Naively Bold: Adventure, Autism and Me

Born into a loving family, but a social world where she felt lost and misunderstood, Ava Ruth’s search for meaningful participation and voice takes her through earthquakes, volcanoes, and cancer, both physical and metaphorical. Along the way she stumbles upon her ‘lost tribe’ of fellow-autists. Her story unfolds against a backdrop of change and scandal within the medical field, and the emergence of autistic community in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. In the 1990s, subtle forms of autism were poorly understood, so when Ava Ruth disclosed her autism diagnosis, it was suggested she abandon her established medical career. Devastated, how did she find her way from there, to creating an autistic-friendly medical practice, co-founding a charitable trust, and her current work helping fellow-autists find peace, healing and an authentic sense of self? As they too struggle to navigate social life without a map.