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Book Recommendations
Communication
- Annie’s Coming Out (1984), also known as A Test of Love, is a feature-length movie (based on the book by Rosemary Crossley and Anne McDonald). (1:29:08; captioned) It is available free to watch online in the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/annies-coming-out-1984
- Speechless by Rosemary Crossley – Available to read free in the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/speechlessfacili00cros/mode/2up (Hardcopies available from Alan Kurtz – kurtz@maine.edu)
- The Autistic Boy in the Unruly Body by Gregory C. Tino https://www.amazon.com/Autistic-Boy-Unruly-Body-Autism/dp/B0B7XF3CVT
Career Planning and Employment
- Planning Your Career Through Intense Interests: A Guide for Autistic People by Yenn Purkis and Barb Cook https://us.jkp.com/products/planning-your-career-through-intense-interests
Novels by Autistics
- I Never Get Lost in the Woods by Aaron Jepson. Debut novel. https://aaronjepson.com/
Books for Teachers, Parents, and Others
- The Person Who Arrives: Connecting Disability Studies and Educational Practice for Teachers, Parents, and Others by Leah M. Kelley, Ed.D., https://www.amazon.com/Person-Who-Arrives-Connecting-Educational/dp/0228883652
Support
- Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Youth. Foreword by Katie Koullas, CEO, Yellow Ladybugs; Written entirely by neurodivergent authors. https://www.yellowladybugs.com.au/Document/Books
- Spellbound: The Voices of the Silent - A collection of poetry, songs, stories and more by nonspeakers. Edited by Judy Hope Chinitz. https://www.amazon.com/SpellboundVoices-Silent-Judy-Chinitz-ebook/dp/B0C31R8B65
- Talking Fingers: Voices Of Indian Non-Speaking Autistics - Embrace and Celebrate Neurodiversity and All Communication Styles. Edited by Padma Jyothi and Chitra Paul.
“WITHOUT A VOICE LIFE IS A WASTELAND. SURROUNDED BY A LOVING FAMILY AND EVERY COMFORT, IT IS STILL A WASTELAND.” - Chandima Rajapatirana https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Fingers-Voices-Non-SpeakingAutistics/dp/819585401X
- Tressing Motions at the Edge of Mistakes: Poems by Imane Boukaila https://milkweed.org/book/tressing-motions-at-the-edge-of-mistakes
- Different, Not Less: A neurodivergent's guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after By Chloé Hayden.
“Listen to yourself, listen to your mind, listen to your body. What do you need? What do you need to stay away from? You’re the expert on yourself, and it’s important to surround yourself with things that will benefit you.” https://www.chloehayden.com.au/shop/p/different-not-less-book
- May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future by Chris Martin. (2022)
“Chris Martin, an award-winning poet and celebrated educator, works with non-verbal children and adults on the spectrum, teaching them to writepoetry. Martin introduces the techniques he uses in the classroom and celebrates an inspiring group of young autistic thinkers—Mark, Christophe, Zach, and Wallace—and their electric verse, which is as artistically dazzling as it is stereotype-shattering." https://www.chrismartinpoet.com/work/maytomorrowbeawake
- What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic: Unpuzzling a Life on the Autism Spectrum by Annie Kotowicz. “I hope this book will give insight and encouragement to every person who wants to understand autism better. It’s an analysis of my autistic thinking, a guide to autistic thriving, and a celebration of autistic brains.” https://neurobeautiful.com/book/
- Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator’s Guide by Diana Pastora Carson, educator, speaker, podcaster, inclusionist. Covers many Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) topics, including “What We've Always Done and Why it Doesn't Work” and “What Exactly Should We Talk About (ableism; access; assistive technology; disability history & disability rights; disability justice; diversity, equity, and inclusion; multiply marginalized individuals; respectful language; words and phrases to avoid) https://www.dianapastoracarson.com/general-9
- Picture Book: A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond, an autistic mother of two autistic sons and the creator behind the popular @Fidgets.and.Fries social media platform and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Day-With-No-Words/TiffanyHammond/9781736949795
- I Will Die On This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World. Authors: Meghan Ashburn and Jules Edwards; Illustrator: Nathan McConnell; Foreword by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. Autistic advocate and parent Jules Edwards runs the page, Autistic, Typing. Allistic ally and parent Meghan Ashburn runs the page, Not An Autism Mom. (Release date: Jan. 19, 2023) https://www.amazon.com/Will-Die-This-Hill-Autistic/dp/1839971681
- Swoon – Poems by DJ Savarese https://www.amazon.com/Swoon-D-J-Savarese/dp/1737788098
- Herb Lovett – Learning to Listen: Positive Approaches and People with Difficult Behavior. The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy: Step-by-Step Advice on How to Ally and Speak Up with Autistic People and the Autism Community by Jenna Gensic, Ph.D., and Jennifer Brunton. Jessica Kingsley Press, 2022. “…an in-depth look at the key elements of effective, respectful, inclusive advocacy and allyship. Every topic was chosen, shaped, and informed by over 100 #ActuallyAutistic perspectives.” https://www.amazon.com/actuallyautistic-Guide-Advocacy-Step-step/dp/1787759733/
- The Autism Industrial Complex: How Branding, Marketing, and Capital Investment Turned Autism into Big Business by Alicia A. Broderick, Ph.D.. Myers Education Press, January 2022. https://myersedpress.presswarehouse.com/browse/book/9781975501853/The-AutismIndustrial-Complex
- The Autism and Neurodiversity Self Advocacy Handbook: Developing the Skills to Determine Your Own Future. By Yenn Purkis and Barb Cook. February. 2022. https://us.jkp.com/products/the-autism-and-neurodiversity-self-advocacy-handbook
- Hostage to Silence by Brady Wright, autistic poet. Artwork by Gentry Goshell. “For years in silence, I have watched the world from a dormant life of observation. I hear through the sounds of chatter and pick out word by word. I hear sounds of nature like orchestras of harmonious creatures seeing their story. My writing is me opening you up to my corner of the world and singing a story of loss, hope, freedom and triumph.” https://www.hostagetosilence.com/post/hostage-to-silence-the-book-is-now-live
- Life After Lockdown: Resetting Perceptions of Autism. Collaboration by over 40 authors, including autistic professionals and individuals on Becoming Social Again, Back to School, Adults in Transition, Into the Community, Reboot. AAPC Publishing, September 22, 2021 https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life-After-Lockdown-Resetting-Perceptions
- The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Wenn B. Lawson https://www.bookdepository.com/Autistic-TransGuide-Life-Yenn-Purkis/9781787753914
- A Neurodiverse View of the World: My Poetry Anthology by Darren W. Stella, llustrations by Jade Z. Stella https://tinyurl.com/kpv67t5j
- The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by autistic author Sarah Kapit - about a family with two adolescent autistic sisters, one of whom uses a tablet to communicate https://tinyurl.com/4f8txp4h
- The Secret Life of Rose: Inside An Autistic Head by Rose Smitten and Jodie Smitten https://tinyurl.com/vc554mdy
- 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. Edited by Emily Paige Ballou, Sharon daVanport and Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. Updated and expanded re-publication featuring new chapters by Lydia X.Z. Brown, Amethyst Schaber, Kayla Rodriguez, Mallory Cruz, Kayla Smith, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, and Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán https://tinyurl.com/mt56r735
- Start Here: A Guide for Parents of Autistic Kids - a booklet created by Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, the Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, and Little Lobbyists. https://tinyurl.com/xz8wkm2z
- Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate, edited by Edlyn Vallejo Pena, Ph.D. https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Around-Autobiographies-Autistics-Communicate/dp/1791505953#
- Stim: An Autism Anthology by Lizzie HuxleyJones (April 2020). A collection of stories, essays and art from autistic authors and artists. https://unbound.com/books/stim/
- Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words, Edited by Maxfield Sparrow, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. https://us.jkp.com/products/spectrums
- What Your Child on the Spectrum Really Needs: Advice from 12 Autistic Adults by Jenna Gensic, Autism Asperger Publishing, 2020 https://www.amazon.com/What-Child-Spectrum-Really-Needs/dp/B07YQKDM2M
- Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: A Young Man’s Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida, Random House, 2017 Just Because I Can’t Talk Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Have Anything to Say by Holly Forlenza www.HollySpeaksUp.com
- The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children, edited by Michelle Sutton, features writing by twelve autistic authors plus author introductions and an editorial essay by Michelle Sutton. (2015)
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Experts-Readings-Autistic-Children/dp/0986183563
https://autonomouspress.myshopify.com/ products/the-real-experts-readings-forparents-of-autistic-children-edited-bymichelle-sutton
- What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew, edited by Emily Paige Ballou, Kristina Thomas, and Sharon daVanport, (2017), is a project of Autism Women’s Network (2016) “Presuming competence is critical… I will grow in beautiful ways…” Features writing by 21 autistic contributors. https://autisticgirls.com/
- Paul and His Beast is a novel for middle graders by autistic author and poet Sarah Stup. (2015) “Sixth-grader Paul Stephens, desperate to stay in a normal school, must tame his ‘Beast’— the bizarre autistic behaviors that make other students recoil and mock.” More information and free lesson plans and activities based on the book are available here: http://www.sarahstup.com/index.htm