{"id":10697,"date":"2025-10-22T01:44:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T01:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/books-we-read\/?p=10697"},"modified":"2025-10-22T10:31:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T10:31:32","slug":"disability-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/books-we-read\/disability-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Disability Awareness: Autism Spectrum Disorder\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who gets to decide what is good representation and what\u00a0isn\u2019t? This Disability Awareness Month, I was thinking about this question as I started to compile a list of books about\u00a0Autism Spectrum Disorder.\u00a0<\/span>Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0a condition characterized by difficulty with communication, repetitive behaviors, restricted interests, sensory challenges, and a variety of other symptoms. People with ASD may have a vast range of support needs\u00a0\u2013\u00a0some\u00a0might\u00a0not\u00a0need\u00a0any\u00a0assistance\u00a0with day-to-day\u00a0activities,\u00a0and some\u00a0may\u00a0require\u00a0constant support.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While I don\u2019t have ASD, a few of my close friends have it, which has made me curious about the experience. As with any other disability identity, autistic people are not a monolith; therefore, \u201cgood\u201d representation can look like many different things in literature. When I asked one of my friends if she had any book recommendations for this list, she said, \u201cYou can just borrow my diary.\u201d I laughed, but that also told me that once again, each experience is unique and cannot necessarily be reflected perfectly in the media. <\/span>
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To compile this\u00a0list,\u00a0I cross-checked all my selections with\u00a0<\/span>The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as well as community reviews on\u00a0<\/span>Goodreads<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to ensure that there was consensus about the representation within these books. The Autism Books by Autistic Authors Project is run by an autistic person with crowdsourcing\u00a0help.\u00a0The group\u00a0conducts\u00a0research to ensure that all the materials included on the website have an autistic person involved in either the writing or the editing of the book. It is essential to allow marginalized communities to tell their own stories, and projects like these ensure that autistic people can control the narrative.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fiction<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Act Your Age, Eve Brown<\/em><\/span><\/a>, by Talia Hibbert<\/span>
\n<\/span>Romance. Eve Brown is a 26-year-old underachiever who gets cut off by her parents until she can hold down a job and prove that she can handle responsibility. She tries to get a job at a B&B run by Jacob, who she\u00a0proceeds\u00a0to (accidentally) run over in the parking lot. Eve and Jacob are both on the spectrum, and their ensuing relationship is extremely hilarious and sweet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An Unkindness of Ghosts,<\/em><\/span><\/a> by Rivers Solomon<\/span>Science
\nFiction. Main character Aster Gray is a healer on the lower decks of a\u00a0spaceship\u00a0which is stratified by race. The characters endure violence and injustice from the upper decks. Aster gradually challenges the unfairness of the ship and teams up with other characters to do so.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Kiss Quotient<\/em><\/span><\/a>, <\/em>by Helen Huang<\/span>
\n<\/span>Romance. 30-year-old Stella Lane has Asperger\u2019s and decides that she wants to practice dating, hiring an escort, Michael Phan, to do so. Gradually she realizes that she is starting to have feelings for Michael, and that they may indeed be reciprocated.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Spirit Bears its Teeth,<\/em><\/span><\/a>\u00a0by Andrew Joseph White<\/span>
\n<\/span>Young Adult Historical Fantasy. Autistic transgender boy Silas is a 16-year-old purple-eyed medium who can commune with spirits in 1883 England. He is sent to Braxton\u2019s Sanatorium and Finishing School due to running away from an arranged marriage with a man, and there begins to rebel against the injustices occurring at the\u00a0School.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interesting Facts about Space<\/em><\/span><\/a>, by Emily Austin<\/span>
\n<\/span>Contemporary Fiction. Enid is a lesbian in her twenties who is deaf in one ear. She works at the Canadian Space Station and is obsessed with space. She becomes increasingly paranoid throughout the\u00a0book and\u00a0eventually discovers the truth\u00a0regarding\u00a0a traumatic event in her past.\u00a0<\/span>
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Nonfiction<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Nine Minds: Inner Lives on the Spectrum<\/a><\/em>, by Daniel Tammet<\/span>
\n<\/span>Biography. Autistic savant and author Daniel\u00a0Tammet\u00a0interviews\u00a0nine different autistic people and writes a\u00a020-30 page\u00a0narrative from each of their perspectives, showing what it is like to be in each of their heads.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism<\/a><\/em>, by Kamran Nazeer<\/span>
\n<\/span>Memoir\/Biography. Kamran Nazeer interviews his former classmates from a small class of autistic youth in New York City.\u00a0The book examines the variety of autistic\u00a0experiences\u00a0and also\u00a0discusses treatments and continued struggles.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Secret Life of a Black Aspie: A Memoir<\/a><\/em>, by Anand Prahlad<\/span>
\n<\/span>Memoir. Poet Anand Prahlad describes a series of stories from his early life growing up Black in the 60s and 70s during the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Autistics in Academia: narratives of work, adversity, and achievement from around the world<\/a><\/em>,<\/em> by Sandra Thom-Jones<\/span>
\n<\/span>Nonfiction. First-hand narratives from autistic individuals working in research and academia. Includes suggestions for how academia can be more accommodating and contribute to the success of autistic folks in institutions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thinking in Pictures: and Other Reports from My Life with Autism,<\/em><\/span><\/a> by Temple Grandin
\n<\/span>Nonfiction\/Memoir. Animal scientist Temple Grandlin describes how her autism affects her and enhances her experience as an animal researcher.\u00a0<\/span>
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Related post from 2024<\/h4>\n