If you’re searching for the best autism books by autistic writers, this list of books is for you. Several members of our family are autistic or neurodivergent, and we read every book listed here. In this post we’re sharing our reviews of books about autism by autistic authors.
Table of Contents
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Only authentic autistic representation
Please note: the inclusion of a book in this list does not mean we agree with the views presented in these books.
We have also left out several popular autism books because they are not written by actually autistic writers (eg Neurotribes and Uniquely Human).
We feel that the best way to start understanding the autistic experience is to listen to and learn from autistics themselves.
1. What I mean when I say I’m autistic: Unpuzzling a life on the autism spectrum by Annie Kotowicz
In this short but thorough booklet, Annie shares her experience as a late diagnosed autistic woman. Each chapter explains one aspect of how her autistic mind works through the lens of her personal experiences.
I found myself relating to many of the experiences and challenges she described. So often there were underlying assumptions that other people made about my actions that were inaccurate because my mind works differently.
Annie does a great job of explaining both how the autistic brain works, as well as how a neurotypical person may interpret those actions.
Great for late diagnosed autistic women
As a late diagnosed autistic woman myself, it was validating to hear from Annie that many other autistic women have experienced similar challenges to my own.
Struggling with phone calls, or managing unexpected social interactions at a grocery store due to sensory overload, are things that I attributed to my own introversion, without realizing that they were also autistic traits.
I think this is one of the best books for adult autistic women, but especially those who are late diagnosed. This book is an extension of multiple blog posts that Annie has on her blog neurobeautiful.com.
2. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
Reviewed by Rook
I really enjoyed this book and it helped me understand my siblings a lot better. There are a few things that I do, that I realized in that book.
It’s written by a teenage autistic boy who uses almost exclusively nonverbal communication. In reading this book, I realized that autism isn’t rare.
Easy to read question and answer format
Also, it’s not like a doctor asked the author these things – he just answers different questions that either people asked him, or that just come into his head.
For example, there’s a question asking, “Why do you jump when you’re happy?” He just explains what’s going on in his head when he does that.
That helped me understand my family and my siblings a lot more. Some of my siblings do poses when they’re happy or triumphant, which I have never understood because I’ve been very confused by it.
It’s not so much long chapters but rather short segments answering questions that people have, which I think is really good. I think it also taught me how to handle things better and how to really see things from an autistic point of view.
Emotional dysregulation
Something I think something we don’t realize, and something that I still have to realize in myself, is that emotions are really hard and really overwhelming for those of us who are neurodivergent.
But we haven’t been taught how to handle that! We don’t have a generation that’s been taught to sit with our feelings.
So understanding that for people who have autism, when emotions come, the feelings just wash over them. It’s just all there, and it feels like they’re losing their sense of self and they’re just permanently gonna be like this.
Autistic mental health struggles
It was really helpful for me to understand that a lot of what an autistic person handles isn’t even just throwing tantrums. It’s literally just that they are feeling it completely, and so they’re scared.
They don’t know how to handle it, and they can’t get out of it, and they’re like, “This is what my life is gonna be like forever!”
I have the same mental health struggle with my ADHD to an extent. I don’t think it’s as extreme, but they’re definitely times when a feeling washes over me and I’m wondering, “Am I just gonna be sad for the rest of my life? I don’t remember being happy – what does that feel like?”
The book really helped me understand that you just have to be there for autistic folks and realize that they’re feeling that way.
Differences in neurobiology
It helped me understand other things too. Such as why sometimes you’ll repeat something to a child over and over and over and they just don’t understand it.
And it’s simply because they won’t remember that part of it until they’ve done it again, and then the memory comes back and after you’ve told them.
It broke down some of the common myths like, “Autistics don’t feel things, or have emotions.” But meanwhile, it’s just that they have a lot of emotions and they don’t know how to handle it.
This book helped me understand things a lot better and see what it’s like to have autism spectrum disorder from an insider’s perspective.
3. Unmasking Autism by Devon Price
Reviewed by Kaiju
Finding a good book about autism – one that is written for people who aren’t fluent in therapy, or fluent in psychology – it can be hard. Especially if you’re AuDHD and you’re like, “All these long words are making me space out, and I don’t want to read this.”
This book has a much more casual tone. I like that because it keeps you engaged and it helps you understand what’s going on.
Written for laypeople, not academics
When he uses long words, he explains what the long words mean. So by the end of the book you actually have an understanding of what some of the common terms are (eg ABA therapy).
He starts by talking about his own experience and then connecting it to autism. Throughout the book, he uses his own experiences and the experience of other autistics, and even the experience of fictional characters to show different autistic traits.
@dinkumtribe The societal understanding of autism is so limited. #actuallyautistic #autism #autismacceptance #autismtiktok ♬ original sound – DinkumTribe ADHD family travel
The author talks about how those autistic traits can manifest in ways that might not not seem autistic. But the reasons behind them, the cause for those behaviors, he helps you realize that’s an autistic thing.
Thorough and helpful
He covers covers everything! Self diagnosis, why ABA therapy is bad, things you can do to make your life easier as an autistic…
He talks about different systems that different autistics come up with to make their lives easier, like the strawberry people system (which is awesome sauce).
Overall it is a really great book whether you speak psychology or not it’s really good and you feel like you’re having an actual conversation with the author.
An excellent introduction to autism
It’s written both for neurotypicals and for autistics. It’s not written by a neurotypical scientist for neurotypical parents of autistic children.
It’s not written by an autistic scientist for scientists and autistics who have been doing research for a while and are fluent in psychology.
It’s the kind of book you hand to someone when you just told them they might be autistic, and they’re like, “OK. What does that mean? Where do I start with research?”
It gives them everything they need to know to keep moving and to do more research.
I read it scribbling notes in the corner with a pencil scribbled over. It’s really good if you like psychology. It also has a reference section right by the back with different studies and references.
A lot of autistics are also LGBTQ+, and while there is overlap, one thing does not negate the other. So just because your LGBTQ+ doesn’t mean you might not also be autistic. It’s really amazing!
I’m really glad that was the first autism book I read because it explained a lot. I feel like I understand myself a lot better now, and I would recommend it to anyone who autism.
4. Sensory: Life on the spectrum, an autistic comics anthology by Bex Ollerton
If you’ve ever heard the phrase, a picture is worth 1000 words, this book embodies that phrase. Sensory: Life on the spectrum is a collection of comics by different autistic artists talking about their autistic experience.
Some of the comics are from people who were diagnosed late in life. Some are from people who were diagnosed as children. It shows autistic characters and illustrates various aspects of their autism from their life experiences.
The book also talks about how the neurotypical world responds to their autism, and some of the things that autistic adults feel frustrated about, both with themselves, and with society as well.
Not written for children
It’s best for people who are teens and older because there are a couple of themes that probably wouldn’t be appropriate for young children.
This is a great book in terms of helping you feel seen as an adult with autism or a teen with autism, and I highly recommend it.
5. Odd Girl Out by Laura James
Reviewed by Rook
So far this book is my favorite! What I really liked about Odd Girl Out is it shares her personal story.
It’s the author’s life, and she’ll step out and occasionally she’ll talk through a thing. She’ll mention different expert opinions on areas and observations with that, but it’s very interesting because it basically describes her journey as an autistic girl from before she had the diagnosis.
Then it continues through her getting the diagnosis, and then to self acceptance with her autism. She’s learning how to manage it. She’s having with people in her life help her out with stuff like that.
There are points where it goes from the adult perspective to what her experiences were in early childhood. So in the first chapter there are segments from different areas of life beforehand, which is really interesting.
Engaging storytelling
It’s more like a story and that’s what I enjoyed – being able to really hear a person‘s thoughts and descriptions about all of it. What goes on, what she’s noticing, what she’s feeling, how she’s reacting to things…
There’s different points throughout the years that she talks about and she gives descriptions of where she’s at. She’s feeling how she works. I really enjoyed it because it helped me understand autistic people’s lives.
Validating neurodivergent experiences
It also validated a lot of things that I’ve had to handle in my life (as a neurodivergent person).
I really appreciated when she was talking about how autistic individuals really struggle with adaptability. If they haven’t been clearly taught how to do something in a situation, it can be really hard for them.
I can say I’ve learned how to problem solve, but there are times where my systems break down and I have to figure out something else. The way that I do it doesn’t make sense to some people.
But there are also tasks where I have no clue what I’m doing, and I’ve never been taught. I assume it’s a basic skill because everyone else knows it, but I don’t know if I’m doing it right.
And no one‘s really gonna teach me how to do it right so I’m just sitting here going, “Gosh, I hope I’m doing this correctly!”
One of the stories that she told was the first time she was driving. No one had ever taught her what to do when her car was acting strange. So instead of sitting through it, her first reaction was to jump out of the car!
It’s very much there – a lot of visceral reactions. It was really validating to hear that someone else has that problem.
Disability and unmet expectations
She was talking about how reality doesn’t fit her expectations. She can’t imagine reality outside of what it is right now – the idea that anything could change. She can’t imagine how it will affect her, and it scares her a lot.
It’s terrifying having to face like a huge thing that I don’t know alone.
I’m having to walk through this giant hurdle by myself with my disability. I’m scared that I’m gonna do it wrong, and they are gonna be bad consequences as a result.
So when I have something changed or deviate from a plan it’s really hard for me to be flexible in that way. I think that was really helpful just hearing her perspective on that and understanding where that comes from.
Alexithymia and differences in feelings
The other thing I really liked was hearing her talk about the different emotions that she doesn’t know if she’s experienced. Also hearing the differences between her and her husband, and how they react.
In the beginning of the book, he wants her to be like him. It kind of makes sense because she has a disability that’s hard to handle. But it’s also hard for her and she seems unreasonable.
Hearing the author’s perspective, such as “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt love. I don’t know what this sensation is. I strive for contentment, for calm, for nothing happening.”
And that’s really hard for her husband, because he likes to feel things. He likes to be exploring and doing things, and he wants her to be enjoying that feeling with him.
But she doesn’t enjoy feeling – her enjoyment comes when she’s feeling content and calm and when she’s at that baseline. So it’s hard for both of them.
I thought it was a wonderful book. It’s probably my favorite from the list of autism books because of how well it’s written, and how much it steps into her brain. There were a lot of ways that I was able to see myself in the situation even though I’m primarily ADHD.
6. Look Me in the Eye: my life with Asperger’s, by John Elder Robison
Reviewed by Kaiju and Brian
It was a really good book. Honestly, the writing style kind of reminded me of John Green.
The author talks about growing up with Asperger’s syndrome and how that can affect a lot of things. He discusses how it can be good in some ways, and not good other ways.
He often pauses the narrative to talk about this or that is a sign of autism. He also confronts the typical idea of “the autistic kid brings their savant-like skills and makes things bigger and better.”
Autistic special interests
The author has done some amazing things through his special interests! He made the smoking guitar that one of the members of the band KISS played for the song “Shock Me.”
He also worked with Pink Floyd and some other bands to help create a special effects that made their shows so amazing. I thought that was really impressive personally.
It’s a very easygoing book to read. Because of how purely real and accurate it is, this book felt more like reading a work of fiction than typical nonfiction books. It kept a sense of reality, not being boring.
Hilarious and insightful
Brian read this book as well, and I’ve never heard him laugh so much while reading a nonfiction book. He says, “It was hilarious! It was definitely helpful to hear from someone whose brain works in a different way, like mine.
It wasn’t like he was simply choosing to do things differently – there is an explanation for it.
The author does a good job of explaining the confusion and frustration that neurodivergent folks have. Knowing that what the general public says about them and their behavior doesn’t line up with what they are actually thinking and feeling.
Autistics know their own motives and what they’re thinking and feeling, but often allistics are either unwilling or unable to comprehend the scenario and the reasons behind it. He also was good at explaining how that led to a loner issue and exacerbated the scenario.”
7. We’re Not Broken: Changing the autism conversation by Eric Garcia
Reviewed by Kaiju
This one does a good job of showing how autism isn’t just a “white boy disorder.” It’s definitely written more for laypeople and I like that, honestly. It reminds me of Unmasking Autism because it’s easy to understand.
The author’s talking about education, healthcare, the history of autism, and different diagnoses. He discusses how society views the autism conversation. He also talks about relationship issues and school challenges.
Dismantling autistic stereotypes
He talks a lot about the harmful stereotypes and the fact that people get reduced to their diagnosis, or to their race or gender. He reminds readers that you have to look at the whole picture.
This book can be helpful for autistics to understand themselves, but it’s most helpful for autistics to hand to a family member or loved one. Reading this book is a great way to help allistics understand autistics.
8. Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism, Edited by Barb Cook and Dr. Michelle Garnett
Spectrum Women is a collection of essays written by autistic women who are also real autism experts in the field. The personal stories, challenges, ideas and revelations shared in these essays are helpful and touching.
I’ve been reading through this book slowly, absorbing the wisdom and experiences of each of these autistic voices. These women come from different walks of life and different cultures, but that makes the similarities and connections even stronger.
Each chapter is on a different topic (safety, relationships, childhood, diagnosis, etc). At the end of each of the essays, Dr. Garnett offers her professional commentary as a clinical psychologist to enrich and support the stories.
In many ways, this is the manual that many autistic women have been looking for. Hearing from various women in the autistic community offers a sense of camaraderie and acceptance that is difficult for many autistics to find.
You may also enjoy these posts:
- High Functioning Autism vs. ADHD
- How to talk to an autistic teenager
- What it feels like to be autistic
- Best resources for ADHD teens and parents
- Taking ADHD medication as an adult
©️ Copyright Jennifer D. Warren and Dinkum Tribe 2025.
