Autistic Voices

Essays, guides, memoirs, and autobiographies written by autists.

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Updated June 20, 2023
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What does it mean to be autistic? Can it be outgrown? How long has autism existed? Learn more about Autism here.

Non-Fiction and Fiction books written by Autistic BIPOC authors.
Unmasking Autism Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity
Price, Devon.
Ebook
A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society's narrow understanding of neurodiversity "A remarkable work that will stand at the...
Sincerely, Your Autistic Child What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity
Paige Ballou, Emily.
Paper Book
A diverse collection of autistic voices that highlights how parents can avoid common mistakes and misconceptions, and make their child feel truly accepted, valued, and celebrated for who they are. Most resources available for parents come from psychologists, educators, and...
Knowing why : adult-diagnosed autistic people on life and autism
Bartmess, Elizabeth
Paper Book
What happens when you make it to adulthood before finding out you're autistic? As A.J. Odasso writes in this anthology: "You spend a lot of time wondering what's wrong without ever knowing why." This anthology includes essays from a diverse group of adult...
Looking After your Autistic Self: A Personalized Self-Care Approach to Managing your Sensory and Emotional
Garvey, Niamh.
Paper Book
'I no longer try to mask my autism; I now work to support my autism' It is a myth that autistic children grow into 'less autistic' adults. In fact, many autistic adults feel more overwhelmed as they age as the stresses of social demands such as relationships, parenting, or the work...
The autism relationships handbook : how to thrive in friendships, dating, and love
Biel, Joe
Paper Book
Ever since he came out as autistic, people have been contacting Joe to share their stories and ask questions. The most common question by far: how do I find a romantic partner? Dr. Faith G. Harper, author of Unfuck Your Brain and Unfuck Your Intimacy joins autistic publisher and...
The future is disabled : prophecies, love notes, and mourning songs
Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi
Paper Book
In The Future Is Disabled, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha asks some provocative questions: What if the majority of people will be disabled in the near future - and what if that's not a bad thing? And what if disability justice and disabled wisdom become crucial if we're going to create a future...
Young, Autistic and ADHD: Moving Into Adulthood When You're Multiply-Neurodivergent
Boon, Sarah
Paper Book
Navigating life as a young autistic person with ADHD isn't always easy. Luckily, Sarah Boon is here to share her own experiences, helping you to explore how autism and ADHD overlap and identify the strategies that will make day-to-day life easier. With chapters focused on adulting,...
All the weight of our dreams : on living racialized autism
Brown, Lydia X. Z.
Paper Book
Delve into poetry, essays, short fiction, photography, paintings, and drawings in the first-ever anthology entirely by autistic people of color, featuring 61 writers and artists from seven countries. The work here represents the lives, politics, and artistic expressions of Black, Brown, Latinx,...
What works for autistic adults
Beardon, Luke
Paper Book
'This book has the power to change lives' Chris Packham Imagine a world where an autistic person is included, engaged and cherished for how they are; a world which changes for autistic people, rather than changing the person. What Works for Autistic...
What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic: Unpuzzling a Life on the Autism Spectrum
Kotowicz, Annie
Paper Book
What I Want to Talk About : How Autistic Special Interests Shape a Life
Wharmby, Pete.
Paper Book
'This book isn't a memoir. It is a love letter to the phenomenon of autistic hyperfixation.' In What I Want to Talk About popular autism advocate Pete Wharmby takes readers on a journey through his special interests, illuminating the challenges of autistic experience along the...
I will die on this hill : autistic adults, autism parents, and the children who deserve a better world
Ashburn, Meghan
Paper Book
There is a significant divide between autistic advocates and parents of autistic children. Parents may feel attacked for their lack of understanding, and autistic adults who offer insight and guidance are also met with hostility and rejection. Meghan Ashburn, a mother of two autistic...
Stim An Autistic Anthology
Huxley-Jones, Lizzie.
Paper Book
Loud hands : autistic people, speaking
Paper Book
Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking is a collection of essays written by and for Autistic people. Spanning from the dawn of the Neurodiversity movement to the blog posts of today, Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking catalogues the experiences and ethos of the Autistic community and preserves...
Autistic World Domination: How to Script Your Life
Stockman, Jolene.
Paper Book
The neurotypical world doesn't always work for autistic people who often feel they're on the same planet but live in a different world. Autistic World Domination is here to rewrite normal. By helping readers write their own blueprint for life, this book empowers autistic people to create...
We're Not Broken Changing the Autism Conversation
Garcia, Eric.
Paper Book
"This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It's also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another...
Different, not less : a neurodivergent's guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after
Hayden, Chloe
Paper Book
An empowering lived-experience guide to celebrating and supporting neurodivergence from 24-year-old actor, social media star and disability advocate Chloé Hayden.
Welcome to the Autistic Community
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Paper Book
This book is about what it means to be a part of the autistic community. Autistic people wrote this book. Some autistic people are just learning about their autism. We wanted to welcome them and give them a lot of important information all in one place. This book talks...
But you don't look autistic at all
Toeps, Bianca.
Paper Book
Spectrums : autistic transgender people in their own words
Sparrow, Maxfield
Paper Book
Written by autistic trans people from around the world, this vital and intimate collection of personal essays reveals the struggles and joys of living at the intersection of neurodivergence and gender diversity. Weaving memories, poems and first-person narratives together, these...
The reason I jump the inner voice of a thirteen-year-old boy with autism
Higashida, Naoki
Paper Book
"One of the most remarkable books I've ever read. It's truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid."--Jon Stewart, The Daily Show NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR * The Wall Street Journal * Bloomberg Business * Bookish
Drama queen
Gibbs, Sara
Paper Book
'It has taken me several years of exploration, but I am at a place now where I see autism as neither an affliction nor a superpower. It's just the blueprint for who I am. There is no cure, but that's absolutely fine by me. To cure me of my autism would be to cure me of myself.'
Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities
Walker, Nick
Paper Book
The work of queer autistic scholar Nick Walker has played a key role in the evolving discourse on human neurodiversity. Neuroqueer Heresies collects a decade's worth of Dr. Walker's most influential writings, along with new commentary by the author and new material on her radical...
Autism in Heels The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum
O'Toole, Jennifer Cook.
Paper Book
The face of autism is changing. And more often than we realize, that face is wearing lipstick. Autism in Heels, an intimate memoir, reveals the woman inside one of autism's most prominent figures, Jennifer O'Toole. At the age of thirty-five, Jennifer was diagnosed with...
Funny, You Don't Look Autistic A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum
McCreary, Michael.
Paper Book
Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn't "look" autistic. But, as he's quick to point out in this memoir, autism "looks" different for just about everyone with Autism Spectrum Disorder...
Ten Steps to Nanette A Memoir Situation
Gadsby, Hannah.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Multi-award-winning Hannah Gadsby broke comedy with their show Nanette. Now they take us through the defining moments in their life and their powerful decision to tell the truth--no matter the cost. Don't miss Hannah Gadsby's...
I Am Autistic: Sensory Tools, Practical Advice, and Interactive Journaling for Understanding Life With Autism by Someone Diagnosed With It
Moriah, Chanelle.
Paper Book
Navigate the world of autism with this friendly, full-color guide for those interested in learning more about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), getting an early diagnosis, and recognizing how being autistic can impact a person's life. In this first-ever creative guide, author and...
Our autistic lives : personal accounts from autistic adults aged 20-70+
Ratcliffe, Alex
This collection of narratives from autistic adults is structured around their decades of experience of life, covering 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60 and 70s+. These are varied and diverse, spanning different continents, genders, sexualities and ethnicities, yet the author highlights the common themes...
Same but different : teen life on the autism express
Peete, Holly Robinson
Paper Book
Talk show host Holly Robinson Peete pairs with her twins in this narrative about the challenges and triumphs of being a teen who has autism and the effects on family, school, friends, and life.Being a teen is hard enough. But when you have autism--or when your sibling is struggling with the...
Flap your hands : a celebration of stimming
Asbell, Steve
Paper Book
This fascinating, groundbreaking picture book by an autistic creator celebrates stims--the repetitive movements that provide focused stimulation to people on the autistic spectrum. When you're feeling overwhelmed And the world's too much to bear... If your feelings...
Older adults and autism spectrum conditions : an introduction and guide
Lawson, Wenn
Paper Book
The first book to look seriously at the practical issues facing older adults with autism spectrum conditions (ASC), Wenn Lawson's groundbreaking handbook offers support, advice, and sensible ways in which to look at the issues. Informed by current research, interviews with older...
Born on a blue day inside the extraordinary mind of an autistic savant : a memoir
Tammet, Daniel
Paper Book
Born on a Blue Day is a journey into one of the most fascinating minds alive today -- guided by its owner himself. Daniel Tammet sees numbers as shapes, colors, and textures, and he can perform extraordinary calculations in his head. He can learn to speak new languages fluently, from scratch, in a...
Being Julia - a Personal Account of Living with Pathological Demand Avoidance
Fidler, Ruth
Paper Book
Diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) at aged 12 and writing this memoir at age 37, Julia Daunt depicts the ins and out of PDA and its symptoms, while maintaining a positive outlook on what is possible to achieve. Co-written with professional specialist Ruth Fidler, it covers how PDA...
Disability and the church : a vision for diversity and inclusion
Hardwick, Lamar
Paper Book
IVP Readers' Choice Award Lamar Hardwick was thirty-six years old when he found out he was on the autism spectrum. While this revelation helped him understand and process his own experience, it also prompted a difficult re-evaluation of who he was as a person. And as a...
The Electricity of Every Living Thing A Woman's Walk In The Wild To Find Her Way Home
May, Katherine.
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of Wintering, Katherine May, The Electricity of Every Living Thing is a life-affirming and poignant exploration of nature, and how reconnecting to wild landscapes can create peace in our unquiet minds. 'A windswept tale, beautifully...
The autistic trans guide to life
Purkis, Yenn
Paper Book
'A must-read!' FINLAY GAMES This essential survival guide gives autistic trans and/or non-binary adults all the tools and strategies they need to live as their very best self. Blending personal accounts with evidence-based insights and up-to-date information, and...
Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism
Higashida, Naoki
Paper Book
From the author of the bestselling The Reason I Jump, an extraordinary self-portrait of a young adult with autism "Essential reading for parents and teachers of those with autism who remain nonverbal."--Temple Grandin Naoki Higashida was only thirteen...
From Hurt to Hope : Stories of Mental Health, Mental Illness and Being Autistic
Elliott, Mair.
Paper Book
Almost 80% of autistic people have a co-occurring mental health condition, and this powerful book puts their voices front and centre, showcasing the human experience beyond the medicalised language and diagnoses. This poignant essay collection shines a light on voices that often go unheard in our...
How to be autistic
Poe, Charlotte Amelia
Paper Book
Poe's voice is confident, moving and often funny, as they reveal to us a very personal account of autism, mental illness, gender and sexual identity. Charlotte witnesses their own behaviour with a wry humour as they sympathises with those who care for them, yet all the while challenging the...
How to Be Human An Autistic Man's Guide to Life
Fleming, Jory.
Paper Book
An unforgettable, unconventional narrative that examines the many ways to be fully human, told by the first young adult with autism to attend Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. As a child, Jory Fleming was wracked by uncontrollable tantrums, had no tolerance for...
I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder A Memoir
Kurchak, Sarah.
Paper Book
Sarah Kurchak is autistic. She hasn't let that get in the way of pursuing her dream to become a writer, or to find love, but she has let it get in the way of being in the same room with someone chewing food loudly, and of cleaning her bathroom sink. In I Overcame My Autism and All I Got...
Ido in Autismland. Climbing Out of Autism's Silent Prison
Kedar, Ido.
Paper Book
Ido in Autismland opens a window into non-verbal autism through dozens of short, autobiographical essays each offering new insights into autism symptoms, effective and ineffective treatments and the inner emotional life of a severely autistic boy. In his pithy essays, author Ido Kedar, a...
Sensory : life on the spectrum : an autistic comics anthology
Ollerton, Bex
Paper Book
A colourful and eclectic comics anthology exploring a wide range of autistic experiences - from diagnosis journeys to finding community - from contributors with autism. From artist and curator Bex Ollerton comes an anthology featuring comics from thirty autistic...
Fearlessly Different An Autistic Actor's Journey to Broadway's Biggest Stage
Rowe, Mickey.
Paper Book
"... powerfully renders what it's like to live life to the fullest." Publishers Weekly Starred Review My name is Mickey Rowe. I am an actor, a theatre director, a father, and a husband. I am also a man with autism. You think those things don't go together? Let...
Our House Is on Fire Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis
Thunberg, Greta.
Paper Book
"A must-read ecological message of hope . . . Everyone with an interest in the future of this planet should read this book." --David Mitchell, The Guardian When climate activist Greta Thunberg was eleven, her parents Malena and Svante, and her little sister Beata...
It's Not a Perfect World, but I'll Take It: 50 Life Lessons for Teens Like Me Who Are Kind of (You Know) Autistic
Rose, Jennifer
Paper Book
Jennifer Rose is autistic. She's also a college student who loves reading, writes fan fiction, and wants to be on TV someday. She sees the world a little differently than most people around her. She's had trouble coping with school, has struggled with bullies and mean girls, but she has also...
The Journal of Best Practices A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband
Finch, David.
Paper Book
At some point in nearly every marriage, a wife finds herself asking, What the @#!% is wrong with my husband?! In David Finch's case, this turns out to be an apt question. Five years after he married Kristen, the love of his life, they learn that he has Asperger syndrome. The diagnosis explains David...
Late Bloomer : How an Autism Diagnosis Changed My Life
Bastow, Clem.
Paper Book
Introducing a bold new voice in Australian nonfiction, Late Bloomer is a heartfelt coming-of-age memoir that will change the way you think about autism.   Clem Bastow grew up feeling like she'd missed a key memo on human behaviour. She found the...
Women and girls with autism spectrum disorder : understanding life experiences from early childhood to old age
Hendrickx, Sarah
Paper Book
The difference that being female makes to the diagnosis, life and experiences of a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has largely gone unresearched and unreported until recently. In this book Sarah Hendrickx has collected both academic research and personal stories about girls and...
Look Me in the Eye My Life with Asperger's
Robison, John Elder.
Paper Book
Look Me in the Eye is the moving, darkly funny story of growing up with Aspergers at a time when the diagnosis simply didnt exist. A born storyteller, Robison takes readers inside the head of a boy who teachers and other adults regarded as defective. Its a strange, sly, indelible account; sometimes...
Misfit: Autistic. Gay. Immigrant. Changemaker
Souvaliotis, Andreas
Updated and expanded: A new edition of the inspiring memoir by one of Canada's most unusual, successful and socially conscious businesspeople. "I am different. I have always been different. I grew up scared of being found out, scared of my natural inability to fit in, to...
My Autistic Awakening: Unlocking the Potential for a Life Well Lived
Harris, Rachael Lee
Paper Book
Rachael Lee Harris spent her early childhood locked in an autistic fog until beginning her journey from a fragmented world to one in which things began to make sense. Rachael's determination to take her place in society led her down many paths, from beauty therapist to Catholic nun, from mother and...
Nobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography of an Autistic Girl
Williams, Donna
Paper Book
   Labeled deaf, retarded, disturbed and insane, Donna Williams lived in a world of her own.  Alternating between rigid hostility and extroversion, she waged what she termed her "war against the world."  She existed in a dreamlike state, parroting the voices of those around her in the hope that they...
Odd Girl Out My Extraordinary Autistic Life
James, Laura.
Paper Book
A sensory portrait of an autistic mind From childhood, Laura James knew she was different. She struggled to cope in a world that often made no sense to her, as though her brain had its own operating system. It wasn't until she reached her forties that she found out why: Suddenly...
On the Spectrum Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity
Bowman, Daniel Jr.
Paper Book
Nearly everyone knows someone on the autism spectrum, whether it's a niece or nephew, a student in their classroom, a coworker, or a sibling, spouse, or child. One in 54 children has autism, according to the CDC, and autism is reported across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Yet most of...
Wintering The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
May, Katherine.
Paper Book
THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - AS HEARD ON NPR MORNING EDITION AND ON BEING WITH KRISTA TIPPETT "Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name." --Krista Tippett, On Being "Every bit...
PDA by PDAers : from anxiety to avoidance and masking to meltdowns
Cat, Sally
Paper Book
"To think of PDA as merely involving demand avoidance is to me akin to thinking of tigers as merely having stripes." This book is a unique window into adult Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), exploring the diversity of distinct PDA traits through the voices of over 70 people living...
The PDA paradox : the highs and lows of my life on a little-known part of the autism spectrum
Thompson, Harry
Paper Book
Diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in his teenage years, Harry Thompson looks back with wit and humour at the ups and downs of family and romantic relationships, school, work and mental health, as well as his teenage struggle with drugs and alcohol. By embracing...
Switched On A Memoir of Brain Change and Emotional Awakening
Robison, John Elder.
Paper Book
An extraordinary memoir about the cutting-edge brain therapy that dramatically changed the life and mind of John Elder Robison, the New York Times bestselling author of Look Me in the Eye NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST<...
Raising Cubby a father and son's adventures with Asperger's, trains, tractors, and high explosives
Robison, John Elder.
Paper Book
The slyly funny, sweetly moving memoir of an unconventional dad's relationship with his equally offbeat son--complete with fast cars, tall tales, homemade explosives, and a whole lot of fun and trouble Misfit, truant, delinquent. John Robison was never a model child, and he wasn't a model dad...
Thinking in Pictures My Life with Autism
Grandin, Temple.
Paper Book
The captivating subject of Oliver Sack'sAnthropologist on Mars, here is Temple Grandin's personal account of living with autism extraordinary gift of animal empathy has transformed her world and ours. Temple Grandin is renowned throughout the world as a designer of livestock holding equipment. ...
The awesome autistic go-to guide : a practical handbook for autistic teens and tweens
Purkis, Yenn
Paper Book
This book explores what it feels like to be a young person on the autism spectrum and looks at all the brilliant things people on the autism spectrum can do. This book celebrates the strengths of understanding the world in a different way. It looks at all the reasons being you and...
But everyone feels this way : how an autism diagnosis saved my life
Layle, Paige
Paper Book
Autism acceptance activist and TikTok influencer Paige Layle shares her deeply personal journey to diagnosis and living life autistically.  "For far too long, I was told I was just like everyone else. But knew it couldn't be true. Living just seemed so much...
Just the Job! : A Light-Hearted Guide to Office Life for the Autistic Employee
Stringer, Tim.
Paper Book
Smart casual? Close of play? Endless water-cooler discussions about the weather? Non-autistic adults can behave in baffling ways - and never more so in the maze of unwritten social rules, jargon and ritual that is your average day at the office. Luckily, Maura and Debby (office code cracker...
A day with no words
Hammond, Tiffany
Paper Book
An instant #1 New York Times bestselling picture book and Dolly Gray Award winner! A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of an Autism Family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language. The American Library Association Booklist...

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