good guide to what can be found where in the text。 Another plus in this title is the addition of cartoon illustrations that further enhance the text。I highly recommend this book not only as a resource for the teenage girls who are its audience but also for anyone who wants/needs to better understand those who have autism。 It can help family members， friends， teachers and others to interact better with those who have been diagnosed。 It could also be used as a tool for mental health professionals who want to better understand their clients who are on the spectrum。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this practical and informative title。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Bea Turvey
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This book is written for females with autism， specifically teens， which I am not。 However， it is a really good insight into the troubles they face and a great look at the general world of the autistic teen， so would be helpful for parents and carers， too and ought to be in every school and public library。From the very beginning， Siena draws a crucial line between the term autistic teen and a teen suffering from autism， and this difference is paramount in how she handles the problems: these are a This book is written for females with autism， specifically teens， which I am not。 However， it is a really good insight into the troubles they face and a great look at the general world of the autistic teen， so would be helpful for parents and carers， too and ought to be in every school and public library。From the very beginning， Siena draws a crucial line between the term autistic teen and a teen suffering from autism， and this difference is paramount in how she handles the problems: these are all normal teen problems with a twist。 Reading through， I came across lots of advice that will resonate with any adult bringing up a teen: 'what you wear doesn't define who you are。 There are things that are so much more important， such as being kind， generous， thoughtful， accepting and forgiving。' Segemented into neat sections so the user can easily find their specific area of difficulty， there are loads of very straightforward tips。 After first sympathetically acknowledging the drawbacks teens with autism face in that particular scenario， and without sugar-coating any of the possible pitfalls， Siena swiftly offers positive encouragement and advice without dwelling too long on the problem。If you， or someone you know， finds life challenging， it's worth reading this book as some elements may well resonate with you。 。。。more
Danica
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Whether you're an educator， a parent， a teenager with Autism or have a friend who is， this book is an insightful guide into making middle/high school just that much smoother。Siena Castellon is a 16 year old with Autism who has run the gamut of experiences， from surviving bullying to learning all about her mental and physical health to starting her own website and offering services to other students with Autism。 Her book is a detailed guide， written for teens by teens， of how to live in a neuroty Whether you're an educator， a parent， a teenager with Autism or have a friend who is， this book is an insightful guide into making middle/high school just that much smoother。Siena Castellon is a 16 year old with Autism who has run the gamut of experiences， from surviving bullying to learning all about her mental and physical health to starting her own website and offering services to other students with Autism。 Her book is a detailed guide， written for teens by teens， of how to live in a neurotypical world when Autism and any other disorders that come with it （like ADHD， dyslexia or dyspraxia）。 She touches on every subject one could think of， including sexual assault， how to communicate with others and teachers， and how to be your own best advocate。I definitely have some students who would benefit from a book like this， and I'm excited to share this with them。 I hope whatever life brings you， you find a book like this that can make your ride through the teen years smooth and fulfilling！ 。。。more
Jen
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All I can say is I wish that this book had existed about 25 years ago！ I wasn't diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder until I was 36， but if I'd read this when I was at school it would have been a massive help。Siena Castellon is a young autism advocate and neurodiversity campaigner， who in this #ownvoices guide gives other autistic girls advice and tips for dealing with their feelings and emotions， their phsyical and mental health， dealing with friendships and relationships， coping with school All I can say is I wish that this book had existed about 25 years ago！ I wasn't diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder until I was 36， but if I'd read this when I was at school it would have been a massive help。Siena Castellon is a young autism advocate and neurodiversity campaigner， who in this #ownvoices guide gives other autistic girls advice and tips for dealing with their feelings and emotions， their phsyical and mental health， dealing with friendships and relationships， coping with school， managing sensory overload， and so on。 I particularly loved the way she addressed overlapping conditions like dyslexia， dyspraxia， ADHD， and even more so that she included a section on LGBTQ+ identities As I'm out of the target age range I skimmed over some parts （e。g。 on periods and dating） but there was even some new and helpful information in here for me。 Highly recommended for any ASD teens in your life， particularly if they are newly diagnosed。 。。。more
Melissa
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Thanks netgalley for an ebook copy in advance of publication date。 5 stars - non fiction， fact based with personal relatable experiences in different situations， for an intended reader audience being females on the autism spectrum。This survival guide was interesting to see the authors personal perspective of her situations at school and social situations - as although I don't define as a teen on the spectrum （ way too many years since I was a teen in the 90's）， as a disability education support Thanks netgalley for an ebook copy in advance of publication date。 5 stars - non fiction， fact based with personal relatable experiences in different situations， for an intended reader audience being females on the autism spectrum。This survival guide was interesting to see the authors personal perspective of her situations at school and social situations - as although I don't define as a teen on the spectrum （ way too many years since I was a teen in the 90's）， as a disability education support employee this book has given me fresh understanding from a teens perspective and has helped me to pick up strategies to relate to several teens I work with。 I first skimmed the contents - a forward by the illustrious Temple Grandin and subheadings I was interested in were titled "masking to fit in" （Side note: I cannot believe in over 10 years of employment in the sector I had not heard of the term masking）。 I also dived into the section titled "how to survive school"。 After reading these I then went back to the start and read the book from cover to cover。 Many of the resources listed are UK based。 。。。more
Lissy
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5 stars！*quick disclaimer: I am not the intended audience for this book。 This book is meant to be a guide for teenage girls with autism and that is not me。 I do have a family member who is an autistic teenage girl and I used what I have seen her go through to help me while reading this book。 *TW: There were "triggers" mentioned in this book but， they were laid out factually and professionally。This book was very insightful。 I learned a lot。 I had no idea how much autism can really affect someone 5 stars！*quick disclaimer: I am not the intended audience for this book。 This book is meant to be a guide for teenage girls with autism and that is not me。 I do have a family member who is an autistic teenage girl and I used what I have seen her go through to help me while reading this book。 *TW: There were "triggers" mentioned in this book but， they were laid out factually and professionally。This book was very insightful。 I learned a lot。 I had no idea how much autism can really affect someone despite living with an autistic person。 Siena Castellon gave many personal stories and instances from her life to help make this book easier to understand and personal to her readers。 I am impressed by the maturity of the writing and I see this being very helpful for many girls。 I have multiple people I am buying this book for because it really did go in detail on many aspects of living with autism in a way that will be beneficial to the girls and their families who read this。 Well done！I would recommend that anyone with someone close to them that is an autistic teenage girl consider reading this book because it can give you insight that they might not yet be able to communicate to you themselves。 。。。more
Lucsbooks
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After reading this book the first thing I want to say is that I loved Sienna Castellon and I wish her everything good and pure in this world！I absolutely loved reading this book and here are some of the reasons:- #Ownvoices - Sienna is both a teenage girl and autistic。-Makes it clear that being neurotypical is just one way of being， not the only and certainly not the “right” way- every term （medical， LGBTQ，。。。） with which some people might not be familiar with was immediately explained in a simp After reading this book the first thing I want to say is that I loved Sienna Castellon and I wish her everything good and pure in this world！I absolutely loved reading this book and here are some of the reasons:- #Ownvoices - Sienna is both a teenage girl and autistic。-Makes it clear that being neurotypical is just one way of being， not the only and certainly not the “right” way- every term （medical， LGBTQ，。。。） with which some people might not be familiar with was immediately explained in a simple and straightforward way。- It’s an extremely broad guide going through everything from clothes， puberty （I particularly enjoyed this）， friendships， relationships （a big emphasis was put on explaining consent and every teacher in the world should read if not the entire book （they really should！！！） then just those paragraphs because Sienna did a better job of it than any teacher I ever had or heard of）， family， society， school， bullying， discrimination。。。- The illustrations are a great way of educating people about not only what being autistic is and feels like but also to contradict the misconception that all autistic people are white boys。 （Disability rep。 is also present。）- Autism is a spectrum， not something that is unchanging and completely invalidates the “high” and “low” functioning labels。This entire book is written in such a kind and measured way， sharing experiences and tips that work for the author as well as several others that might work for others。 I felt like Sienna was talking to me as a friend and I felt so thankful for what she was sharing with me。 I know that this book seems to be aimed at other autistic girls but I honestly think that if neurotypicals read it， even if you think that you don’t know anyone that is autistic， you could learn to be a better and more understanding human being and isn't that what we all want？Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley for this DRC。 。。。more
Terina Atkins
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The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide by Siena Castellon Insightful read written by a young lady on the spectrum。 Her advice is for girls like her， but those who work in the educational field or friends/family of those on the spectrum would benefit from reading this book。 Great read。
Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen
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I received an advance review copy from Jessica Kingsley Publishers through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest。I appreciate the intent behind this book， I love that this exists in the world， and in fact I was moved to actual tears because certain passages made me feel so seen and valid and included。 Over the years I've grappled with imposter syndrome in relation to my own diagnosis because I'm generally "high-functioning" — though I agree with Castellon， "high-" and "low-functioning" a I received an advance review copy from Jessica Kingsley Publishers through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest。I appreciate the intent behind this book， I love that this exists in the world， and in fact I was moved to actual tears because certain passages made me feel so seen and valid and included。 Over the years I've grappled with imposter syndrome in relation to my own diagnosis because I'm generally "high-functioning" — though I agree with Castellon， "high-" and "low-functioning" are labels that really do more harm than good — but there are also a million little things that only another autistic girl would ever notice， let alone understand。 （This is why #ownvoices representation matters！）There are several sections devoted to self-esteem and reminding the reader that they're not alone， even though it can feel that way; at times they border on cheesy， but on the whole they seem genuine。 I do have some concerns， though: Castellon often uses phrases like "I'm sure you've had a similar experience，" which undermines the acknowledgment that autism is a spectrum condition and individual presentations vary greatly， and （ironically） may make readers feel excluded if they haven't had a similar experience。 Additionally， some of the "advice" in the mental health sections are very close to "positive thinking will cure your depression，" which is inaccurate and unhelpful。I think this could have used a lot more editing and input from others （both experts and peers）; it tackles an extremely wide range of topics， and the author doesn't seem qualified to give advice on all of them。 While I liked the inclusion of the author's personal anecdotes and preferences — making the tone more akin to a chat between peers than a well-meaning lecture from some kind of authority figure — some of the advice is overly simplistic， is phrased in a borderline patronizing way （considering the target audience is the author's peers: teens and preteens）， and/or is presented as the single best way to solve a problem when， again， everyone's experience is different。 The comics are cute and I love the diverse characters， but I found the dialogue and advice overly simplistic。The author's privilege also shows in a lot of the tips: not every reader will be able to get/use a laptop to circumvent handwriting issues， or have access to therapy， or switch schools when the bullying gets really bad but administration won't address it。 （Don't get me wrong， I'm happy for Castellon that these things worked for her。 But it's naive and oblivious to present them as relatively fast-and-easy one-size-fits-all solutions。）I appreciated the intersectional intentions in the section about LGBTQ+ identity， but since the author self-identifies as a （straight？） cis girl， honestly I was annoyed by the advice about these topics， such as coming out。 While I can appreciate the desire to create a widely inclusive resource， it's not really credible advice。 If LGBTQ+ autistic teens were consulted in the writing of this section （which would've been a good place to start）， they don't seem to be acknowledged; if they weren't， I honestly think it would've been better to omit this section， or at least replace the advice with better-researched resources for the reader to look into。 And the presentation of this section that might alienate some readers， because it's addressed primarily to MTF trans people — although this is marketed for autistic girls， it's hardly a stretch to imagine closeted/questioning/nonbinary young people picking it up （or being gifted a copy）; and although the LGBTQ+ community is more widely accepted now than it used to be， being queer and autistic still isn't easy。As a supplement to other available resources — I second Castellon's recommendation of the Smart Girl's Guide series， which were invaluable during my formative years — this book definitely fills in a specific gap。 But I would caution against relying on it as a primary guide。----------- CONVERSION: 8。9 / 15 = 3 starsProse: 5 / 10Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 10Credibility: 5 / 10Organization / Structure: 7 / 10Emotional Impact / Interest: 5 / 5Rereadability: 3 / 5Memorability: 3 / 5 。。。more
Sacha
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。 I’ll post a review upon publication。UPDATED 3/22/20:Four starsCastellon provides a step-by-step， as the title suggests， survival guide for girls on the Autism Spectrum。 I love how organized， detailed， and reader-friendly this manual is。 In addition to an initial clear presentation， I kept thinking that the format would make it so easy for a reader to return to specific sections for refreshers as needed。 Though I am not part of the target audien Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC。 I’ll post a review upon publication。UPDATED 3/22/20:Four starsCastellon provides a step-by-step， as the title suggests， survival guide for girls on the Autism Spectrum。 I love how organized， detailed， and reader-friendly this manual is。 In addition to an initial clear presentation， I kept thinking that the format would make it so easy for a reader to return to specific sections for refreshers as needed。 Though I am not part of the target audience， I wanted to read this work because I thought it might help give me insight into some of my students。 I teach college and regularly come across students who self-identify in this way。 Along with gaining insight into the varied ways in which a person on the spectrum might experience the world， I was pleasantly surprised to find so much more here。 There are helpful descriptions of a number of potential co-occurring options。 These come with suggested accommodations sections。 While I am fortunate to work at a school that does a great job with accommodations （and in a geographic location where we focus on this more than many places）， I am always interested to know what I can do better as an individual instructor to support my students' successes。 I found this book so helpful on that front。 Because I feel so removed from the intended audience， I'm struggling a bit to rate this book。 That noted， as a member of the unintended audience， I found it extremely effective。 I'll be recommending this to my students and colleagues to help build understanding of themselves and of our respective communities。 Thanks to the author for writing with so much candor and being willing to provide much-needed insight！ 。。。more
Becca Akins
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While I am not on the spectrum and therefore my opinion cannot be considered entirely valid， I can say from the perspective of someone who knows many people on the spectrum and who is in school to become a special needs educator that this appears to be a well written and helpful book。 I love that it is own voice and is from the perspective of a teen girl rather than an adult。 I feel that it is not my place to put a rating on this book as I am not the intended audience。I received this book as an While I am not on the spectrum and therefore my opinion cannot be considered entirely valid， I can say from the perspective of someone who knows many people on the spectrum and who is in school to become a special needs educator that this appears to be a well written and helpful book。 I love that it is own voice and is from the perspective of a teen girl rather than an adult。 I feel that it is not my place to put a rating on this book as I am not the intended audience。I received this book as an e-arc from Netgalley。 This does not affect my opinions。 。。。more
Rebecca Rossi
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I was sent this book by NetGalley to review and I’m so so happy to have read it。 I have a full review coming in 2020 so stay tuned。
Kendra
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Written by a British 16 year old， this book has good intentions， offering support for autistic girls and young women。 I am an autistic woman， and read this with the question in mind of whether this would have been helpful for me。 The answer is complicated。 Castellon’s approach is upbeat and encouraging， but is often problematic as well。 She repeatedly recommends autistic kids turn to their parents for help， based on what appears to be a positive and supportive relationship with her own parents， Written by a British 16 year old， this book has good intentions， offering support for autistic girls and young women。 I am an autistic woman， and read this with the question in mind of whether this would have been helpful for me。 The answer is complicated。 Castellon’s approach is upbeat and encouraging， but is often problematic as well。 She repeatedly recommends autistic kids turn to their parents for help， based on what appears to be a positive and supportive relationship with her own parents， but many autistic kids won’t have that kind of parental relationship。 Parents—and other adults and authority figures— are often focused on cure， and nowhere does she address how to handle the ongoing issues that stem from that。 She also embraces the idea of calling her aspects of autism “superpowers，” which is a compensation narrative many autistic people reject， and rightly so， because it further Others us and makes us seem abnormal。 She cites Greta Thunberg as a role model， but seems unaware that much of Greta’s success comes from her privileged parents—something few of us have。 The book is full of anecdotes that share Castellon’s experiences with bullying， bad friends， and uneducated educators， but her message that by working with parents and finding mentors you can trust will make everything better is naive and Pollyanna-ish。 I’d like to have a book about living with autism that is more realistic and isn’t afraid to tackle the much darker issues and problems of being an autistic girl or woman in our patriarchal， racist， sexist， capitalist society， with real advice for the hard times。 。。。more
laura marcy
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This is an absolutely incredible resource for me as an autistic teenager。 I have never been more whole hardheartedly grateful to receive not only an arc but a book in general from a publishing company。 I almost cried reading this from happiness，， I love this book but I think you got that。I will be talking about this book in videos a lot in the future。
Rather。be。reading1
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