5 Books On Autism

As a Hindu proverb says “ an open book is a talking brain; closed, a friend who waits; forgotten, a forgiving soul; destroyed, a heart that cries ”. And it is that literature is a very powerful tool to transmit messages, values ​​and experiences, but also to educate and shake the inner world of many. Thanks to books, we get closer to realities that, perhaps, otherwise, we would never have been able to know. For all this, today we bring you 5 books about autism.

Mental health and literature can perfectly combine as we will see through this brief literary tour that will allow us to know a little better about this disorder. Autism (autism spectrum disorder, ASD) includes a variety of disorders in which the central characteristics are two: persistent deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities.

We find ASDs within the DSM-5 ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ), and this category includes autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. Without further ado, we leave you 5 books on autism of various genres and for different ages (comic, novel, manuals …) that can help us understand the reality of these people from within.

Books on autism

Thus, we have selected 5 books on autism to get you a little closer to this disorder. We include a brief summary of each of them. Take note!

The curious incident of the dog at midnight (Mark Haddon)

Ideal book for teenagers and adults. It is a novel whose protagonist, Christopher, is a boy with Asperger’s. It is written in the first person and through its pages the protagonist explains what his life is like, his family and his way of thinking.

We are discovering all this as the story is told, immersed in the resolution of a mystery case, which adopts a Sherlock Holmes style. The work is a winner of the Whitbread Prize and the Commonwelath Prize for Best First Book.

Maria and I (Miguel Gallardo)

In this case, it is a comic, which received the National Prize for Comics of Catalonia. Through her images, we learn the story of Maria, a girl with autism,  and her father, the author of the work.

A comic that reveals the importance of using clear and synthetic images to communicate with people with ASD, people who benefit greatly from visual stimuli. If you want to know more about this endearing comic, you can watch a documentary about it, broadcast by rtve, here.

The Autistic Brain (Temple Grandin)

Another of the books on autism that will steal your heart is this one by Temple Grandin, narrated in the first person. In fact, the author was one of the first people with autism to explain her story through a book. Grandin is a professor of animal behavior at Colorado State University.

The work reflects the union between a more personal vision of the author and the most relevant scientific findings on autism, found so far. A great book to delve into autism from a neurological point of view. In addition, you also have the movie Temple Grandin (2010), where you can learn more about the history of this woman.

The man who collected coins with his mouth (J. Francisco Guerrero and Ana P. Zaragoza)

The authors of this book are professors and doctors in Pedagogy. Through their words, they tell us what autism is from two practical perspectives ; thus, the book is divided into two parts.

• In the first, the authors expose different cases of people with autism, both real and fictitious. In this part, we also find authors who have studied it in depth, such as Lorna Wing or Dr. Hans Asperger.
• The second part recounts the real experience of a teacher who decided to include a child with autism in her class, where we can learn about his progress and achievements, thanks to the help of his classmates.

A Different Mind: Understanding Children With Autism and Asperger Syndrome (Peter Szatmari)

Another outstanding book on autism is this one by Peter Szatmari, which takes us into the world of ASD and high-functioning ASD (Asperger). According to the author, a Canadian autism researcher, to understand how children with ASD think and feel, we must first understand why they do not like to be touched or why they do not show interest in emotions, for example.

The book is actually a kind of manual that solves all kinds of questions about ASD; In this sense, it can be of great help, both for families and for teachers or professionals in the sector. In addition, we find in it real cases investigated by Szatmari.

There are countless books on autism and on many other topics related to specific disorders and mental health in general. Here we have selected a few, but in libraries, bookstores and the internet you will find many more.

Books are a very valuable source of information; Through literature, a very personal climate is created between author and reader. And, reading is much more than a pleasure!