Autism and the Two of Us How Understanding Each Other Can Help You Build a Stronger, Lasting Love

by Ariel, Cindy N.

• ISBN13: 9781462560189
• ISBN10: 1462560180
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781462563388
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2026-07-10
• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• More Book Details

Summary

Accepting each other's differences is important for all couples--especially when one partner is Autistic and the other is not. Psychologist Cindy N. Ariel has spent decades counseling neurodiverse couples. In this compassionate book, she offers vital insights and strategies to help your relationship thrive. Dr. Ariel guides you to understand how Autistic and neurotypical brains work differently and find solutions to common struggles, emphasizing that nothing is "wrong" with either of you. From managing household routines and money to navigating one another's wants and needs about socializing, parenting, hobbies, sex and intimacy, and much more, clear and loving communication is key. Every chapter includes vivid stories, self-reflection questions, conversation starters, and action plans to build connection. You and your partner can keep exploring, creating, and sustaining the relationship you envision. Dr. Ariel shows how.

Author Biography

Cindy N. Ariel, PhD, is a Philadelphia-based psychologist who works with individuals and couples from a collaborative, psychodynamic, and empowering feminist lens. In 1992, she cofounded Alternative Choices, an independent group psychology practice that specializes in supporting neurodiverse individuals and their families. Dr. Ariel is widely recognized for her work with couples in neurodiverse relationships. She combines clinical insight with compassion and advocacy to promote understanding, acceptance, and the celebration of diversity, including neurodiversity.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. What Makes You Different?
2. Differences in Everyday Life
3. Appreciating Your Neurodiverse Relationship
4. Communication Differences
5. Enhancing Your Communication
6. Raising, Repairing, and Resolving Conflicts
7. Empathy and Support
8. Social Needs and Interaction
9. Division of Labor
10. Sex and Intimacy
11. Autism, the Two of You, and Everything Else
12. Always Forward
Resources
Bibliography
Index