10 Books on Autism: Our Therapist’s Recommended Reads
A mixture of practical guides and empowering true stories all dealing with the wide spectrum of autism.
If you type ‘books on autism’ into Google you’ll be overwhelmed by the results. That’s why we asked our team of expert therapists to recommend their favourite books and explain why.
We hope our recommendations will help individuals and families embrace and celebrate individuality and learn how to participate positively in the world.
Keep reading for a mixture of practical guides and empowering true stories all dealing with the wide spectrum of autism.
Asperger’s and Me: The Girl with the Curly Hair by Alis Rowe
This book has been recommended by our Speech & Language Therapist, Harvey Fuller.
“I think this book could help people struggling with diagnosis to feel less alone and find some practical solutions for the problems they may encounter. It would also be helpful for parents if they are having difficulties with insight into their children with ASD.
It’s a personal account from the author and contains real life problems the author faced, the discussions she had with a parent to overcome these difficulties and understand why these events had happened. The book covers the diagnosis, life at school, masking, life at home, living with a neurotypical sibling, social life and difficulties with depression.”
Wired Differently – 30 Neurodivergent People You Should Know by Joe Wells
This book has been recommended by Speech & Language Therapist, Anna Upward.
“Wired Differently is about people who achieve great things thanks to their atypical wiring. I think that this would be a validating, entertaining and thought-provoking read for any neurodivergent young person, and a helpful tool for family members and professionals who are ready to reflect on the way that they think about, and talk about, neurodivergence.”
How to Help Non-Speaking Children in the Early Years by Bryony Rust
This book isn’t out until 5th December, but is available for pre order. Speech & Language Therapist, Charlotte Jarman is really excited for it to hit the book shelves because “it promises to offer a fresh perspective and lots of encouragement for all early years practitioners, speech and language therapists, SENCOs and key people looking to support positive communication development in the children in their care.”
All Cats are on the Autism Spectrum by Kathy Hoopman
This book has been recommended by our Highly Specialised Speech & Language Therapist, Becka Pitts.
“All Cats Are on the Autistic Spectrum offers a light-hearted look at autism through the lens of our feline friends. Parallel traits have been drawn between cats and individuals on the austistc spectrum, such as their need for routine, sensitivity to stimuli, and unique ways of interacting. This book not only helps explain autism but also celebrates the individuality and charm of both cats and people. Ideal for those seeking a compassionate look at neurodiversity, this book invites readers to appreciate the similarities and embrace the quirks that make every person special.”
Autism, Identity and Me: A Practical Workbook to Empower Autistic Children and Young People Aged 10+ by Rebecca Duffus
This book has been recommended by our Lead Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, Nick Booth.
“This is a very practical and empowering reader-friendly book full of visually supportive and useful information. Structured and visual, it’s broken down into key sections such as ‘Interests and focus’, ‘Masking’, ‘Emotions and energy levels’ and ‘My autistic identity statement.’
It’s a great book to explore and use with individuals and their parents to better understand their autism and how to participate positively in the world. It covers an important range of topics with contributions from autistic advisors and contributors, with first-hand experiences of young people woven throughout.”
This book has been recommended by Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, Carissa Jermy.
““This books offers a first person insight into how a non-speaking, autistic individual might view the world and how they might communicate. As a Speech and Language Therapist with a specialism in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), it’s always brilliant to see AAC represented in books and media. For parents of a non-speaking, autistic children, this book can offer some invaluable insights and understanding.
The book allowed me to gain a deeper understanding into the world of an autistic person but is also a reminder that every autistic individual is exactly that, an individual!”
This book has been recommended by Lead Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, Lorna Bailey.
“This book really moved me and made me reconsider my own preconceptions when I was first learning about PDA. Jane provides such clarity around the ‘why’ behind many of the behaviours that are challenging to live with, both for Mollie herself and for those around her. In particular it helped me understand that the behaviours do not happen through choice. I found the interviews with Mollie particularly moving.”
This book has been recommened by Specialist Speech & Language Therapist, Fritha Fayers.
“Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist who specialises in trauma, autism and alternative approaches to education. In this book she combines theory with the lived experience of both herself and others to explain why traditional educational approaches may not work for neurodivergent children. Well researched and accessible, realistic and reassuring this book offers valuable insight for professionals and practical guidance for parents.”
This book has been recommended by Speech & Language Therapist, Charlotte Jarman.
“Barry Prizant is a leading expert in the field of Austism and seeks to enhance abilities, to teach new skills, help individuals build on their strengths and develop coping strategies to achieve a better quality of life. Uniquely Human offers a compassionate and insightful perspective that could be life-changing. It has lots of inspiring stories and practical advice from thousands of autistic people and I think essential reading for anyone who cares for somone on the autism spectrum.”
This book has been recommended by Speech & Language Therapist, Caroline Cornell du Houx.
“It’s a resource book written by an author who is herself Autistic and as such, it is warm, supportive and thoroughly neuro-affirming. It talks about the wonderful qualities that many Autistic people have and personal examples from her own point of view about how she or her family sees the world. She talks about how these differences can lead to misunderstandings and why. The book is packed with activities to build understanding of self and self-advocacy skills to be shared with a group or worked through individually.”
We hope you are inspired to read one of recommended books on autism. If you are looking for advice on a diagnosis, our therapists are experts in offering gold standard private autism assessments for adults and children. With over 20 years experience, we are here to provide as much support for you and your family as we can.
