Autistic reading Finding S.A.M Thread

Trigger warnings galore for ableism etc etc

Ok first we have the r word in full and when the brother’s name isn’t used he called him “my autistic brother”

Next, the brother stutters and it 100% feels like it’s been done deliberately to “dumb down” Braden. So not only are we ableist to autistics but those with a stammer

Wtf is this “stay home and cut his toenails”

What younger brother is doing that?? Braden goes to a mainstream school?? He can communicate and they’re trying to make him more independent but his little brother needs to cut his toenails???

I AM SEVEN PAGES IN AND THE MOTHER IS APPARENTLY CRYING BECAUSE SHE HAS AN AUTISTIC SON

Lmao this thread existing has been brought to their attention and they’re like “CAN U EMAIL US”. Listen I offered to provide feedback before publicly discussing. You didn’t acknowledge so I’m gonna share screenshots bc it’s clear you didn’t want to push publication to edit.

Ok so from the email in that tweet I know it’s a different person than who I’ve spoken with and I’ve seen private interaction with them from another autistic reviewer so I do think the concern for the thread was to see where issues lie. Seems like the staff aren’t “together” tbh

Stammer gone. “What about what I need” screams “all lives matter”. You have the support you need at school, bud.

Ummm “episodes of instantly” “autism police”. Excuse me??

Listen, I KNOW it’s supposed to be the mind of the kid brother. BUT this isn’t necessary. AND have his parents not spoken to him about this. Actually we’ve seen his mother crying bc her son is autistic so...

(Not ableist but I’m uncomfortable with how this 12 year old kid is thirsting over his teacher’s voice)

Reminder, girls! Cover up!! Don’t distract the boys!!

Jesus we’re really going for a full on “problematic bingo” huh?!

What even is that justification for the behaviour?? “Oh they just can’t resist even if they go to church”??

Nobody except you, right?? Or just not to him?

Braden has literally done nothing but exist. Nothing that would draw attention let alone embarrass anyone and this is how his brother feels

HE IS NOT MISBEHAVING. MISBEHAVING IS AN INTENTIONAL CHOICE. BRADEN DOESNT UNDERSTAND.

THIS is why autistics get accused of lying and making up excuses to get away with stuff. This is why when we misspeak we don’t get to explain the misunderstanding.

Ooop back to this shit. Touching a girl without consent

Let’s not make fun of stimming, thanks

we’re back with the teacher and FUCK ME HOW IS THIS APPROPRIATE FOR A MIDDLE GRADE? I DONT KNOW ABOUT AMERICA BUT DOGGING IS SOMETHING ELSE IN THE U.K.

I think this woman has a lot of issues with women from the way she writes this stuff.

Normal.. what a word.

More normal. Even the chapter title has it. I’m calling his LINK being Braden.

HOLD UP. BACK TO PAGE 11! I MISSED THIS

Ooft. If anyone wonders, I was both “that girl” AND Braden so I guess I was awful

OH I SHOULDVE READ THE NEXT LINE. The only thing worse than autism? FAT TEENAGE GIRL WITH SPOTS

My phone is literally burning up and just rebooted itself bc of this thread... or it’s had enough of the book. Anyway

OH NOOO. HE ISNT WITH HIS BROTHER. HE’S WOTH THE GIRL

There seems to be a theme with Braden and food

Damn. I must not be autistic enough since I’ve never had a meltdown so bad I took a seizure?!

I hope y’all know there’s a lot of repetition of issues in here that I’m not even screenshotting bc... yeah

This 12 year old kid apparently knows this but says and thinks all the other shit??

HOW. HOW DOES THE MOM NOT KNOW

Hold up. This kid didn’t notice anything different about his brother until he was 8 and 4 years later he has all this hatred?? WTF

As if comparing people to Braden every time he insults them, he’s just done it WITH A CAR

How many tweets are in this thread bc I’m not even on page 50

Wow. There’s so much in this one. The mailman’s comment?? The fact it was 4 years ago and it took a couple years for Zach to figure it out so he’s only had this resentment since he was 10 or 11? A year or two?? The fact his brother makes his life suck??

I was going to comment on the anger issues with wanting to punch something but then I got to “cured”

AUTISM IS NOT A DISEASE. IT DOES NOT NEED CURED.

Living with an autistic person is so bad he wants to move out.

You know what’s really funny to me? The whole inventing other lives/people thing is SUPER common in autism. We often have little worlds going on in our heads. From majorly detailed to simple things like... an imaginary brother... sound familiar

“Million goofball things”.

Also note he was at a camp for siblings of those with ASD. you know, providing support for siblings like he whined about not having earlier??

“No logic in it for me”. There doesn’t need to be. There’s no logic in how you do things for Braden but he doesn’t make derogatory comments or spend his entire life hating you??

What... he’d pick his brother but not his brother a “normal” version of him??

What. The. FUCK

Poor mother, having a disabled child. Woe is she. How does she cope. She’s so inspirational

You.. you are joking right?! THAT is what seems inappropriate to you?! Haven’t other people asked?? And the first person it’s an issue with is the one person you think is worse than your brother

Zach: worries his friends find braden embarrading
Zach’s friend: I don’t care.
Zach: noo i need braden normal. What would my friends think

What a fucking kick in the teeth to all of us who went undiagnosed because of masking

The whole chapter 14. Braden is getting “worse”

Mom cant handle her autistic kid, so she had another kid, then twins and ugh it’s so great the middle child is old enough to do my job

If he’s that big of a “problem” hire an actual childminder?? Not your 12 year old??

This girl who can hit three bullseyes in archery might be self harming so... naturally the first thought is “annoying (autistic) older brother”

Out of nowhere braden somehow manages to get a bow and arrow and in a room of people aims at and hits his brother. This isn’t even ableist just ridiculous

Shit we’re that bad huh?? (Also that’s his teacher in the last sentence)

I want to know what this author’s advance was because I want damages

I just realised the fucking title of the book is about the imaginary brother FUCK ME

He literally had a nightmare about stimming

Why the fuck has is family left him to sit alone??

This is the second toilet related thing mentioned with Braden. Why is this author writing that??

Ummm

Ooft yeah. Better hide the autism incase it catches on

HE USED HIS SHIRT TO STOP BLEEDING AND HE WISHES ONE COULD CURE AUTISM JFC

SORRY WHAT. BRADEN GOES “MISSING”. 40 HOURS OF SEARCHES. SNIFFER DOGS GALORE AND HES IN THE GARAGE. That’s how much we care about autistic people. Can’t find them in their own home and sniffer dogs can’t detect us????

Update: they’ve deleted the file!

This has been deleted for another autistic reviewer as well so I can only hope it’s because they intend to work on it!!

I’m kind of glad the rest of my night is free of that book

PLEASE if you are working on a book with autistic characters hire autistic people to consult. Be it as the writer or an editor for a non-own-voices book.

If you need an autistic sensitivity reader or consultant I’M HERE.

I’m working out fees for this so if any fellow readers (don’t have to be autistic!) so this sort of thing and can get in touch to help me work out what I should charge that would be amazing. We need to stop books like Finding S.A.M from happening.

reminder that this house has also published these so it’s no surprise they let ableism through the cracks https://twitter.com/emmaferrierx/status/1326579112673226752

UPDATE:

The right decision has been made and the book has been pulled. Your voice is important. We will be heard. My emails are open should the publisher/author decide they want to work to improve this title.

I choose to believe the book was written with ignorance rather than malice and I do hope the author learns from the experience and going forward enlists sensitivity readers (I totally understand if they chose not to work with me specifically) and I look forward to her next book