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Tom's parents felt a sense of relief when he was diagnosed with Asperger's at age four. It helped to explain his unique outlook and way of being in the world. But that was just the beginning. It led his journalist mother on a pathway toward understanding and acceptance, introducing her to some extraordinary people along the way.
Katie Sutherland reflects upon these encounters and her own family's experience in Temples and Towers. Here, we meet Liesel, who rose above her traumatic school years to become an opera singer; Cassie, who writes fan fiction and grows plants from seed; Louis, who wants to study volcanology at university; Alex, who couldn't bear the smell of food as a child, but now crafts recipes with unusual herbs and ingredients. Their stories and those of their families, and others, will stay with readers and provide a cornerstone for connection and awareness.
¿Touching, positive and enlightening, Temples and Towers is an important read for parents, teachers or anyone interested in autism, neurodiversity or disability. Combining memoir, interviews and theory, it provides an intimate insight into the complexities of family life with autism, while also shining a light on the role we all have to play in destigmatisation and support.
About the author
Katie Sutherland is a freelance journalist, published in a wide range of Australian newspapers and magazines. She is a regular contributor to The Conversation, primarily writing about cultural representations of autism. Katie holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts and when she's not writing, she works as a tutor and researcher at Western Sydney University. She lives in Sydney with her husband, two teenage boys and a rambunctious dog. Temples and Towers: Everyday stories of families living with autism is her first book.
