Bay Area Author Martha Engber is not alone as the neurotypical adult child of an undiagnosed, neurodiverse parent. Times have changed with today’s mass identification and testing of previously categorized “quiet” and/or “quirky” or “overactive” personalities, yet Engber’s story is likely mirrored by millions of people who were unwittingly raised in the psychological minefield of a mother or father with life-long, undetected Autism Spectrum Disorder.
I'm honored to have read Bliss Road pre-publication and can't wait to see it on print in June.
Martha Engber's poignant and profound memoir, Bliss Road, trailblazes with painstaking precision and humility through the psychological minefield of growing up with a handsome, brilliant, blue-eyed, socially awkward and peculiar father whose seemingly invisible battle with ASD is beginning to emerge as its own phenomenon.
Reference to historical landmark studies in the Autism Spectrum highlight the fact that the focus has always been on identifying and helping neurodiverse kids and their parents, but the spotlight has yet to acknowledge the suffering endured by the surviving children of neurodiverse parents.
Engber’s story is a powerful coming-of-age in her fifties, as she came to terms with the complex environment of her formative years and its impact on her own life, marriage and kids. A must-read for better understanding neurodiversity and the case for never again attempting to sweep it under the carpet.
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