Recently, while visiting our local libraries and book stores, I realized there is a need for more access to NeuroDiversity centered literature.
Rather than to just give over a list of my favorite books (don’t worry, some of those are included too), I asked our community on various platforms what books other NeuroDivergent People have found helpful.
This morning I spent several hours looking threw the responses on the 3 platforms I asked for recommendations on, and have compiled some of the most requested Autism & NeuroDiversity books on the list below.
Many of you asked that I make this list available to the public.
There are links included for each book on Amazon via affiliate link. Purchasing through these links will help to support my continued work in creating quality free resources and tools for the public.
I hope you find this list helpful. Please feel free to share it far and wide, to help local book stores and libraries to educate and fight stigma against Autistic & NeuroDivergent People.
NeuroDiversity
- Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman
- Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You by Jenara Nerenberg
NeuroDivergent Fiction
- The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
- The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
Autism & Autistic Experience
- I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults by Cynthia Kim
- Back From the Brink: Stories of Resilience, Reconciliation and Reconnection by Chan Tim & Chan Sarah
- The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
- Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man’s Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida
- All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism by Brown (Author), Autism Women’s Network, Inc. (Author), E. Ashkenazy (Editor), Morénike Giwa Onaiwu (Editor)
- Communication Alternatives in Autism: Perspectives on Typing and Spelling Approaches for the Nonspeaking by Edlyn Vallejo Peña
- Typed Words Loud Voices – Amy Sequenzia (Editor), Elizabeth Grace (Editor)
- The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch
- Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic: A Comedian’s Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary
- Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate by Edlyn Vallejo Peña
- Autism: An Inside-Out Approach: An Innovative Look at the ‘Mechanics’ of ‘Autism’ and its Developmental ‘Cousins’ by Donna Williams
- Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking by Julia Bascom
- Ido in Autismland: Climbing Out of Autism’s Silent Prison by Ido Kedar
For Parents & Caregivers
- Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity by Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Children: For parents of the newly diagnosed (Overcoming Common Problems) by Luke Beardon
- Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Prizant
- The Edge of The Playground: Two Stories one Journey: A Mother and Daughter’s Memoir of Autism From Childhood to Adulthood by Mary Lynn Ackerman Willis (Author), Mikhaela Ackerman
- Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students by Diego Pena
Autistic Women Girls
- Women From Another Planet?: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism by Jean Kearns Miller
- Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism by Barb Cook (Editor), Michelle Garnett (Editor)
- Twirling Naked in the Streets and No One Noticed; Growing Up With Undiagnosed Autism – by Jeannie Davide-Rivera
- Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim
- Women on the Spectrum: A Handbook for Life by Emma Goodall (Author), Yenn Purkis (Author)
- Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Sarah Bargiela
- The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide by Castellon
LGBTQIA+ Intersectionality
- Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Kathryn Gonzales MBA & Karen Rayne PhD
- The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis, Wenn B. Lawson
For Young Readers
- The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens by Yenn Purkis (Author), Tanya Masterman
- The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods by Robyn Steward
- All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum by Kathy Hoopmann
- Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down by Lindsey Rowe Parker (Author), Rebecca Burgess (Illustrator)
ADHD
- Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents by Nancy A. Ratey
- ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Strategies that Work from an Acclaimed Professional Organizer and a Renowned ADD Clinician by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau
- Journal of an ADHD Kid: The Good, the Bad, and the Useful by Tobias Stumpf

#ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics & #NeuroDivergent humans:
I want to create a list of Neurodiversity positive book recommendations, that I can hand out to local library‘s and bookstores, to encourage them to carry more titles related to Neurodiversity.
What would YOU add?
Additional suggestions from my readers (on various social media platforms):
- List of suggestions from readers on Instagram
- List of suggestions from readers on Facebook
- List of suggestions from readers on Twitter
To download a printable PDF version of this list click HERE.

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With gratitude,
Lyric
A lovely list. My sister inlaw bought I think I Might Be Autistic for when her son got diagnosed, and it was reading that book that made me realize Husband scored on every characteristic on the list within the book. It led us to start the formal process of diagnosis.
The Reason I Jump is also hugely insightful.