October 5, 2022
Becoming ONE:
Autism, Adolescence, and the Transition to Adulthood
Tyler McNamer
Aviva Publishing (2020)
ISBN: 978-1-890427-44-3
Bestselling Author Shares Transition to Adulthood as Someone With Autism
Tyler McNamer describes himself as follows: “I am not an autistic writer; I’m just a writer who has autism. I don’t go around being openly autistic; I’m just someone trying to figure himself out. That’s why I have written a couple of books about having autism. Time to continue the adventure!” His first book Population: One became a bestseller because of his eye-opening perspective about growing up with autism. Now, in his second book, Becoming One: Autism, Adolescence, and the Transition to Adulthood, Tyler continues his story, beginning with his graduation from high school. He shares how he has transitioned into adulthood from getting a first job as a maintenance worker at a bookstore to learning how to promote his first book and become a public speaker.
Readers of Population One may be surprised by how this second book is both similar and different to the first. Even Tyler admits he is surprised by some of the things he said in his first book because his perspective has changed. But that is because he is an evolving human being. In fact, his first book was written as much to help him figure out autism and himself as it was for his readers. He states, “That is strange, isn’t it? Someone who has autism, yet doesn’t know what it is. Often, people with autism do not know what goes on in their own minds, and they feel isolated. They are trying to figure out themselves before making the effort to figure out the people around them. So many people are looking for a cure for autism, but as a person with autism, I have spent a very long time just learning to understand and accept it. You can do the same.”
Tyler has learned to appreciate the unique perspective autism gives him. He does not seek a cure; he does not believe he needs to be fixed. He feels he was born with a mission to share how autism makes him different while it also makes him like everyone else. His goal as someone with autism is to become one with everyone else—to achieve acceptance and appreciation for all ways of thinking and being.
People have responded to his message. For example, when Tyler went to speak at a middle school, he was told middle school students were the hardest of audiences. However, Tyler tells us, “I explained the wonders of autism and how it can be seen as a superpower and not a disability. Then the students did something I never imagined—they gave me a standing ovation…. ‘Hardest audience.’ At that moment I concluded that if I can speak in front of middle school students, I can speak in front of anyone!”
Tyler also refuses to be labeled. He talks at great length about labels, stereotypes, self-esteem, and learning to accept yourself. He encourages people not to label themselves but to be as many things as they want. He doesn’t want to be “full-time” anything. Instead, he is “Tyler McNamer! Part-time snowboarder, part-time everything else!” He declares, “I didn’t want someone else’s script anymore; I wanted to write my own script; and that’s where I really learned the freedom of saying something from the heart and mind.”
And Tyler has plenty to say. His voice is a breath of fresh air among the many books and discussions on autism, and he doesn’t want his life to be just about autism. Becoming One contains fifty chapters devoted to fifty different topics, and he has plenty to say on all of those. The topics range from playing pinball and video games to sharing his fantasy fiction, his ideas for creative and animation companies, and his general views on life from being hugged to being a stereotype.
Others have told Tyler he is brave to write about autism. That has surprised him, but it is true; in fact, the courage of being himself is displayed on every page of this book. Tyler tells us, “It’s sad to know many children and teens with autism just feel so ashamed about having it that they begin to shut down and would rather hide themselves from everyone in the world. To be accepted by others, you must accept yourself first. This can take years to achieve.” Tyler is willing to speak out on acceptance and the gifts of having autism without any apologies. That is not to say he isn’t polite. He tries hard not to break social taboos, but he also tries hard to understand people, and he refuses to accept the obstacles that hold people back from fulfilling their dreams. He advocates being a voice for those who are silent—and he has certainly succeeded at being one of those voices.
Becoming One will be an inspiration to anyone—autistic, shy, creative, or struggling. As Tyler says, “The way I see it, both music and autism are skills. All skills can be mastered.” Tyler is mastering very well the art of living, and we could all do worse than to spend some time learning from this life master’s philosophy.
For more information about Tyler McNamer and Becoming One, visit www.PopulationOne.com.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD and award-winning author of When Teddy Came to Town
