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Awesome Scribblers United Publishing
SMASH THE BOULDER by Eliza Jane Blake
In a world moving ever closer towards the acceptance of all forms of diversity, the neurodivergent communities have been left behind. It's time for us to catch up, but this will involve a big shift in thinking.
Autistic awareness is low. Society frequently misinterprets autistic traits and condemns autistic people because society is still blinded by the 'wisdom' of our ancestors and accepts an intolerant expectation of others that many autistic people have also learnt to believe . Until now, the information needed to understand autistic brain function may not have been readily available, but Smash the Boulder changes this. For real change to happen, however, we need society to embrace the end of discrimination at work and promote autistic inclusion. We need to correct the erroneous beliefs routinely accepted in the absence of an alternative.
Smash the Boulder is an honest account that advocates for autistic people in the workplace and offers an understanding into how our brains function from the perspective of an autistic person.
Currently, most organisations have HR policies that are incompatible with the disability laws that protect neurodivergent workers in the UK. They just don't know it. Smash the Boulder offers the knowledge needed for managers to make informed decisions to achieve autistic inclusion and end discrimination at work. It's time for a change and recognising that autistic people are human beings with feelings and have a right to be heard is the right thing to do. Currently, autistic people are the square pegs forced into round holes, and face rejection in the workplace if they can't force themselves to fit.
We can progress from the perception of autistics being oddities, or lab rats for study and dissection. We can raise autistic awareness and embrace the reality of alternative neurotypes and discover how much richer our society can be when we allow our differences to complement rather than butt up against each other.
Smash the Boulder is available on Amazon in print or as an ebook and is currently listed with Kindle Unlimited for the benefit of those with a subscription. It is also available to other retail outlets but this may take longer to filter through.
ebook £5.99. Paperback £11.99. Currently available on kindle unlimited.
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update
Since publishing the book, the government has recognised the extent of demand for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses and realises the breadth of autistic brain function in society is much greater than was originally assumed. Assertions of over-diagnosis are a distraction and show the fear that diagnoses will result in more claims for disability benefits. In the current climate, this isn't surprising. Autistic people, whether they realise it or not, are rejected in the workplace unless they can hide their inherent brain function. That most autistic people are either unemployed or under-employed shows that denial of who we are is neither reasonable nor easy.
As an autistic person I have over thirty years experience surviving, or not, in neurotypical workplaces. Throughout that time, I had no knowledge my brain function was recognised, and protected, as a disability. I've only been in receipt of my official diagnosis for a few years, but have been aware I may be on the spectrum since 2019. I've researched the autistic experience since then, concentrating directly on the experience of others on the Spectrum (not academic research) and connecting the dots to my own life experience. Smash the Boulder is the culmination of this journey.
I state in the book that I advocate for recognition of autistic brain function as a neurotype. The current accusation of over-diagnosis makes this conversation more relevant and important than ever. At present, all autistic people with a diagnosis are recognised as disabled because our lives must be significantly affected to receive the diagnosis. The only way to reduce the numbers considered disabled, is to recognise autistic brain function as a neurotype first.
Either way, the world of work faces a learning curve to achieve autistic awareness and inclusion.
What's Next?
Coming Up...
- I'm expecting to publish my next project under the Awesome Scribblers United imprint by the end of 2025 and it will be a book to help those autists who need to heal from the harms caused by ignorance, arrogance and intolerance.
- Smash the Boulder aims to change the perception of autistic people in our society by raising understanding and awareness of our differences, but for many, much harm has been done during the years of ignorance and those harms still persist today. Many feel exhausted and hopeless. Many feel angry and frustrated. Most want to feel better.
- I felt like I was drowning for a long time. My next book won't prevent the need for medication or medical/therapeutic intervention if depression has already taken a strong hold, but it may offer an alternative guiding light. I trained as a hypnotherapist (hypnotist in the US) some years ago and this book will combine the power of our imaginations with our own wisdom to lead us to a brighter future where our past experiences don't taint our current reality.
- Discrimination at work affects multiple areas of life. Autistic inclusion is important in so many ways.
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity is a subject that is close to my heart, hence my first project being a non-fiction book that offers the information businesses, managers and workers need to understand their autistic co-workers and build positive relationships in the workplace.
We seem to be the most misunderstood minority group and the last to gain any traction in the fight for equality. The world is more aware of autistic children now, but still doesn’t recognise that autistic adults not only exist but have always been a part of the world’s workforce.
My non-fiction books are specifically for this purpose, but my blog, Awesome Pariah: The Ramblings of a Social Outcast, will also provide a window into understanding autistic people and our experience of living in a world that doesn’t understand us.
If society is to accept autistic people in the workplace, we must raise autistic awareness, end the discrimination at work that excludes us, and embrace autistic acceptance and inclusion.
This need has become more imperative in the wake of the government looking at the rising numbers of autistic diagnoses and seeking ways to limit access to benefits. As always, this issue is being considered from a back-to-front perspective. The argument is being made than autistic brain function is now over-diagnosed. This is nonsense. The prevalence of autistic brains has always been greater than originally recognised. See my FREE monthly articles to understand the conversation and know how we can move forward without causing more harm to an unappreciated minority.
From March 2025, I'll be publishing FREE articles in the blog section of this site on all topics related to equality and the affect of discrimination and intolerance on those who experience it. See my posts on instagram, facebook, and Linkedin for further information.
Follow me on instagram: elizajane1155, my facebook page: Awesome Scribblers United, and LinkedIn: El