The best way to understand autism is to listen to autistic people. These ten books are all written by autistic authors about their own lives and experiences. We first pulled the list together during the 2020 lockdown, and every one of them is still worth your time. They are widely available from UK bookshops and libraries.
Books for autistic teenagers and young people
1. The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide by Siena Castellon
Written by autistic campaigner Siena Castellon, this is a practical guide for autistic teenage girls. It covers friendships, dating, mental health, bullying and much more, in a warm, easy-to-read style with comic strips along the way. Its message is simple: you are not broken and you are not alone. Adults who want to understand autistic girls will get a lot out of it too.
2. The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide by Yenn Purkis and Tanya Masterman
A practical handbook for autistic tweens and teens that starts from strengths rather than problems. It includes ideas for handling meltdowns, sensory differences and anxiety, plus activities and diary pages to help young readers understand themselves better.
3. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
Naoki Higashida wrote this book at 13, answering questions about why he does the things he does, from talking loudly to repeating questions to jumping. Translated into English by KA Yoshida and the novelist David Mitchell, it gives readers a rare first-hand account from a young autistic person who communicates mainly through writing. It also makes plain that Naoki has imagination, humour and empathy in abundance, which challenges some stubborn myths.
Memoirs by autistic adults
4. Odd Girl Out by Laura James
Laura James found out she was autistic as an adult, after building a career, marrying and raising four children. Her book follows the year after her diagnosis as she rethinks her life, from why she always found noisy workplaces so hard to why spinning in circles made her happy as a child. It also looks at why so many autistic women go undiagnosed, a theme we cover in our article on autism in women.
5. The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May
Katherine May set out to walk the South West Coast Path while trying to understand why everyday life, and early motherhood in particular, had become so overwhelming. Along the way she realises she is autistic. The book follows her diagnosis and the kinder way of seeing herself that comes with it, and it is beautifully written.
6. Why Does Daddy Always Look So Sad? by Jude Morrow
Jude Morrow describes growing up autistic, going on to university and a career, and becoming a father to a non-autistic son. He writes honestly about the barriers he met and makes a strong case that autistic lives can be every bit as full and happy as anyone else’s.
7. Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison
John Elder Robison grew up in the US before Asperger syndrome was widely recognised, and was labelled a misfit long before anyone used the word autism. His memoir is funny, dark and sharp, and covers everything from his teenage obsession with electronics to his relationship with his younger brother, the writer Augusten Burroughs.
Books about autistic thinking
8. Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin, the animal scientist whose work changed the livestock industry, explains how she thinks in images rather than words and how that shaped her career. First published in 1995, it remains one of the best-known books by an autistic author. If you enjoy it, the HBO film about her life is on our list of films and TV programmes about autism.
9. The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin and Richard Panek
Published in 2013, this book combines Grandin’s own experience with research into how autistic brains work. Her central argument still feels fresh: focus on what autistic people can do and build on their strengths, rather than fixating on their weaknesses.
10. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs by Michael Barton
English is full of idioms that make no literal sense. Michael Barton, who is autistic, illustrates dozens of them exactly as they sound, with funny drawings of cats and dogs falling from the sky and the like. It is a light-hearted way into a serious point about literal thinking, and a useful book for anyone who works with autistic colleagues; our guide on how managers can communicate effectively picks up the same theme.
Keep reading
For more autistic voices, see our list of famous autistic people who have spoken publicly about their diagnosis. The National Autistic Society is also a good starting point if you are new to autism.
How Enna can help
Reading autistic authors is a great first step for any manager or HR team. To turn that understanding into everyday practice, our Neurodiversity Deep Dive training explores autism and other neurodivergent conditions through real workplace scenarios, and our autism in the workplace page sets out how we support employers. If you are autistic and looking for work, browse the Enna jobs board.
