My Favourite Books About Autism
My reading recommendations for learning about Autism
My reading recommendations for learning about autism, primarily from actually Autistic people, but also from clinicians and other experts with a neurodiversity-affirming philosophy.
Books about autism
Currently reading
In true ADHD style, I have quite a few books on the go at a time (and these are only the Autism-related ones!)
Is This Autism? by Donna Henderson & Sarah Wayland with Jamell White: I’m about 2/3 of the way through this new book and loving it so far! This book is primarily about more subtle presentations of autism. It’s essentially it’s a guide for clinicians to stop looking for stereotypical autism and actually listen to the autistic community about our lived experiences, but I feel it would also be very helpful for allistics (non-Autistic people) to better understand their loved ones.
Different, Not Less, by Chloé Hayden: This is an informative memoir written by the charismatic Autistic actor, Chloé Hayden. She is sarcastic and funny, and doesn’t hold back when sharing about her experiences growing up as a child with as-yet-unidentified Autism.
How To Parent Like An Autistic, by K. Bron Johnson: This book is primarily geared toward neurotypical (NT) parents of Autistic children who are new to Autism. It’s very practical, straight-forward, and detailed. I highly recommend it to any NT parent of an Autistic child (and Autistic parents who are new to Autism because their own Autism was missed growing up).
Neurodiversity Rising, by Lyric Rivera: This book is an incredibly practical guide for employers, leaders, managers, and neurodivergent (ND) workers. It outlines common difficulties Autistic and other ND folks experience in the workplace with specific, easy-to-follow advice for how to address these challenges. The book makes clear that one should not ask how to accommodate an employee unless they are fully prepared to follow through on the recommendations or requests made. It also highlights how accommodations made for ND employees will benefit the entire workforce.
But You Don’t Look Autistic At All, by Bianca Toeps: This book is primarily an autobiography. Bianca also brings in the voices of other Autistics and gives them space to share their experiences. She writes a lot about being Autistic and presumed female, and how that impacts people’s assumptions about us. I love how Bianca compares the Autistic-allistic differences to cultural differences, as she has lived in Canada, the U.S., and Japan. Lastly, Bianca has clearly done extensive research and does a fantastic job of explaining complex subjects in a way that is clear and easy to understand.
A Different Kind Of Normal, by Abigal Balfe: This is a fantastic book for anyone and everyone! It’s Abigail’s story of self-discovery and is written in an incredibly accessible and affirming way. It is almost written in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, in that it’s filled with beautiful full-colour illustrations and is written in the first-person perspective. I highly recommend this book, especially for middle-school and teenage girls who are newly diagnosed, but really for everyone.
Spectrum Women: Autism and Parenting; by Renata Jurkevythz, Maura Campbell, and Lisa Morgan. This is a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming parenting book for Autistic parents. Collaboration between three different authors brings us an honest and practical discussion of the strengths and struggles of parenting as Autistic women.
Books about autism and parenting
Your Child Is Not Broken, by Heidi Mavir: This book is honest, hilarious, and REAL. I loved this book. Heidi Mavir is funny AF. She writes with no B.S. and doesn’t hold back. Parents of Autistic and ND kids will relate so hard to her experiences and will feel less alone after reading this. You may cry, you will laugh, and you will learn.
I Will Die On This Hill, co-written by Meghan Ashburn and Jules Edwards: This is the book the Autistic parent and “Autism mom” communities have been needing so badly. On one side, we have well-meaning parents who have been fed misinformation by people they trust, like doctors, psychologists, and educators. On the other, we have Actually Autistic adults trying to counter that misinformation and educate parents in efforts to advocate for Autistic children.
Jules Edwards writes from an intersectional lens as an Indigenous Autistic parent of Autistic children. Meghan Ashburn is an allistic parent to Autistic children who has learned (sometimes the hard way) to listen to Autistic adults and to use her privilege to lift up the voices of Autistics. This book is transformative. It’s honest, raw, and should be in the hands of every single parent of Autistic children, regardless of whether that parent is Autistic or allistic.
Autism in Childhood, by Dr. Luke Beardon: This is an excellent starting point for parents, caregivers, educators, or anyone new to supporting and caring for Autistic children. While it’s aimed at parents who are new to Autism, there is lots of good information here, even for parents who are not-so-new too. I strongly recommend this book for teachers, school staff, and others who work with Autistic students and kids.
This book is neuro-affirming, non-pathologizing, and positive. It helps allistic and Neurotypical adults better understand the experiences of Autistic children, information which is sorely needed, especially in our public education system.
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What people on the autism spectrum with their parents knew about growing up, acceptance, and identity. This book is amazing. It is written by Autistic adults, describing their experiences growing up, and offering their advice to Neurotypical parents of Autistic children. While this book is written as a guide for parents, it is something everybody should read. As an Autistic parent to an Autistic child, I learned a great deal from reading about each person’s unique experiences and perspectives.
Brain-Body Parenting, by Dr. Mona Delahooke: While Dr. Delahooke’s previous works have more often been written for fellow professionals and teachers, this one is written for parents. It is evidence-based, well-researched, compassionate, and written in a way that is enjoyable and accessible to anyone. I highly recommend this book for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares for children.
The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida: This book was written by a non-speaking autistic child when he was 12 years old. It was first written in Japanese, with the help of his parents, and has since been translated into more than thirty languages. The book is told from Naoki’s perspective, describing his own experiences.
Uniquely Human, by Dr. Barry Prizant: Dr. Prizant explains that the most successful approaches to autism don’t aim at fixing a person by eliminating symptoms, but rather seeking to understand the individual’s experience and what underlies the behaviour.
Beyond Behaviours, by Mona Delahooke, PhD : Another amazing book for looking underneath surface behaviours in children and understanding the developmental physiology and biology that drives behaviour. The last three chapters of the book focus specifically on behaviours in neurodivergent individuals, which is why I have included it in two different sections.
Books written by Autistic Authors
What I Mean When I Say I’m Autistic, by Annie Kotowicz: As a fellow late-identified Autistic woman, this is the book I needed just when I needed it. The precision and elegance with which Annie describes her experiences are beautiful in their complexity and specificity at once. I identified with about 90% of the book, and the other 10% will help me better understand my son and other Autistics in my life. I highly recommend this book for fellow Autistics, as well as anyone who has an Autistic loved one or close friend.
Neuroqueer Heresies, by Dr. Nick Walker: Neuroqueer Heresies collects a decade’s worth of Dr. Walker’s incredible writings on neurodiversity, autism, and neuroqueering. Her new book expands on these ideas, offering new concepts and explanations of Neuroqueer Theory. This book will fundamentally alter how you view yourself and/or neurodivergent people in your life.
Neurodiversity Studies: A new critical paradigm — edited by Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, Nick Chown, and Anna Stenning. This is a very complex, intersectional, throught-provoking read. Building on work in feminist studies, queer studies and critical race theory, this volume challenges the universality of propositions about human nature, by questioning the boundaries between predominant neurotypes and ‘others’, including dyslexics, autistics and ADHDers.
Authoring Autism, by Remi Yergeau: Authoring Autism defines neurodivergence as an identity-neuroqueerness, rather than an impairment. Using a queer theory framework, Yergeau notes the stereotypes that deny autistic people their humanity and the chance to define themselves while also challenging cognitive studies scholarship and its reification of the neurological passivity of autistics.
Neurodiversity: The Birth of an Idea, by Judy Singer: Judy Singer is generally credited with the coinage of the word that became the banner for the last great social movement to emerge from the 20th century. This book reproduces Singer’s original honours thesis, with the addition of a new introduction, which gives the background to the creation of the work and offers some thoughts on the current neurodiversity movement. *This is available as a FREE ebook with a Kindle Unlimited subscription (no affiliation).
Unmasking Autism, by Devon Price: Unmasking Autism describes Dr. Devon Price’s personal experience with masking; blending history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside looking in.
The Autism Industrial Complex, by Alicia A. Broderick: I was intimidated by this book at first. It’s heady and (intentionally) heavy on the rhetoric, but it’s an incredible read. The Amazon book description makes it sound like a paranoid diatribe about how autism doesn’t exist — it’s not that at all. Dr. Broderick does not for one moment deny the existence of diversity in our neurobiology. What this book does is call out large corporations for creating narratives of fear and tragedy around autism, only to turn around and sell products and services to those same families, offering “hope of recovery”, rather than accommodation and appropriate supports.
We’re Not Broken, by Eric Garcia: I have very mixed feelings on this book, so I outlined both the pros and cons below.
Cons (for me): This book is written by an Autistic author who is a political reporter in the U.S. The fact that American politics are a special interest of his is very obvious when you read it. I found that a bit distracting from what I wanted to get at, which was Autistic people are not broken. Aside from that, there is an effort made to use inclusive language which feels a bit forced (i.e. saying “their preferred pronouns” rather than simply “their pronouns” or just using the appropriate pronouns without the preamble). I also noticed he spoke of Autistics from the third-person perspective at times and in the third-person at others, which I found telling.
Pros: Those criticisms aside, there are some positive messages in this book about the unique gifts Autistic people possess and the successes we can achieve when provided the appropriate supports.
Ten Steps to Nanette, by Hannah Gadsby: Nanette is powerful. Nanette is uncomfortable and it’s meant to be. At times difficult to read, it is raw and painfully honest. It’s also hilarious. The book is a “memoir situation”, intertwining social and political commentary with Hannah’s personal story of how Nanette came to be. (Read a more detailed review here).
Divergent Mind, by Jenara Nerenberg: This book focuses on the experiences of neurodivergent women — those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder — and explores why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from allowing their unique strengths to flourish. This book also inspired an article I wrote, entitled Loud Introverts Unite.
Historical Information
NeuroTribes, by Steve Silberman: This book is dense, rich with information, and very well-researched. It outlines the history of Autism, going all the way back to the first world war, and working its way up to the present day (published in 2015).
This book also inspired an article I wrote, entitled The History of ADHD.
Asperger’s Children, by Edith Sheffer: Written by an historian, this is an extremely well-researched book, but of course, the content is very upsetting and difficult to read. Asperger’s Children explores how psychiatry was shaped by Naziism in World War II, in particular the history of autism diagnoses and the asperger’s label.
TW: It can be very difficult to read about how neurogivergent and disabled people were treated — it’s hard to read about how people who are different are treated today sometimes too, but this is exceptionally disturbing.
These are just the books I’ve discovered, read, and enjoyed myself. I’m sure there are many more. I’m always looking for great reads, please feel free to recommend books in the comments!
For more reading recommendations:
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