1. A Different Kind of Boy, Daniel Mont Very readable, very interesting. The story of a family from Potomac, Maryland, and a nine year old boy who finishes second in a national math talent search but has trouble with the simplest of interactions with his classmates. 2. Elijah's Cup, Valerie Paradiz One of my favorite books I've read on the subject. The author talks about autism not as a disability but as a different kind of personality; she delves very deeply into the autism culture and explores the question of what it means to be autistic. 3. The Boy Who Loved Windows, Patricia Stacey Very readable book; there is more science in this book than most and that part is quite interesting. 4. Smiling at Shadows, Junee Waites This one takes place in Australia, I believe, and is quite interesting for that viewpoint. 5. A Real Boy, Christina Adams Another good one. 6. Raising Blaze, Debra Ginsberg I love her writing style. She tells a great story. This book is unique in that I don't believe it ever comes right out and mentions the word autism or pervasive development disorder; but you can tell quite easily that's what it is. The author prefers not to label her son and her attitude towards him is endearing and inspiring. 7. Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and other Pervasive Development Disorders, Karyn Seroussi This book focuses very much on how diet impacts those on the spectrum. There is a lot of science and technical discussion used to explain different concepts, and I found these parts fascinating. The author also includes many gluten free, casein free recipes at the end of the book and provides many tips for parents who want to start their kids on such a diet. Very thought provoking and well written book. 8. Eating an Artichoke: A Mother's Perspective on Asperger Syndrome , Echo Fling I don't really remember anything about this book but I know I read it. 9. A Slant of Sun: One Child's Courage, Beth Kephart 10. Finding Ben , Barbara LaSalle Some might say this is a more realistic portrayal of the extreme amount of problems that can be present when trying to take care of an autistic son. This book is gritty and honest and doesn't sugar coat anything. 11. Let Me Hear Your Voice, Catherine Maurice One of the very first books on autism/AS that I read, and I think one of the more well known ones. Focuses very much on ABA - applied behavior analysis - and how this family used this method to help their two children recover from autism. Books by people on the autistic spectrum: 12. Pretending to be Normal, Liane Willey Holliday Probably my favorite book on the subject or one of my top two, anyway. An adult woman with AS who also has a daughter with AS talks about her life and about her daughter. I found myself underlining many passages in the book in agreement. Liane has become one of the more well known speakers with AS in the country today. 13. Songs of the Gorilla Nation, Dawn Prince-Hughes A different kind of book. I felt the book focused more on her relationships with the gorillas than her AS, and so didn't find that book quite as endearing or useful as many others I have read. Not all will agree with me, though. 14. Thinking in Pictures, Temple Grandin One of the most famous autism books out there; Temple Grandin might be the most well known autistic adult in the country today. She revolutionized how cattle are treated with her "squeeze" machine. 15. Nobody Nowhere, Donna Williams All of Donna William's books are fantastic and a must read. Her books were the first books on autism I ever read. I enjoyed her second and third books the most. Donna is an Australian autistic woman who has written quite a bit about her life. 16. Somebody Somewhere, Donna Williams 17. Like Color to the Blind, Donna Williams 18. Everyday Heaven, Donna Williams 19. Life Behind Glass, Wendy Lawson Informational and Novels: 20. Succeeding with Autism, Judith H. Cohen One of the best I've read. She follows and profiles an autistic boy named Mike. She talks in detail about his life from birth through college and his employment as a math teacher. She interviews extensively his peers, teachers, parents, siblings, doctors, Mike himself and anyone else who could give a perspective on him and his needs. Being able to read the perspective of all these different people is fascinating and you really get into his head. Those either on the spectrum or who know someone on the spectrum will find much to relate to. 21. The OASIS guide to Asperger's Syndrome, Barbara Kirby From an informational standpoint, one of the best out there. 22. Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success, Brenda Myles Can't offer much of an opinion on this one as I just browsed through it, but seemed like a book that people who work with adolescents would be able to get something out of. 23. Relationship Development Intervention, Steve Gutstein I have heard many people who say that this therapy has worked wonderfully for them and their kids. Whether it really works or not, you have to figure out for yourself and your kids, but it's always worth a try. 24. Speed of Dark, Elizabeth Moon [novel] A wonderful, wonderful fictional book about a society in the future where all neurological disorders have been stamped out and the people of the world are in perfect health: except, of course, those who were born too late for these treatments, those few autistics that remain. When main character Lou and his friends are offered an experimental treatment that could reverse their autism, they are faced with a daunting question: would they still be themselves without their autism? The book has a wonderful way of showing us the autistic characters' strengths along with their weaknesses and showing us how we as a society benefit so much from their unique skills and ways of thinking. 25. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Mark Haddon [novel] The writing style of this book was a bit too factual for me, but others have loved it. Very popular book that centers around the story of a boy and his dog and the adventures they have trying to track down his mother in London and other such things. Individually Categorized: 26. Freaks, Geeks and Asperger's Syndrome, Luke Jackson A very good book for kids to understand more about AS [person w/ AS] 27. Beyond the Wall, Stephen Shore An adult with AS talks about his experiences. [person w/ AS] 28. One Small Starfish, Anne Addison Every few pages there are tips for parents, extremely well done, good how to guide for parents of special needs kids [parent memoir] 29. Asperger Syndrome in the Family, Liane Holliday Willey I take it back Liane's second book is now the best AS book I have ever read. Really goes into the experience of what it's like to have AS and explains it very well, better than anything else I have read. [person w/ AS] 30. Maverick Mind, Cheri Florance A fascinating account of how the author was able to use science and groundbreaking innovations in the field of psychology to "re-engineer" her son Whitney's brain. [parent memoir] 31. Making Peace with Autism, Susan Senator A very clearly written book about coming to terms with and figuring out how to best help and love her severely autistic son. This book is unique in that most parent memoirs seem to be written about much higher functioning kinds on the spectrum, and parents whose kids do not fall in that area will appreciate this one. The author has a website with a blog that she consistently updates, and it is a pleasure to be able to read the book, get acquainted with her family, and be able to continue to follow her family's lives on her website. [parent memoir] 32. Send in the Idiots, Kamran Nazeer [person w/ AS] 33. Daniel Isn't Talking, Marti Leimbach [novel] 34. Running with Walker [parent memoir], Robert Hughes 35. Laughter and Tears, A Family's Journey to Understanding the Autism Spectrum, Ann Hewetson [parent memoir] One of the few books I've read that follows a person from infancy to age 30, and very interesting for the insights it provides in that way. Encouraging to read of the great leaps made by this autistic baby into a fully functioning young man. 36. Breaking Autism's Barriers: A Father's Journey, Bill Davis [parent memoir] A great book for inspiring a can-do attitude and showing how one man set up an impressive home therapy program for his autistic son. However, seems to be too antagonistic to other parents, implying that if they're not spending thirty thousand dollars a year and getting forty hours a week of applied behavior analysis, then they're not doing what they should be; parents have enough guilt already to deal with without him adding more. Not everyone can be a SuperParent. 37. Born on a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet [person with AS] Talks about the life of a young man with Asperger's. Also discusses savant syndrome as well. Of all the books I've read that are memoirs written by people with AS, this is one of the best - there was a LOT I could relate to my own personal experiences in here. It gives a very clear idea of what is like to grow up with AS on a day to day basis. 38. Finding a Different Kind of Normal, Jeanette Purkis [person with AS] A memoir of woman with AS who was not diagnosed until age 20, after a lifetime of problems with authority, drugs, crime and several jail stays. She was able to turn her life around after finding out this information. 39. George and Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism, Charolotte Moore [parent memoir] Unusual in that it talks about what it's like to have more than one kid on the autistic spectrum; also, in that it portrays two boys that are fairly low functioning. (Disclaimer: I apologize for having to use terms like low and high functioning but it is the only way I know to express the distinction. All people, even people who we attach "low functioning" labels to, have many abilities and much value. Those who we attach a "high functioning" label to have impairments that we might not expect. No one can be easily labeled and put into a box, but for the sake of describing what are the *most common* patterns of behavior and presentation, I have to use these terms. I apologize in advance to anyone who may be offended by this.) 40. Friendships, The Aspie Way Wendy Lawson |
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