Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express

Talk show host Holly Robinson Peete pairs with her twins in this narrative about the challenges and triumphs of being a teen who has autism and the effects on family, school, friends, and life.

Being a teen is hard enough. But when you have autism--or when your sibling is struggling with the condition--life can be a topsy-turvy ride. What happens when you come face-to-face with dating, parties, sports, body changes, school, and kids who just don't get you? Where do you turn when your sibling with autism is the butt of jokes, the victim of misunderstood social cues, and the one everyone thinks is weird?Through alternating narratives based on their own lives, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and her twin brother, RJ, who has autism, bravely and honestly reveal what it means to be a teen living with the disorder. With insight and humor, Same But Different explores the many aspects of teen autism, while daring to address issues and feelings nobody talks about. This powerfully rendered, timely book is the only one of its kind. It paints an important story of hope for teens and families living with autism-and lets us see that everybody's unique rhythm is worth dancing to.

Ryan Elizabeth Peete and Rodney Peete, teenage twins, wrote this book with their mother, Holly Robinson Peete, to help share awareness about autism with other children who have been touched by it in some way. Ryan and Rodney travel with their mom, speaking to teens about their experiences growing up together. The Peetes live in Beverly Hills, California.