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Navigating Autism: Essential Reads for Understanding and Supporting Adults on the Spectrum
Key Takeaways
- For autistic adults (or adults who suspect they’re autistic), there’s an overwhelming amount of information to sift through.
- Well-written and affirming books about autism are a great resource for those who want to learn more about their own autism diagnosis or loved ones who want to provide support for autistic adults.
Introduction to autism and literature
Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult is often the culmination of years of wondering and researching. For others, a diagnosis is just the beginning.
There’s an almost insurmountable amount of information to sort through for autistic adults, adults who suspect they’re autistic or loved ones of a newly diagnosed adult.
You might have a lot of questions: What exactly is autism spectrum disorder? How do I support myself through this diagnosis? How can I best support my loved one?
No matter what answers you’re searching for, there are plenty of wonderful books about autism to help you on your journey to understand autism and everything that comes along with it.
Books to learn more about autism
For those just beginning their research journey, it’s important to answer the foundational question: What is autism? Although our understanding of the autism spectrum is ever-evolving, plenty of books offer thoughtful answers for those seeking a well-rounded view of autism.
Neurotribes by Steve Silberman
Steve Silberman, a reporter for Wired, explores the complex and oftentimes forgotten history of autism in his book Neurotribes. Silberman explores the earliest pioneers of autism research, challenges the narrative behind recent increases in autism diagnoses and examines case studies of autistic figures in history. Though research-focused and sometimes clinical, Neurotribes is an expansive and touching look at neurodiversity and how it enriches the human experience.
Uniquely Human by Barry M. Prizant
Uniquely Human is the winner of the Autism Society of America’s Dr. Temple Grandin Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Autism. This book seeks to provide knowledge about autism as a state of being. Dr. Prizant frames autism as a range of strategies to help individuals cope with an overwhelming world rather than a pathologized list of symptoms as he champions diversity and expanded advocacy in the autism community.
Dr. Prizant aims to console parents and loved ones of autistic individuals, ensuring them that autistic people are not broken or less than––they’re simply unique humans. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand autism as a way of being instead of a condition.
What I Want to Talk About: How Special Interests Shape a Life by Pete Wharmby
Described by the author as “a love letter to the phenomenon of autistic hyperfixation,” Wharmby uses this memoir-style book to highlight autistic special interests and their role in shaping the lives of autistic individuals. Wharmby not only explains the challenges and shared experiences many autistic adults face, but he also celebrates the life-affirming nature of neurodivergent special interests. Because it’s equally educational and inspiring, autistic author Sara Gibbs has called What I Want to Talk About “essential reading for everyone who may encounter an autistic person (so everyone).”
The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin
The winner of Goodreads’ favorite nonfiction award for 2013, The Autistic Brain combines personal stories of autistic with cutting-edge new research linking brain science and behavior. Grandin, an autistic woman and advocate, interviews the leading scientists and autism advocates who are working tirelessly to understand the nature of autism.
She offers her own brain scans in an attempt to show which abnormalities may cause certain autistic traits and explores the clinical outcomes of treating autism symptom-by-symptom instead of as a singular condition. Scientifically-minded readers interested in autism research may especially enjoy this book.
In a Different Key by John Donovan and Caren Zucker
Beginning with the story of Donald Triplett, the first child diagnosed with autism, In a Different Key explains autism through the eyes of scientists and advocates who are, at times, at odds with one another.
From Hans Asperger’s troubling history with the Nazi Party to the debunked vaccine injury theory, Donovan and Zuker explore the notorious controversies surrounding autism spectrum disorder. They also highlight the efforts of the advocates who are working tirelessly to challenge outdated opinions on autism and what it means for neurodiverse individuals.
The Washington Post says, “...This book has done what no other on autism has done,” and the Chicago Tribune called it “a fascinating and comprehensive history…”, making it a wonderful choice for anyone seeking to understand autism spectrum disorder and its complicated history.
Books about autism support and advocacy
Many autistic people seek validation of their experiences and answers about what to do next after receiving a diagnosis or while exploring their neurodivergence. The following recommendations are books that offer validation and answers in an accessible and affirming way.
Unmasking Autism by Devon Price
Unmasking Autism was the first book I read post-diagnosis. I read it during the two days following my official diagnosis and then again nine months later. My copy sits on my nightstand, heavily annotated and endlessly comforting. Unmasking Autism offers a comprehensive and humanized look at masking, or “hiding” autistic traits––a coping mechanism that many autistic individuals develop to survive in a neurotypical world. Price combines personal anecdotes about neurodivergence with profiles of other high-masking autistic individuals. There is also social science research to explain masking and how detrimental it can be to autistic individuals.
Activities and worksheets are also included throughout the book to help readers reflect on their masking behaviors and their impacts on well-being. Price then highlights the needs and strengths of the autistic community, encouraging autistic individuals to consider unmasking and embracing the unique elements of their neurodivergent selves.
A Field Guide To Earthlings by Ian Ford, Illustrated by Stephanie Hamilton
For autistic individuals, human behavior can be confusing. Body language, tone of voice and unspoken social rules can lead to miscommunication between autistic and neurotypical individuals. This miscommunication can leave all parties feeling frustrated or misunderstood.
While so many books focus on translating autistic behavior for neurotypical people, A Field Guide to Earthlings seeks to demystify neurotypical behaviors for those on the autism spectrum. This book analyzes neurotypical behavior and motivators, explaining it through an autistic lens. It’s a great read for any autistic individual looking to better understand how the neurotypical world works.
Different, Not Less by Chloe Hayden
Chloe Hayden is an actor and advocate in her mid-twenties. Different, Not Less is a memoir about her journey from a child who felt like she’d crash-landed on the wrong planet to an adult who happily embraces her neurodivergent identity. Called “fierce, unapologetic and joyous” by disability rights advocate and Australian senator Jordan Steele-John, Hayden’s book discusses how autism manifests in women and can serve as a practical guide for neurodivergent readers, offering advice on how to navigate life as an autistic human.
Books on autism parenting and family life
Parents of autistic children are often given an overwhelming amount of advice ranging from well-meaning to nonsensical to downright harmful. It can be difficult to weed through all of the information and find advice that’s actually helpful––even more so when the autistic child in question is all grown up. Luckily, there are books written to address this underserved audience: parents of autistic adults.
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: An Anthology written and edited by autistic individuals
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child is the antithesis of most of the books available about parenting autistic children and adults. While most books on the topic are clinical and cold, written by neurotypical researchers, this anthology is a collection of stories and advice from autistic adults to neurotypical parents.
The collection offers insight to anyone who loves someone who is autistic or suspects they may be. Focusing on what life is like growing up neurodivergent and mistakes they’d like the new generation of parents to avoid, this book has been called “absolutely required reading for parents, educators and caregivers who interact with anyone on the autism spectrum.”
Connecting With The Autism Spectrum: How To Talk, How To Listen, And Why You Shouldn’t Call It High-Functioning by Casey Vormer
Casey Vormer is an autism advocate whose book serves as “the complete guide to connecting with adults on the autism spectrum.” Opening with an introduction to autism before delving into strategies for supporting and building connections with autistic adults, Connecting with the Autism Spectrum is essential reading for parents looking to understand and bond with their grown-up autistic offspring.
Further, Vormer explains how to spot biases when people discuss autism and why it’s important to avoid invalidating terms like “high-functioning” and “low-functioning,” making it a great starting point for parents who want to become better advocates.
The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Building Independence by Jennifer Brunton and Jenna Gensic
On the surface, this book appears best suited for autistic adults seeking a higher level of independence, but it’s also a great read for their parents and loved ones. Brunton and Gensic provide a practical guide for transitioning from adolescence to adulthood and navigating the unique challenges autism presents during this big transition. This guidebook offers insight not only for autistic individuals navigating early adulthood but also for their parents.
Books about therapy and interventions
Therapy is an important tool for autistic adults, offering a place to process the trauma associated with living in a neurotypical world and develop valuable coping skills. However, finding the right type of therapy is tricky, as is learning how to practice self-care. The following books offer advice for both autistic therapy clients and their providers.
The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy by Steph Jones
In this book, autistic therapist Steph Jones paints a realistic look at the state of therapy for autistic adults. With research suggesting that therapists lack the appropriate education and training to treat autistic adults effectively, autistic adults must be able to spot “red flags” and advocate for themselves during treatment. Jones’s book provides a framework for how to do that.
The book combines research, interviews with other therapists and her own lived experience on both sides of treatment. Jones also helps readers devise a plan for how to receive the most effective and affirming mental health counseling.
Self-Care for Autistic People by Megan Anna Neff
For those who enjoy activities and practical suggestions, Self-Care for Autistic People is the perfect resource. Unwinding as an autistic person can be tricky due to things like masking or the stigmas attached to autism, and it can be hard to prioritize self-care. Neff’s book encourages autistic folks to carve out time for restorative relaxation and offers over 100 suggestions for exactly how to do that. Her suggestions focus on celebrating the positive aspects of neurodiversity while also addressing the more challenging aspects.
Is This Autism? A Guide for Clinicians and Everyone Else by Donna Henderson, Sarah Wayland, and Jamell White
Even with expanded diagnostic criteria and a deeper understanding of autism, many folks are still misdiagnosed or undiagnosed until later in life. Written for clinicians, this book aims to discuss the many ways autism presents itself. Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes, wrote an editorial review that reads, “Sensitively written, meticulously observed, and profoundly compassionate, this book will transform your understanding of autism, whether you’re a clinician, a family member, or an autistic person yourself.”
How Prosper Health can help
For decades, people have been writing about autism––what it is, how it manifests and how it’s both challenging and incredible. Books are a wonderful starting point or supplement for those searching for information and support.
However, many autistic adults need extra support during their lives, and Prosper Health is here to help. We offer fully virtual adult autism assessments and neurodiversity-affirming therapy covered by insurance. Our clinicians are experts in adult autism, and many are neurodivergent themselves. They use evidence-based practices in each session while tailoring their approach to their client's unique and individual needs. If you’d like a little extra support as you navigate the world of neurodivergence, contact us today.
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This is why identity-first language—as in saying “autistic person” rather than “person with autism”—is important to the autistic community. Many autistic people prefer identity-first language because it acknowledges that being autistic is a core part of who they are.
Unraveling the Mystery of Misdiagnosed Autism
Have you ever heard the phrase, “If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras”? This metaphor, dating back to Dr. Theodore Woodword in the 1940s, reminds doctors what to prioritize when evaluating a patient’s symptoms. It tells doctors to focus on the most likely diagnosis (the “horse”) for the presenting symptoms before considering what’s less likely (the “zebra”), even if the unlikely zebra seems to fit.
Being autistic can feel like being a zebra in a world of horses—which is no wonder since autistic people make up only about 2% of the U.S. population. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication differences and a preference for sameness and repetition. It’s a specific constellation of traits, the presentation of which varies greatly from person to person.
Misconceptions around the autism spectrum and common biases mean that many autistic individuals go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. By some estimates, approximately 1 in 4 autistic individuals (and 1 in 3 autistic women) have received a misdiagnosis of a psychiatric condition before being diagnosed with autism. Autism is not a mental health diagnosis, but it can have some things in common with mental health diagnoses, and some clinicians who don’t specialize in autism might not be able to tell the difference.
The misdiagnosis of autism matters to healthcare providers, educators, and, most of all, autistic individuals and their families. Keep reading to learn about the consequences of misdiagnosis and why autism might be misdiagnosed.
Unlocking Support: The Importance of an Adult Autism Diagnosis
When I was growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, autism spectrum disorder was heavily stigmatized and misunderstood. Since I did exceptionally well in school, no one in my family even considered I might be autistic. Throughout my life, I struggled a lot with focus, sensory sensitivities and interacting with other people. When I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) in 2019, I learned how common it is to have ASD or ADHD with EDS. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021, but it still felt like I was missing a piece of the picture.
Until recently, most adults were not diagnosed with autism in their youth. There are likely several reasons for this, including a variety of issues within the diagnostic process. People of color, nonbinary people, transgender individuals and women have been historically underdiagnosed. This is due to discrimination, stigma or misconceptions. The diagnostic process started to improve in the early 2000s, with new diagnostic criteria that more accurately represents how autism shows up in the world.
For those of us who weren’t diagnosed earlier in life, though, getting an accurate diagnosis can be hard. Some of us have learned how to mask or camouflage so efficiently that we blend into a neurotypical world really well, making it difficult to find a provider who will take our request for an autism assessment seriously.
This is one of the many reasons why working with a neurodivergent-affirming clinician is critical when seeking a formal diagnosis. Regardless of the outcome, the diagnostic assessment process can play a helpful role in better understanding yourself.
