Send In the Idiots Now in Paperback

Kamran Nazeer's brilliant book, Send In the Idiots, is now in paperback. (Yes, I know. I don't like the new cover as much, either.)

For those who haven't discovered this book yet, or were waiting for it to come out in paperback form, I can't recommend it enough. We hear so much about children who undergo early intervention programs, but what happens to them as adults? Kamran Nazee was one of those children, and in this book, he tracks down four of his classmates, and tells their stories intertwined with his own. He also tracks down his teachers and talks to them about issues of autism advocacy, such as whether it should be considered another legitimate state of being, similar to the deaf community.

In exploring the adult lives of his former classmates, he explores many fascinating ideas about how the larger world perceives individuals with autism, as well as how individuals with autism perceive the larger world. In one particularly poignant chapter, he explores the way one of his classmates is distanced by his partner, turned into something not-quite-human, by the label of "genius." Another classmate became a speech writer for the Democratic party during the 2004 US election cycle, and he and Nazeer explore some of the reasons they think the party failed to present themselves well. Not all adults with autism are happy and successful, though. The final classmate Nazeer tracked down had actually committed suicide. He spoke to her parents about her life and her struggles as she entered adulthood.

Nazeer's book offers a look at the broad range of people who make up the adult population of people with autism, which is an extremely valuable addition to the current literature. Exceptionally well-written and accessible to a general audience.