Visible Spectrum

Mary Berridge’s award­-winning series of pho­tographs is paired with narratives written pri­marily by the subjects or their parents. The book Visible Spectrum offers an intimate view of life with autism, as told from within an autism community, which includes Berridge and her son. It encourages an alternate way of see­ing the condition, in which the diverse and unconventional perspectives of the autistic are valued. It also explores the ways the autis­tic and their families navigate a world which is not made for them and in which they are not always welcome. Despite this, the stories may surprise readers with their thought­-pro­voking and affirmative viewpoints on autism and being different. The formally composed and quietly luminous portraits allude to the rich inner lives of their subjects.