5 Autism Books that are Perfect for the Family Library
According to the latest stats from WHO, 1 in 100 children are on the Autism spectrum. As autism awareness month is here, we want to share five books that we feel are the perfect addition to your library year-round. For families, people on the autism spectrum, and friends who wish to educate themselves on Autism -these books are the perfect addition to your bookshelf for understanding, learning and sharing about neurotypical kids.
A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond, Illustrator, Kate Cosgrove
Author Tiffany Hammond of A Day With No Words is an Autistic mother, and autism advocate raising two sons with the same disorder. Tiffany, who did not have a solid community to help her navigate her own ASD at age eighteen, started her own community with her popular blog, fidgets.and.fries. Tiffany is a natural storyteller and is honest about not only being Autistic but also the challenges of raising Black autistic children.
Tiffany shared with New York family why she authored A Day With No Words, “I started these days because my youngest was onto something and I wanted to normalize communication outside of speech. I wanted to make my son more visible to others. I thought, “what if each person who read this book would think more deeply about the way in which they use speech themselves and extend that thinking to those like my son?” What a world would that be? I want my children to live in a world that will value them whole and not pieces of who they are. This book is my gift to them, a love letter to my son from his family, and to those who walk this Earth as my Aidan does. “
There are many reasons to appreciate this well-crafted picture book that educates and helps minimize the stigma of a child who is non-verbal. But one big one is that it artfully helps normalize families who live in a home where a member or more “talks” differently or doesn’t (talk.) Ages 4-8.
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee, Illustrator Jacob Souva
This book follows the main character through his array of emotions and gestures. The book shares what it must feel like not to be able to ‘fit’ a feeling into a neat little box while teaching the readers how to show empathy to others as well as themselves. The Boy with Big, Big Feelings is quite a treasure and an excellent book for families to add to their home library. Ages 3-7.
You may know Temple Grandin for when she was portrayed in an award-winning performance by Claire Danes in the television movie Temple Grandin. The film introduced this renowned American animal science professor who is Autistic and a famous autism advocate at a time when Autism wasn’t really being talked about like it is now. The I am Temple Grandin picture book introduces Temple to a new generation by sharing Temple’s story and message on overcoming challenges and making positive differences. Ages 5-9.
But you don’t look autistic at all by
We adore this book, for Bianca Toeps shares what life looks like for her and other Autistic people. Her heartfelt mix of funny collective stories conveys and offers deep insight into how life looks for people on the spectrum. A must-read for all. For parents with a newly ASD-diagnosed teen or a Young Adult and really any human out there this book is a must read.
The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit
Perfect middle school book that, besides being a fantastic read, shares on a neurodiversity family. The Finkel family includes Lara, who is autistic, while her sibling Carline is non-verbal autistic. The book is the perfect read for anyone, but what we love about it is that it tells the story of these sisters and tackles life’s frustrating nuisances, such as secrets and sibling relationships; all the while, their Jewish traditions, and family members make for an even more exciting story. Ages 8-12.
