The Unmasking Workbook for Autistic Adults: Neurodiversity Affirming Skills to Help You Live Authentically, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive

Let this workbook guide you toward your authentic, autistic self. You don’t have to hide anymore.

If you grew up before the neurodiversity movement, chances are you were taught at an early age that your autistic traits were ＂wrong＂ or ＂bad.＂ Whether it was stimming, difficulties with making small talk, avoiding eye contact, sensitivities to loud sounds or certain textures, or even talking passionately about the things you care about--somewhere along the way you learned to mask these aspects of yourself to better fit in, avoid bullying from other kids, and in some cases to even gain the love of your own parents. The problem is that, over time, masking can lead to higher levels of stress, burnout, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and depression. So how can you be your authentic self and still succeed and thrive in a neurotypical world?

Written by a therapist who is actually autistic, this neurodiversity-affirming workbook offers skills to help you cultivate self-acceptance, manage intense emotions, and be your own advocate when needed. You’ll take a good look at the situations or people that caused you to mask in the first place. You’ll also discover:

• How to set and achieve your own authentic goals--with a clear view of who you are and what you care about
• Why self-love and self-acceptance is so important for autistic folks
• How to live your life on your own terms, while self-advocating for accommodations
• How to let go of old, hurtful messages about autistic people that you’ve internalized
• How autism can be both a strength and a disability
• Strategies to cope with burnout or meltdowns
• How to be assertive and set boundaries with others

You don’t have to mask, hide, or camouflage any longer. Let this workbook guide you on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. You are worthy of it. And you deserve it.

Jessica Penot, LPC-S, is a supervising licensed professional counselor in Madison, AL, who specializes in treating trauma and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has more than twenty years of clinical experience, is founder and director of Tree of Life Behavioral Health, and has spoken and written about autism on platforms including The Art of Autism and Psychology Today. Penot was diagnosed as autistic in her 40s, and has spent a significant amount of time working to understand the specific challenges and traumas autistic women face. Her research and work focus primarily on issues involving the underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of autistic women and the impact it has on their lives and mental health. She is an advocate for neuro-affirmative approaches to treatment, and works to help facilitate autistic women in moving from being self-critical to self-compassionate. Her perspective on autism comes not only from her clinical experience, research, and study, but also from her lived experience.