Finding Your Superpowers: A Guide for People on the Autism Spectrum and Their Allies

Discovering and nurturing a person’s superpowers can bring meaning to life—and a feeling of self-worth. This book is a quick read with a fun and approachable format for a wide age range. You will find examples, stories from individuals and families, as well as references and further resources in the text. At the end of each chapter, the reader can note their discoveries. Through their individual strengths, autistic people can experience a more positive and fulfilling life. The systems that surround neurodiverse people put more emphasis on the person’s “deficits” rather than affirming those differences—often feeding low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.

This book is a guide to challenging these systems, and shows how to nurture each person’s superpowers. Every autistic person is unique in their personal sensory experience, their traits, and the effects of autism they experience. The aim of this book is to help you and your allies discover and nurture your strengths: sensory abilities, personality traits, and interests. Consider this book a path toward living your best life.

Retired after 40 years of service in local and state government, Anne Pflug taught public sector management and research at Central Washington University in her hometown of Ellensburg Washington and at the University of Washington, Seattle, Evans Graduate School of Public Policy. She has served in local government as an appointed chief executive officer and in state government as a public policy research manager advising the Legislature and Governor of Washington State. She has been recognized at the state and national levels by her profession for distinguished service. Anne has three adult children, two of which are neurodivergent. She was proactive, as a parent, in her children’s education and care. She participated in parent support groups and as a member of the local county Developmental Disability Board where she helped author the county’s developmental disability service plan. As a single head of household with an autistic adult child living at home, she shares the experience of the majority of families in the country with household members on the spectrum. She holds an MBA in Management and Finance from Seattle University and a BA with an emphasis in community planning from The Evergreen State College in Washington State. She currently enjoys a range of creative pursuits and being active in her community.