''NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity'' is a book by Steve Silberman that discusses

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

and

neurodiversity Neurodiversity refers to diversity in the human brain and cognition, for instance in sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions. It was coined in 1998 by sociologist Judy Singer, who helped popularize the concept ...

from historic, scientific, and

advocacy Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using fac ...

-based perspectives. ''Neurotribes'' was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2015,Anders, Charlie Jane
Why do we want autistic kids to have superpowers?
'' io9'', January 25, 2012. Accessed 10-18-2013Pan, Deanna
The Media's Post-Newtown Autism Fail
'' Mother Jones'', December 22, 2012. Accessed 10-18-2013 and has received wide acclaim from both the scientific and the popular press. It was named to a number of "best books of 2015" lists, including ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

''.

Reactions

In ''The New York Times Book Review'', Jennifer Senior wrote that the book was "beautifully told, humanizing, important"; ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' called it "as emotionally resonant as any ookthis year"; and in ''Science'', the cognitive neuroscientist Francesca Happé wrote, "It is a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted book, a historical tour of autism, richly populated with fascinating and engaging characters, and a rallying call to respect difference." It was named one of the best books of 2015 by ''The New York Times'', ''The Economist'', ''Financial Times'', and ''The Guardian''. By contrast, Lisa Conlan criticized Silberman's retrospective diagnosis of historical figures and argued that his portrayal of

is based in identity politics. James Harris of

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

criticized ''NeuroTribes'' as a book that pushes an agenda, saying that Silberman misrepresented Leo Kanner as somebody that had a negative view towards persons with autism and their parents, rather than, as Harris argued, an advocate for individualized treatment for every child. In 2017,

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

acquired the rights to ''NeuroTribes'' and announced interest in making the book into a movie with Broadway Video.

Awards and honors

*2015 Samuel Johnson Prize *2015 Books for a Better Life Psychology Award, Southern New York National Multiple Sclerosis Society *2016 Health Book of the Year,

Medical Journalists' Association The Medical Journalists' Association (abbreviated MJA) is a professional association for medical journalists in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1967 and held its first meeting on 1 February of that year in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a f ...

*2016 Silver Medal, Nonfiction, California Book Awards *2016 Erikson Institute Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media *2016 ARC Catalyst Awards Author of the Year

References

External links

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
{{Autism resources 2015 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Books about autism Avery Publishing books

Reactions

Awards and honors

See also

References

External links