Label Me

''This is an incredibly important book. A spectacular insight into how girls and women with autism slip through the net, and an inspiring journey of personal awakening. This will be a life-changing read for a great many people, not just those on the autism spectrum'' - Catherine Quinn, Bestselling Author

"Francesca Baird's wry but revealing memoir makes a strong case for self-knowledge, as well as further research into the heavily misunderstood condition of female autism. By turns hilarious and melancholy, Label Me should offer encouragement, not only to autistic women, but to any reader who is neuroatypical and trying to understand their own behaviour and feelings'' - Gavin Boyter, Author & Filmmaker

"From an early age, I felt different. I had unusual obsessions, and didn't feel I fitted in with the other girls. Others saw me as a shy girl, who functioned well, but internally I was consumed by anxieties... But I did what I had to do to fit into the normal world..."

Francesca was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder at the age of 32, having spent many years searching for answers (and being misdiagnosed numerous times along the way). Autism in girls like her is often overlooked, partly because they tend to be better at "masking" their autistic traits than boys.

This is the story of how she came to recognise that she was "different", how she coped with the anxiety, emotional suppression, and self-destructive addictions she experienced, and how finding a "label" helped her to understand her life in a new way.