Shake it Up! How to be young, autistic, and make an impact: Book now available

Hello, dear readers! I am very excited to announce that my book Shake it Up! How to be young, autistic, and make an impact was released just yesterday and is now available for purchase. I am so very excited to finally see this book, after multiple years in the making, finally be released to the world. I hope that this book will make a huge difference in the autistic community and will go a long way in inspiring the next generation of autistic advocates.

What is Shake it Up?

Shake it Up! is a first-of-its-kind advocacy guide written specifically for autistic teens and young adults. Because of our unique and fantastic brains, autistic people are in a prime position to be advocates and activists. We often care deeply about the world, have intense empathy, are passionate about what we believe in, and can offer unique perspectives on issues we care about. And yet despite this, there are few resources out there which cater to helping autistic young people find our voice. Shake it Up! aims to change that, by providing insight, advice, and encouragement for autistic teens and young adults who’d like to make a difference in their community. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that Shake it Up! includes interviews and case studies from eleven young autistic advocates and activists from around the world, providing all sorts of unique and fascinating insights and advice from the world of activism as an autistic young person.

Why should I read Shake it Up?

Obviously this book is aimed at autistic teens and young adults, and if you fall into this category (or know someone who does) then this book is perfect for giving you a starting point to make a difference in the world and bring about change that you wish to see. Shake it Up! is also a great read if you have an interest in autism or advocacy in general or want to hear about the activism that autistic young people from around the world are taking part in. Additionally, much of information in the book is applicable to non-autistic aspiring young activists as well, so although this work is written for autistic people it’s certainly not exclusive to us either.

Where can I buy Shake it Up?

Shake it Up! How to be young, autistic, and make an impact is available from Amazon (in both paperback and Kindle editions), the Jessica Kingsley Publishers website, and most likely whatever other online retailer you prefer to buy your books from (in the US it is available online from Target and Barnes and Noble among other retailers, for example).

The preliminary feedback we’ve been receiving for Shake it Up! has been phenomenal. Everybody I’ve personally talked to who has read the book so far has had nothing but positive feedback. The press reviews have been glowing and the book boasts a perfect five star rating on four reviews from NetGalley. Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

I would recommend this for any autistics looking to make a difference in their chosen advocacy field, whether that be related to their autism or not! The sheer amount of accessible information and not action throughout this book is outstanding, well done to Hansen.

Dorothy G.

The writing in “Shake It Up!” is notable for being beautiful, right from the first paragraph – that’s not something you expect from a non-fiction book… Honestly, this is flawless – I really hope it’s widely read, appreciated and understood.

Dearbhla M.

I can’t wait to hear what my readers think of the book, and I hope that this work can be an important resource for young autistic advocates for years to come. Let me know in the comments what you thought of the book after you’ve read it. In the coming few months I will be doing book readings and even perhaps some giveaways, so stay tuned! I do most of my announcements through Facebook these days, so if you haven’t already liked my page make sure you do so you don’t miss out.

Thanks so much for all of your time and support, it really means the world to me. I hope that in some small way I will be giving back to the community that has supported me through this book.