Support Us
Five Books
 
Search
MENU MENU
  • Nonfiction
        • NONFICTION BOOKS
        • BEST NONFICTION 2023
        • BEST NONFICTION 2024
        • BEST BIOGRAPHIES
          • Historical Biographies
          • The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
          • Philosophical Biographies
        • True Crime
        • History Books
          • World War 2
          • World History
          • American History
          • British History
          • Chinese History
          • Russian History
          • Ancient History (up to c. 500 AD)
          • Medieval History
          • Military History
        • Art
          • Art History
        • Travel Books
        • Essays
        • Philosophy Books
          • Ancient Philosophy
          • Contemporary Philosophy
          • Ethics & Moral Philosophy
          • Great Philosophers
          • Social & Political Philosophy
        • Classical Studies
        • Science
          • New Science Books
          • Astronomy
          • Biology
          • Chemistry
          • Maths & Statistics
          • Popular Science
          • Physics Books
        • Nature
        • Environmental Books
          • Climate Change Books
        • Language
          • How to Write
          • English Grammar & Usage
          • Books for Learning Languages
          • Linguistics
        • Politics & Society
          • Political Ideologies
          • Migration
          • War
          • Foreign Policy & International Relations
          • American Politics
          • British Politics
        • Religion
          • Theology
          • Buddhism
          • Christian
          • Islamic
          • Jewish
          • Religious History Books
        • Law
        • Psychology
          • Mental Health
          • Neuroscience
          • Self Help
          • Child Psychology
        • Music & Drama
          • Film & Cinema
          • Opera & Classical Music
        • Economics Books
          • Behavioural Economics
          • Development Economics
          • Economic History
          • Finance
          • Financial Crisis
          • World Economies
        • Business Books
          • Investing Books
        • Technology
          • Artificial Intelligence/AI Books
          • Data Science Books
          • Computing
        • Health & Lifestyle
          • Happiness
          • Sex & Sexuality
          • Death & Dying
          • Education
        • Food & Cooking
        • Sports, Games & Hobbies
  • Fiction & Literature
        • FICTION BOOKS
        • BEST NOVELS 2024
        • BEST FICTION 2023
        • Contemporary Fiction
          • New Literary Fiction
        • World Literature
        • Literary Criticism
        • Literary Figures
        • Classic English Literature
        • American Literature
        • Poetry
        • The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
        • Comics & Graphic Novels
        • Fairy Tales & Mythology
        • Historical Fiction
        • Horror
        • Humour
        • Crime Novels
        • Science Fiction
        • Short Stories
        • Romance
        • Thrillers
        • Mystery
        • Fantasy
  • World
        • Africa
          • Egypt
          • Ghana
          • Nigeria
          • Rwanda
          • South Africa
          • Zimbabwe
        • Americas
          • Latin America
            • Argentina
            • Brazil
            • Caribbean
            • Chile
            • Cuba
            • Mexico
          • United States
          • Canada
        • Arctic & Antarctica
        • Asia
          • Afghanistan
          • Bangladesh
          • Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
          • China
          • India
          • Japan
          • Kazakhstan
          • Korea
          • Pakistan
          • Sri Lanka
          • Singapore
          • Vietnam
        • Australia
        • Europe
          • Azerbaijan
          • Belgium
          • Britain
          • France
          • Georgia
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Netherlands
          • Norway
          • Russia
          • Spain
          • Ukraine
        • Middle East
          • Iran
          • Iraq
          • Israel
          • Palestine
          • Syria
          • Turkey
          • Yemen
  • Kids
        • Kids Recommend Books for Kids
        • High School Teachers Recommendations
        • Prizewinning Kids' Books
        • Popular Series Books for Kids
        • BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS (ALL AGES)
        • Books for Toddlers and Babies
        • Books for Preschoolers
        • Books for 6-8 Year Olds
        • Books for 9-12 Year Olds
        • Books for Teens and Young Adults
        • THE BEST SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS
        • BEST KIDS' BOOKS OF 2024
        • BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS OF 2024
        • Best Audiobooks for Kids
        • History
        • Economics
        • Environment
        • Mental Health
  • Best Books of 2024
        • Best Books for Teens of 2024
        • Best Kids' Books of 2024
        • Best Novels of 2024
          • Historical Fiction
          • Science Fiction
          • Fantasy
          • Mystery & Crime
          • Romance
        • Best Nonfiction of 2024
          • Travel Writing
  • New Books
    • NEW BOOKS
    • New History Books
    • New Literary Fiction
    • New Historical Fiction
    • New Biography
    • New Memoirs
    • New World Literature
    • New Economics Books
    • New Climate Books
    • New Math Books
    • New Science Books
    • New Philosophy Books
    • New Psychology Books
    • New Physics Books
  • Audiobooks
    • THE BEST AUDIOBOOKS
    • Actors Read Great Books
    • Best Audiobooks for Kids
    • Books Narrated by Their Authors
    • Best Audiobook Thrillers
    • Best History Audiobooks
  • Book Awards
    • Nobel Literature Prize
    • Booker Prize (fiction)
    • Baillie Gifford Prize (nonfiction)
    • Financial Times (nonfiction)
    • Wolfson Prize (history)
    • Royal Society (science)
    • NBCC Awards (biography & memoir)
    • Pushkin House Prize (Russia)
    • Walter Scott Prize (historical fiction)
    • Arthur C Clarke Prize (sci fi)
    • The Hugos (sci fi & fantasy)
    • Audie Awards (audiobooks)
    • Wilbur Smith Prize (adventure)
  • Experts

Nonfiction Books » Psychology » Autism

Browse book recommendations:

Psychology

  • Applied Psychology
  • Autism
  • Child Psychology
  • Consciousness
  • Mental Health
  • Neuroscience
  • New Psychology Books
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychology Research
  • Self Help
  • Social Psychology

Books on Autism

recommended by psychologists and writers

Last updated: February 19, 2025

Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communications and sensory oversensitivity. We've spoken to a number of experts on the subject and asked them to recommend the best books on autism, including Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, Barry Prizant, another of the world's leading scholars of autism spectrum disorders; and Uta Frith, a professor of cognitive development at UCL and author of a fascinating book on autism through history.

    The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children, recommended by Syreeta Brown

  • Read
    The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida, translated by David Mitchell and Keiko Yoshida

    1

    The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism
    by Naoki Higashida, translated by David Mitchell and Keiko Yoshida

  • Read
    The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum

    2

    The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum

  • Read
    The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

    3

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    by Mark Haddon

  • Read
    The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman

    4

    Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently
    by Steve Silberman

  • Read
    The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - My Brother Is Different by Louise Gorrod

    5

    My Brother Is Different
    by Louise Gorrod

  • Don't panic if your child is diagnosed with autism, says Syreeta Brown—author of the new parenting memoir Bigger Than the Moon. Here she selects five books that helped her understand her own daughter's autism, and will help your family adapt.

  • The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida, translated by David Mitchell and Keiko Yoshida
  • The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum
  • The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  • The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman
  • The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children - My Brother Is Different by Louise Gorrod

The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children, recommended by Syreeta Brown

Don’t panic if your child is diagnosed with autism, says Syreeta Brown—author of the new parenting memoir Bigger Than the Moon. Here she selects five books that helped her understand her own daughter’s autism, and will help your family adapt.

The Best Books for Parents of Autistic Children, recommended by Syreeta Brown

    The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim

    1

    Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life
    by Cynthia Kim

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children by Michelle Sutton (editor)

    2

    The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children
    by Michelle Sutton (editor)

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer

    3

    Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism
    by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life by Susan Senator

    4

    Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life
    by Susan Senator

  • Read
    The Best Autism Books - The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes

    5

    The Eagle Tree
    by Ned Hayes

  • Writing about autism has undergone an important shift, finally giving a voice to people with autism, says Steve Silberman, the winner of the 2015 Baillie Gifford Prize for his book tracing the history of autism, Neurotribes. He picks five recent books on autism.

  • The Best Autism Books - Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life by Cynthia Kim
  • The Best Autism Books - The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children by Michelle Sutton (editor)
  • The Best Autism Books - Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry Prizant and Tom Fields-Meyer
  • The Best Autism Books - Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life by Susan Senator
  • The Best Autism Books - The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes

The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

Writing about autism has undergone an important shift, finally giving a voice to people with autism, says Steve Silberman, the winner of the 2015 Baillie Gifford Prize for his book tracing the history of autism, Neurotribes. He picks five recent books on autism.

The Best Autism Books, recommended by Steve Silberman

    The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

    1

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
    by Mark Haddon

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser by Werner Herzog

    2

    The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
    by Werner Herzog

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin

    3

    Animals in Translation
    by Temple Grandin

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

    4

    The Language Instinct
    by Steven Pinker

  • Read
    The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - Attachment by John Bowlby

    5

    Attachment
    by John Bowlby

  • Simon Baron-Cohen, the longstanding director of the University of Cambridge's multidisciplinary Autism Research Centre, offers some recommended reading (plus a film to watch) to help you improve your understanding of the experience of those on the autism spectrum, or of developmental psychology more generally.

  • The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  • The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser by Werner Herzog
  • The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin
  • The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker
  • The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology - Attachment by John Bowlby

The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

Simon Baron-Cohen, the longstanding director of the University of Cambridge’s multidisciplinary Autism Research Centre, offers some recommended reading (plus a film to watch) to help you improve your understanding of the experience of those on the autism spectrum, or of developmental psychology more generally.

The best books on Autism and Developmental Psychology, recommended by Simon Baron-Cohen

    The best books on Autism, recommended by Barry Prizant

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Following Ezra by Tom Fields-Meyer

    1

    Following Ezra
    by Tom Fields-Meyer

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman

    2

    Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently
    by Steve Silberman

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Seven Keys to Unlock Autism by Elaine Hall

    3

    Seven Keys to Unlock Autism
    by Elaine Hall

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Understanding Autism for Dummies by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli

    4

    Understanding Autism for Dummies
    by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Asperger's from the Inside Out by Michael John Carley

    5

    Asperger's from the Inside Out
    by Michael John Carley

  • The award-winning clinical scholar and author of Uniquely Human, Barry Prizant, chooses his top five books on autism.

  • The best books on Autism - Following Ezra by Tom Fields-Meyer
  • The best books on Autism - Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently by Steve Silberman
  • The best books on Autism - Seven Keys to Unlock Autism by Elaine Hall
  • The best books on Autism - Understanding Autism for Dummies by Stephen Shore and Linda Rastelli
  • The best books on Autism - Asperger's from the Inside Out by Michael John Carley

The best books on Autism, recommended by Barry Prizant

The award-winning clinical scholar and author of Uniquely Human, Barry Prizant, chooses his top five books on autism.

The best books on Autism, recommended by Barry Prizant

    The best books on Autism, recommended by Uta Frith

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Fairy Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm

    1

    Fairy Tales
    by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - The Siege by Clara Claiborne Park

    2

    The Siege
    by Clara Claiborne Park

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Little Flowers (Fioretti) by St Francis of Assisi

    3

    Little Flowers (Fioretti)
    by St Francis of Assisi

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - A Real Person by Gunilla Gerland

    4

    A Real Person
    by Gunilla Gerland

  • Read
    The best books on Autism - Soul Made Flesh by Carl Zimmer

    5

    Soul Made Flesh
    by Carl Zimmer

  • The author of Autism and Talent and Autism in History puts her subject into historical context and tells us why studying the development of the mind continues to fascinate her

  • The best books on Autism - Fairy Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm
  • The best books on Autism - The Siege by Clara Claiborne Park
  • The best books on Autism - Little Flowers (Fioretti) by St Francis of Assisi
  • The best books on Autism - A Real Person by Gunilla Gerland
  • The best books on Autism - Soul Made Flesh by Carl Zimmer

The best books on Autism, recommended by Uta Frith

The author of Autism and Talent and Autism in History puts her subject into historical context and tells us why studying the development of the mind continues to fascinate her

The best books on Autism, recommended by Uta Frith

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

Newsletter Contact us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Mastodon Social

© Five Books 2025

Get our newsletter