Autism Speaks Official Blog

Recently, we asked our Facebook community, “What books about autism do you think are most helpful for newly diagnosed families?” We received nearly 300 responses. Below are some that we chose to pass along to you.

• Sherri suggested “the new one by Tony Atwood (The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome). My son is newly diagnosed at 20. My husband and family have found it very helpful.”
• Geri said “The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder is very informative … I would highly recommend it.”
• Laurel’s favorites are “Thinking In Pictures by Temple Grandin, Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet and, my current top pick, Toilet Training for Individuals With Autism or Other Developmental Issues by Maria Wheeler, M.ED.”
• Martha thinks “a good one for young kids who have Asperger’s Syndrome is All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann.”
• Patty really likes the book There’s a Boy in Here by Judy Barron and Sean Barron. “It really helped me to understand my son. Sean Barron is actually the child who has autism in this book and he remembers all of his behaviors from when he was about three years old and on and explains why he did the things he did.”
• Dan recommends Fred R. Volkmar’s latest book, A Practical Guide to Autism: What Every Parent, Family Member, and Teacher Needs to Know.
• Christina praises Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm. “It has explained more in the 72 pages I have read than every professional has in the last six months.”
• Alischa agrees that “Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy really helped, especially the ‘non-accepting daddy’ part. It was reassuring that it (autism) happens to everyone, not just ‘us common folk’.”
• Shelley believes “there are a lot of great amazing books to get you started. I think I started with Let Me Hear Your Voice. Lee Ann Whiffen has an amazing book – A Child’s Journey Out of Autism. My advice to new parents is read everything you can get your hands on because knowledge is power. But one of my favorite books ever written on autism is by Portia Iverson – Strange Son. It’s brilliant.”
• Judith agrees with many members of our community. “Especially for the initial months, Overcoming Autism: Finding the Answers, Strategies, and Hope That Can Transform a Child’s Life by Lynn Koegel. I call it my bible, and constantly refer back to it. The understanding it gave me for getting through the beginning was priceless; I would recommend this book immensely. It speaks plenty on recovery and overcoming symptoms, and how to achieve the victories.”

For a longer list of books, visit the Resource Library on autismspeaks.org