Introduction

When a client or patient comes for a consultation, usually certain circumstances have caused them to be referred to us or to contact us directly. Initially, the only information we have is by way of either known history (we already know them) or what’s written on their referral. We may know they are autistic, are seeking an autism assessment, or have some ‘mental health’ issues. But whatever is written about the individual will likely be read, by us, via the lens of our understanding of the written statements, filtered through our own expertise and associated perceptions. If our knowledge of Autism is ‘up to date’ and founded upon recent research coupled with the ‘Autistic voice’, we will have a better chance of accurately translating what we read. If it’s based upon outdated, traditional understanding of autism, pre-DSM-5 (2013, p. 22) criteria, we may still have an image of autism based upon an outdated notion arising from popular media of the time: ‘Rain man’ (1988): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/ . The reason for writing this book is to offer an explanation of client behaviour that may appear puzzling to us, usually because of the lens we are viewing it through.