20 Neurospicy Nonsense Approved Autism Books for Kids
I have been an obsessive book reader since I taught myself to read at age 5. I thought I would harness that love of reading into a list of autism books for kids to share with you. While I don’t have kids quite yet and thus am a little while off from becoming an autism mom who blogs about parenting while neurospicy, I do have a lot of experience working with kids. Some of those kids have been autistic and benefited greatly from having books they could relate to.
While this blog may not currently be targeted at autism moms, I know many of my readers are neurodivergent parents raising neurodivergent kids. All of the items on this autism books for kids list were written by autistic people, parents with autistic children, or autism specialists, which I think is crucial for accurate portrayals of autism.
If you’re looking for helpful, authentic, and informative autism books for kids, read on for my list of autism childrens books.
Table of Contents
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Books About Autism for Children
For this initial list of autism books for kids I’m cultivating, I’m focusing on ages 3 to 9. I didn’t want to make the list too long and overwhelming, so I will make a separate post of autism books for tweens and teens soon. It’s a bit hard to generalize this age group, simply because autistic children find comfort in repetition, so some may love reading these books long past the age of 8. Other kids may get bored with simple picture books before the age of 7, but I tried to make this list as diverse as possible in terms of what types of books and content are included.
Ready Eddie Go! Dressing Up: Playing Pretend and Trying New Ideas
First up on our list of autism books for kids is Ready Eddie Go! Dressing Up: Playing Pretend and Trying New Ideas! Written by Nikki Saunders, this book is based on the Ready Eddie Go! TV show. This book is part of a series where each book focuses on an area that can be challenging for autistic children. More than just a story, Ready Eddie Go! includes supportive and gentle strategies to teach children coping strategies and how to identify strategies that can help them in their own lives. The book also includes prompts and interactive elements which are great for knowledge retention.
Bear, Bobbin and The Winter Festival
In Bear, Bobbin and The Winter Festival, we meet Bear and Bobbin. Bear is neurodiverse, and Bobbin is visually impaired. We also meet Pip, Bobbin’s support hare. Throughout the book, we learn ways that Bear and Bobbin support one another with their sensory needs during the busy (and overwhelming) Winter Festival. I love the focus on supportive friendship in this book, where Bear and Bobbin love and support one another despite their differences and sensory struggles.
My Mummy is Autistic: A Picture Book and Guide About Recognising and Understanding Difference
Next up on our list of autism books for kids is My Mummy is Autistic. My Mummy is Autistic is written from the imaginative viewpoint of Heath, who is five years old. Heath draws and writes about his autistic mother and his understanding of her, explaining the ways his mom’s brain works differently from his own. Each piece of Heath’s work is accompanied by explanatory notes that discuss his mom’s experiences with autism from her perspective. Heath’s work is accompanied by explanatory notes that explore Joanna’s own experience of autism and language. I love My Mummy is Autistic for all the positive ways it looks at autism, rather than seeing it only as a deficit.
The Secret Life of Rose
The Secret Life of Rose opens up the autistic experience in a way that feels accessible and refreshing. This childrens book about autism is written from both the adult perspective of Rose’s mom, Jodie, who is a professional working with autistic people, and from a peer-to-peer style written from Rose’s perspective. The Secret Life of Rosie includes topics not often seen in autism books for kids, such as shutdown and burnout, which truly makes it a great addition to your collection of autism books for kids.
Leo and the Octopus
Leo and the Octopus by Isabelle Marinov is another fantastic addition to your library. Leo is written in a way that is so relatable not only to autistic children reading it but to children with other types of neurodivergence as well. With lovable characters, a sense of humor, and beautiful illustrations, Leo and the Octopus is a great family read to spread understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity, which is why your neurospicy little one is sure to love it.
Being Autistic (And What That Actually Means)
Being Autistic (And What That Actually Means) is an amazing resource written by Niamh Garvey. If you have an autistic child, this book needs to be in your collection of autism books for kids. It’s a guide to help newly diagnosed children understand what it means to be autistic so they can understand themselves better. It is fully illustrated with graphics to illustrate various experiences of being autistic. This book belongs on your shelf of autism books for kids because it’s a great autism guide for kids that explains the differences between sensory avoiders and sensory seekers, why some things feel extra difficult or really easy, and even helps with navigating emotions.
I Am Bloc
I Am Bloc by Jaja Choktanasiri is about Bloc, a very lovable new kid at preschool. It is written from the autistic point of view, where Bloc is afraid of being different. With adorable illustrations, I Am Bloc puts a positive spin on being on the spectrum and feeling different from your peers. This book highlights Bloc’s unique traits to teach readers that different doesn’t mean bad. Neurospicy bonus: the text in I Am Bloc is in a dyslexia-friendly font, making it even more accessible!
The Abilities In Me: Autism
The Abilities In Me: Autism is a part of the Abilities series, which consists of 21 books about disabilities. The autism installment of this series follows a day in the life of two children with autism. It is full of colorful, bright text and illustrations, making it both a fun and an informative read. The Abilities In Me was written to help teach kids with autism to identify and celebrate their abilities within their disability, and that is a goal I can get behind!
When Things Get Too Loud: A Story About Sensory Overload
No list of autism books for kids is complete without books about sensory overload! When Things Get Too Loud is an award-winning autism book for kids. It’s about Bo, who teaches readers about how noises, smells, and sounds can get overwhelming and what happens when it’s too much for Bo. It’s a great book to help teach kids what sensory overload feels like, what can trigger it, and possible solutions to try. When Things Get Too Loud is a great visual guide for both parents and children to help them navigate the autism spectrum.
The Panda on PDA: A Children’s Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance
The Panda on PDA: A Children’s Introduction to Pathological Demand Avoidance is next on our list of autism books for kids. While not specifically about autism, many (if not most) people with autism have pathological demand avoidance, which is why The Panda on PDA is a useful book to have around. It gives a positive and gentle take to help explain PDA and how it impacts people.
My Awesome Autism: Helping Children Learn About Their Autism Diagnosis
My Awesome Autism is a great children’s book about autism that empowers autistic children by highlighting how special they are when they’re being themselves. This book is about Eddie and his many unique strengths and talents. It teaches you to be proud of who you are while explaining the autistic experience. It’s a great book to spread autism awareness and understanding, especially if you’re looking for a conversation opener with your child who’s been recently diagnosed. This book is part of the Eddie Series, which has a variety of neurodiversity books as well as autism books for kids.
A Day With No Words
A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond is written from the perspective of a nonverbal autistic boy. Brilliantly, it still conveys that nonverbal people are just as intelligent and have as many words as anyone else, even if they may not be able to say them out loud. It does a beautiful job of conveying this experience, and I think it’s a much-needed addition to your library of autism books. I also love that A Day With No Words is written from the perspective of an autistic child who is black, as black people with autism are wildly underrepresented in autism literature for all ages.
All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism
All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism is about a young zebra learning about why he’s different from his classmates. It teaches young readers to embrace their differences and who they are so they can appreciate their own unique stripes. All My Stripes also comes with additional background information to help inform conversations about autism and provides tips and resources to parents and caregivers, which is why it made our list of autism books for kids.
Masterpiece: An Inclusive Kids Book Celebrating a Child on the Autism Spectrum
Masterpiece is a story about Samuel, a boy who has autism. Samuel sees the world differently from his peers, which can cause him difficulties, but an art project shows how magnificent Samuel’s view of the world can be. Masterpiece is a great book that teaches kids about empathy, inclusion, and understanding while encouraging them to embrace their different talents and gifts. Masterpiece is part of The Incredible Kid Series, a beautiful, inclusive book series.
I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism
I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism was written by a psychotherapist who works in child development. This book made it on our list of autism books for kids because of the way it was written to spark conversations and encourage discussions about autism. I See Things Differently is great for autistic children who are struggling with feeling different from their peers. This can be a helpful addition to your autism books for kids collection that helps autistic kids understand their autism better so they can feel more comfortable and confident.
Not exclusively for children, parents of autistic children have also gifted this I See Things Differently to friends and family to help educate them following their child’s autism diagnosis, and have raved about what a useful tool this book was for promoting positive interactions.
Autism Activity Book for Kids
Having an activity book is crucial for a list of autism books for kids! Reading books about autism can be really helpful for kids to feel seen and better understand autism, but it’s also important to practice some of the skills they’re learning in said books. Cue the Autism Activity Book for Kids, complete with 50 activities to help autistic kids build confidence and improve their communication skills. This book can be used at home or by autism specialists who can use it with kids in their practice.
Some people recommended using positive motivators to make the activities a bit more interesting, while other kids were excited to do the activities without needing the extra encouragement. Regardless of how you need to motivate your child to do the activities in this book, they’re sure to benefit and gain new skills from this insightful autism activity book!
Amazing Me: A Kids Guide to Understanding Autism
Amazing Me: A Kids Guide to Understanding Autism follows Alex, an autistic child learning how to navigate the world with their unique challenges and skills. Amazing Me helps children understand what it means to have autism and how to celebrate their unique differences. It empowers autistic children while fostering acceptance, empathy, and friendship. Full of cute illustrations, Amazing Me gives even young autistic children takeaways and concise sentences that they can use to describe themselves and their autism.
My Brain is a Race Car: A Children’s Guide to a Neurodivergent Brain
My Brain is a Race Car: A Children’s Guide to a Neurodivergent Brain was written by a mom who was trying to find a way to help her ADHD child better understand her fast-moving brain. People with autism and ADHD have brains that feel like they’re moving at the speed of light sometimes. We have constantly racing thoughts that can be overwhelming to process and make sense of, which is why I think My Brain is a Racecar is such a brilliant and useful autism book for kids!
My Brain is a Racecar is written in simple language that’s easy for young children to understand. It not only teaches about the fast-paced neurodivergent brain, but also how burnout and exhaustion can happen if we don’t stop to take care of ourselves regularly. That’s a lesson far too many of us only learn as adults, and why it’s crucial for young children to start learning these concepts now!
All Feelings Are Okay
While All Feelings Are Okay isn’t a book explicitly about autism, it is a great tool for autistic children. All Feelings Are Okay teaches kids about different moods and emotions in a way that helps them better understand their own feelings. As many autistic children struggle to identify their emotions, this book can be incredibly helpful for teaching them how to recognize, accept, and process those emotions.
All Feelings Are Okay teaches kids how to both identify and accept the feelings they experience. The ability to identify feelings helps kids to be proactive in responding to their feelings rather than being reactive to them. As a result, they feel more in control of themselves and have better self-autonomy. That’s why All Feelings Are Okay definitely belongs in your collection of autism books for kids!
All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum
Last on our list of autism books for kids (for now!) is All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum. This book is great for mixing up your collection of autism children’s books. All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum takes a playful approach to teaching about autism using pictures of fun felines. It takes a humorous approach to bring life to common autism characteristics, communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, and social struggles. All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum covers both the joys and challenges of having autism while leaving the reader with a sense of individuality and dignity. Any excuse for funny cat pictures, am I right?
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