Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

In the Introduction, Price recounts his own journey of self-discovery. At age 21, Price moved from Cleveland to Chicago to begin graduate school. At the time, he thought of himself as a serious person who believed in living a self-sufficient life, with no need for social connections. Until this point, Price had excelled academically, but had grappled with an eating disorder and gender dysphoria. His outer achievements masked his inner turmoil. Despite struggling to initiate conversations and engage socially, Price was lauded for his intellectual prowess and academic achievements, and school became his primary focus.

Once he entered graduate school, this solitude transformed into a debilitating isolation. Sensory input and interactions with people felt overwhelming. Price led a life confined mostly to school and the internet, with rare social outings. Overwhelmed, Price began to think of himself as fundamentally flawed.

A turning point came in 2014 during a family vacation, when a conversation with a cousin, who had recently been assessed for Autism, sparked a realization in Price: Autistic traits seemed prevalent in their family. Price initially resisted this thought, since he viewed Autism as a shameful condition.

However, upon returning, Price delved into extensive research about Autism, doing so privately and without informing his partner.