Fern Brady is one of my favorite comedians. I first saw clips of her standup on YouTube where she talked about being diagnosed as autistic late in life, and later watched her brilliant run on the British TV show Taskmaster.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book up, but it is decidedly not a feel-good memoir with plenty of laughs. Frankly, it is a pretty bleak description of growing up as an undiagnosed autistic girl, with parents and teachers who don’t understand her behavior, and a medical system that misdiagnoses her with OCD because she “doesn’t fit the diagnostic criteria” for autism.
This book is basically Brady re-assessing her life, from childhood through college and into adulthood, after receiving the autism diagnosis that finally provides context to her decades-long struggles. It’s a testament to how powerful a proper diagnosis can be: Without it, her symptoms — including sensory difficulties, problems in social situations, and frequent meltdowns — were confusing and alienating. Post-diagnosis, she learns to apply her ability to recognize patterns (another autistic trait) to manage her symptoms and predict when another meltdown might be imminent.
This was a really interesting read, and provides much context for Brady’s stand-up material about working as a stripper or spending time in a mental hospital. Her life has not been easy, no matter how funny she makes it sound when performing. I’m really glad receiving an autism diagnosis has helped her make sense of her life. I think being open about her story will help even more people.