As a late diagnosed autistic adult, there were a lot of things I’d wish I’d known sooner. One of those things? How to understand my autism.
Granted, as an adult, I still don’t always understand but I’m learning every day it seems. Whether that’s through interactions with others or through other means. One of my favorite ways of learning though is books. In fact, when my daughter was diagnosed; one of the first resources I turned to were books about autism for parents. Now, I want to share my top picks for best books about autism for autistic kids.
Why books for autistic children?
I believe that there’s a lot to be learned from books. Sure, we are in the day and age of YouTube tutorials and TikTok videos, but you still can’t beat a good book! Now of course, this will also depend on your child’s interest in books and their level of literacy.
You know your child best, obviously, so I’m not going to sort this list by age. Children of the same age could be leagues apart in other developmental areas. I’m also not going to make this a topic specific book list. For example, resources about puberty or social skills.
If you are looking for books that are more aimed towards neurotypical siblings? I would like to recommend these 20 books about autism for kids.
So, without further ado, let’s get into this list!
Best books about autism for autistic kids
Autism and Me: For ages 8-12
All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism.
To read by oneself or with an adult
To read with an adult or by oneself
Tracy likes to draw, make movies and play, just like other kids. She also has autism spectrum disorder. This means she processes many everyday situations differently, such as making friends. Over time, she’s learned tricks for communicating and coping when things are hard for her. Follow along as Tracy gives a peek at what life is really like for someone living with autism and how she discovered life beyond this common disorder. Children’s voices are rarely heard amid the complexity of modern medicine. That's why every story in the My Life Beyond series stems from the imagination and experience of a Mayo Clinic patient.
Eight-year-old Quinn, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, tells young readers about the achievements and characteristics of his autism heroes, from Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey and Wassily Kandinsky to Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Banneker and Julia Bowman Robinson, among others. All excel in different fields, but are united by the fact that they often found it difficult to fit in-just like Quinn.
My Autism Book is a beautifully illustrated picture book that helps parents to explain an autism diagnosis to their child in a sensitive, positive and accurate way.
(please do read the reviews on this book before purchasing)
By no means is this list comprehensive and I’m sure that I’m missing a few. But, that’s intentional because I want to highlight them here:
One of my personal favorites is about Dr. Temple Grandin. I have several of her books listed on the book list for parents and will also be highlighting her in an upcoming podcast episode. She is a personal hero of mine which is why this book gets it’s own spotlight:
So, there you have it. I know, I know – I called this the ultimate list and maybe it’s not quite the ultimate list. However, I wanted to include books that were accessible and books that made sense. I read reviews, good and bad, before adding books to this list as I wanted to be selective.
I can also say this: you as a parent know. And your child can also tell you. Listen to them and let them lead.
As an autistic adult, I would have wanted to know what my autism was like when I was younger. Had I been diagnosed in childhood? Yes, I would have wanted to understand all the things or at least as much as I could. But, like so many women, I was one of the missing autistic girls.
I flew under the radar, so to speak, and always wondered and questioned if something was wrong with me.
Looking back, of course, I realize that just because my brain is wired differently, doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with me.
I’m autistic, not broken.
Still, I think having some of these books listed above could have made a difference and I’ll be sure to make a list of books that have helped me as an autistic adult.
For now though, I’d love to know: what books did I miss?
Kori
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