What to Say Next

Successful Communication in Work, Life, and Love - with Autism Spectrum Disorder

By: Sarah Nannery, Larry Nannery

Narrated by: Kelsey Navarro

Using her personal experience living as a professional woman with autism spectrum disorder, Sarah Nannery, together with her husband, Larry, offers this timely communication guide for anyone on the autism spectrum looking to successfully navigate work, life, and love.

When Sarah Nannery got her first job at a small nonprofit, she thought she knew exactly what it would take to advance. But soon she realized that even with hard work and conscientiousness, she was missing key meanings and messages embedded in her colleagues' everyday requests, feedback, and praise. She had long realized her brain operated differently than others, but now she knew for sure: She had autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

With help from her neurotypical partner - now husband - Larry, mostly in frantic IM chats, Sarah rose to director of development at one of the world's largest nonprofits. Together they have tackled challenges in how Sarah navigates personal and professional relationships, how they navigate marriage and parenthood, all of which are differently challenging for someone with ASD. But she wonders, at times, how life would be different if she'd had to figure it all out herself. So, in What to Say Next, she offers advice, empathy, and straightforward strategies from her own tool-kit - not only for others who see the world differently, but for their families, partners, and colleagues.

In What to Say Next, Sarah breaks down everyday situations - the chat in the break room, the last-minute meeting, the unexpected run-in - in granular detail, explaining not only how to understand the goals of others, but also how to frame your own. Larry adds his thoughts from a neurotypical perspective, sharing what was going on in his brain and how he learned to listen and enlighten, while supporting and maintaining Sarah’s voice. At a time when more and more people are being diagnosed with ASD - especially women and girls - this book tells important truths about what it takes to make it in a neurotypical world, and still be true to yourself.

©2021 Sarah Nannery and Larry Nannery. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Content is eye-opening, Narrator isn't bad

Can't get enough. All the examples resonate with me as a female ASD professional in a long-term relationship with an NT male. Highly recommend if you struggle with communication or understanding others at work - or with your partner.

Just another book for ASD people to feel inferior

This book is full of great info and a lot of interesting tidbits. But the centralized message across every book continues: “here’s how you with ASD can do all of the work and make NT people feel comfortable.” It’s written by someone with ASD that seems to believe it’s entirely their responsibility to fix all things they seem wrong about them. It may sound honest. But it’s not. It’s actually accusatory. There is nothing in this book so far that talks about how to ask NT people to meet us half way. There’s no understanding of the volume of work this causes. It’s just “here’s what we do wrong and how to fix it.” We aren’t wrong. We don’t exist to make everyone else comfortable. Where are the books about talking to NTs to have them do some of the work and the books for NTs to learn how to work with us?

Also, this is still wrapped in capitalist theory on productivity, everything is so deeply connected to work performance. The world is the most productive it’s ever been. This is not a concern.