16 Must Read Books for Parents of Autistic Children

Being a parent of a child with special needs can come with challenges, but it can also be full of so many wonders!

Whether you are trying to learn more about your Autistic child, want to help others learn more about them, or want to help your child better understand themselves, these books are for you and all the other people in your child’s life.

While these books all have different key topics, like social skills, sensory processing disorder, behavior analysis, the importance of support systems, and more, each of them focus on the story of autism as a whole.

Read on for a list of books that you might want to dive into. Make sure you read through the entire list so you don’t miss out on each of these valuable resources!

For Parents:

#1: The book you need if you don’t know where to start

Feeling overwhelmed by a new diagnosis? Don’t know where to start? Well, you’re in luck!

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network created a parent’s guide to better understand your child, as well as learn more about autism in general. 

Grab your copy of “Start Here: a guide for parents of autistic kids” by Autistic Self Advocacy Network and get those unknowns and questions answered! 

#2: The book to better understand Autism

“Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity” by Steve Silberman will help reshape your understanding of neurodiversity, including the history, meaning, function, and implications of it in our world.

Silberman explores the history of Autism and other neurological differences, and explains that they are not “errors” of nature but the result of natural variations in human DNA.

#3: The book for parents who are seeking hope and comfort 

Written by a mother of an autistic son, Kate Swenson, “Forever Boy: A Mother’s Memoir of Autism and Finding Joy” is the book parents of children with autism need to read if they are struggling with the news of a diagnosis. 

Swenson shares valuable insights into how she found joy again, especially in a world that is not created for autistic people.

#4: The survival guide for a balanced and happy life for parents of autistic children

Susan Senator’s book, The Autism Mom’s Survival Guide (for Dads, too!): Creating a Balanced and Happy Life While Raising a Child with Autism, includes practical strategies, personal experiences, and unique perspectives that will help you better understand and accept your child, care for your marriage, handle feelings of despair and hopelessness, and finding fun for the whole family. 

With its practical tips and great ideas, this complete guide will help you to find happiness and fulfillment even with the struggles and challenges you may face while raising your autistic child. 

#5: The book you need to better parent your child with autism

Parenting a child with autism comes with unique challenges, especially with your child’s unique needs.

If you are looking for a book to read by someone who has similar experiences as you, and can also help you grow as a parent, this mother’s story of the world of autism is the one for you. 

“Your Child is Not Broken: Parent Your Neurodivergent Child Without Losing Your Marbles” by Heidi Mavir is a mix of personal stories that help to offer validation, reassurance, wisdom and comfort for parents. When you read this book, it feels like you’re talking with her in real life and will help you to feel a sense of normalcy!

#6: The book you need if you are seeking a greater understanding of your child

Often times, there is a fixation on stopping certain behaviors that an autistic person may have. 

But, in his book, Uniquely Human: Updated and Expanded: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, Barry M. Prizant focuses on enhancing abilities, building on strengths, and offering supports that will lead to more desirable behaviors and a better quality of life rather than curb these behaviors altogether.

Understanding your child, including their strengths, abilities, interests, and specific needs, will give you valuable information to better support your child in their daily life.

#7: The book to help you discover what your child may not be able to communicate with you

“Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew: Revised and Updated” by Ellen Notbohm was written for parents, teachers, social workers, therapists, and healthcare professionals who interact with young people on the autism spectrum.

Written by one of the most well known professional writers, this book focuses on how 10 core characteristics of autism affect those on the spectrum in both a positive and challenging way. 

To share with students, teachers, and other family members:

#8: The book to share with classmates and friends

If your child is in school and you want to help their classmates better understand them, this is the book for you!

“My Friend Has Autism but He Is No Different From Me” by Dondee Gujilde is about a boy with autism and is perfect for young children to learn more about autistic individuals, especially those they interact with every day.

#9: The book for teachers to share with their students

“Uniquely Wired: A Story About Autism and Its Gifts” by Julia Cook is a great book for teachers to read to students at the beginning of the school year. 

This story paints a picture of what people with autism face, as well as how they can add so much to the lives of those around them. 

“Uniquely Wired: A Story About Autism and Its Gifts” is a unique way to show that people with autism offer so much that others can learn from, including patience, curiosity, independence and fairness.   

#10: The book about a famous person with autism 

“The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin” by Julia Finley Mosca. 

Dr. Temple Grandin is a successful scientist with autism who no one ever expected to even talk. She is now a professor at Colorado State University where she teaches Animal Science.

She is a true example that those with an autistic mind can still lead a successful and professional life!

Written by those with Autism Spectrum Disorder

#11: The book to read with older children and teens

In “But You Don’t Look Autistic At All“, author Bianca Toeps explains what life is like when you’re autistic. 

Toeps tells her own story of living with autism from her unique perspective, as well as takes a look at what science says about it, from the latest research on the autistic brain to theories that should be “cancelled”.

#12: The handbook for all aspects of autism

In “Autism and Education: The Way I See It: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know (The Way I See It, 1)” Dr. Templin Grandin shares practical strategies, the dos and don’ts, and tips that parents and teachers can try right now to better support those with autism.

Grandin’s book focuses on what she has found to work in the education field including the importance of early intervention, focusing on strengths, developing talents and so much more!

#13: The book to help you change your mindset so you can better help your child with autism

Another great book written by Dr. Templin Grandin and co-author Debra Moore, “Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets For Helping Kids on the Spectrum” is nothing short of a step-by-step guide to help empower those that work with children and teens diagnosed with autism. 

The practical advice, detailed suggestions, practical solutions and checklists that are presented in this book will help anyone who works with children and teens on the spectrum create strength-based mindsets to more successfully work with and support them.

#14: The book to better understand what your child with autism wishes you knew

“Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity“, by Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, is the book every parent needs to better understand what their child wishes they knew but may not be able to express to them on their own.

With a wide range of topics, and insights from those with autism themselves, this book is a great resource for parents, and other caregivers, of those with autism who want to avoid common mistakes and overcome challenges, as well as better support their child while raising them.

#15: The book to better connect with your child, or someone you know, on the spectrum

“Connecting With The Autism Spectrum: How To Talk, How To Listen, And Why You Shouldn’t Call It High-Functioning” by Casey “Remrov” Vormer is a comprehensive guide to connecting to those, specifically adults, on the autism spectrum.

This book discusses how social communication and everyday activities can be challenging for those with autism, and how a emotional support, and an overall supportive environment, plays a crucial role for all people on the spectrum, no matter if they are a(n) child, young adult, or adult themselves.

#16: The book written from a perspective of an autistic teenager

Named one of the best books of the year, “The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism” by Naoki Higashida in unlike any other book you’ve read.

This groundbreaking book demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, perceives, responds, and feels in a vivid and eye-opening way that few of us can truly imagine.

Whether you want to grow as a parent of a child with autism, or you want to help others that interact with your child learn more about who they are and how they can best support them, there is sure to be a book on this list to meet your needs!

Remember that you are not alone, and that there are online communities and support groups that you can become a part of so that you can continue to grow and better understand your child and their diagnosis.