Neurotypical relatives writing about autism is not without its problems-it can lead to an overemphasis on the negative aspects of autism, or solely on how the autistic person affects the neurotypical people around them. Since autism is such a multi-faceted condition, in my experience the result of authors writing from research alone is often a stereotyped portrayal. Natalie is based on the author’s sister, who has autism. Thus, I picked up Al Capone Does My Shirts with a fair amount of trepidation. Too many times I’ve had neurotypical friends and family recommend me books with autistic characters, and put them down feeling dismayed at both the demeaning portrayals and the thought that people close to me thought they were good representations of autism. When I received the chance to review Al Capone Does My Shirts for Disability in Kidlit, I was close to giving up on reading books that had main or secondary characters with autism.
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