Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed: Growing Up With Undiagnosed Autism

This book is an interesting read if you are on the spectrum. There isn't a very compelling story here though if you are not. It seems to be a book written in order for the author to prove to friends and family that she is actually on the spectrum. Which hopefully served it's purpose, but was less interesting to an outsider since it was written in that format. It was also not edited very well, and was kept in editing format, so can be somewhat of annoying read at times. Overall worth the read if you are also on the spectrum.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. My daughter was diagnosed with autism last fall at age 13. We had suspected she was on the spectrum when she was two, but because she didn't have classic boy symptoms of autism, the professionals wouldn't diagnose her. My daughter smells everything, just like Jeannie describes! We are so relieved that she is learning to understand herself. She's now enrolled in a school that meets her needs...and she's happy! Thank you, Jeannie, for writing this!

My blog focuses on the under- and mis-diagnosis of autism in girls: https://www.facebook.com/GirlieAndBigSister

I learned living life without a proper diagnosis can be very frustrating and isolating. Jeannie knew she was different from the other kids and from her family members. She also knew she couldn’t control her reactions and she wasn’t being a defiant child. She was very aware of her triggers and her feelings. Like many people with Asperger’s Syndrome, she just couldn’t see other’s point of view or understand their feelings.
Being misunderstood by others caused many problems for Jeannie. She didn’t have much support from others because they thought she was being rude and a “bitch” as her mother called her. I felt frustrated for Jeannie because her parents didn’t seem to care to find out what was going on with her. Her parents were just worried about themselves and drinking and partying until all hours of the night. If they had paid more attention to Jeannie and showed more concern for her, then it’s possible she may have been able to be diagnosed sooner.
For the most part Jeannie lived a pretty typical life as a child, teenager and adult despite her Asperger’s. She had friends and hung out with them and they did typical activities that children do. She couldn’t handle many friends at once so she just had one or two friends at a time. She also was interested in boys and had boyfriends as a teenager and young adult. She made some poor choices during those years with the drinking but many kids that age experiment.
I was happy that Jeannie had her grandparents to go to when she was feeling overwhelmed with her parents. I was also very glad that her husband stuck with her even when she was unbearable to be around. Jeannie was able to create strong, lasting bonds with certain people.

I had to read this book for a class. I would recommend reading it for fun though. She has great writing skills, that make you feel like you are in the story.

I feel that I gained a lot of insight into Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) from the life experiences of Jeannie in the book. After reading I feel that I gained understanding into hyper-reactivity to sensory input such as touch, sight, sound, and smell. I also feel that the book helped me to understand the struggles someone with AS goes through in terms of being a wife and mother.

As someone who has grown up with undiagnosed autism, I totally relate to the Author. I was diagnosed at age 19, and I understand what it is like to have people want to "fix" me, and to feel like everything is my fault. The book is beautifully written, and also written in a way that gives people a door into the world of an autistic mind. I see reviews about it's poor grammar, and spelling mistakes, or how it is written oddly, but maybe it is because it looks odd to an NT mind, but might look normal to an autistic mind, as I didn't see anything wrong with it from my perspective. To me it is a perfect example of the different ways that our brains work, and why it might be so hard to communicate to others, because our brains are wired differently, and there should be nothing wrong with that.
The book for me was a great read. When I read the words, I saw a part of the author's story, and soul. The part that she is trying to share to others. To me it helped me know her better, as I relate to a lot of what she went through. Though the scenarios might be a little different, I felt as though I was reading my own story, it was eerie, but yet comforting. To me I can know that I am not the only one who thinks like I do, and to me that is a nice thought.

I am a Head Start teacher and I have been seeing a lot of children with autism. I also wondered from time to time whether I or my middle son may be high-functioning autistic or Apergers because of some symptoms I have seen in us. When I saw this book, I was very excited because I wondered if I would see myself or my son in it. Unfortunately, I did not even see my students in this book. Instead of autism, I would think that the author has emotional issues because of her overbearing mother and the abuse she witnessed in her home. I am not a doctor but from the story itself, I feel that the author needs to look further into her diagnosis.

While the story's facts elicit sympathy for the author's travails, the "voice" in which she tells her tale struck an annoying note, to this reader. Whiney and injured wears thin when it is maintained throughout almost the entire book. Overall, it seemed the author needed a little more maturity before attempting to tell the story.

I never knew there were others like me til I read this book! If you are a woman and think you have Asperger's...you have to read this book!

Ms. Davide-Rivera brings Asperger's (autism) to life in Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed. I have read many books from the perspective of an individual with autism but none actually written by a person with autism. Ms. Davide-Rivera keeps you riveted through all the undiagnosed years until she finally receives a confirmed diagnosis. Thank you, Ms. Davide-Rivera for sharing your real-live account of living with Asperger's!