danny’s people: a memoir and manifesto about autism

Society disables us more than autism ever could

We have a choice about who we want to be as a society. Do we provide care for those who are different from us? And if we don’t, what are we sacrificing?

’Virginia’s love for her son Danny is an inspiring testament and a celebration of neurodiversity. This important book dismantles prejudice and shines with honesty and truth.’ Manni Coe, author of Brother. Do. You. Love. Me

Virginia’s son Danny has a way of lighting up a room. He’s warm, personable and has an infectious laugh. He forms lasting relationships and has known his best friend since they were little. He is also nonverbal and autistic, and requires round-the-clock care and a liquid diet. And for this reason, there are many people who would rather not encounter Danny.

Fighting against a view that autism is something which needs to be ’cured’, Virginia Bovell testifies to the battles to obtain support, the dismissive attitude of some professionals, and chronic underfunding faced by families at every turn. Passionate and unapologetic, Danny’s People draws on Virginia’s experience as both a mother and activist to offer a compelling argument for change.

Dr Virginia Bovell OBE is the mother of Danny, thirty, who has a diagnosis of autism and severe learning disabilities. A former trustee of the National Autistic Society, she was also one of the founding parents of TreeHouse school and its UK umbrella charity Ambitious about Autism. She has since written and spoken about autism and ethics, for which she received a doctorate in 2015.