Autism Acceptance Month

An introduction to disability, these books showcase the diverse worlds of disabled children and adults to help foster a community of inclusion and accessibility. When able, I focused on titles that were created by authors and illustrators who identify as disabled. I also noted which titles are set in dyslexic-friendly fonts or have other formats, like eBooks or audiobooks.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. And that, dear reader, is a very big deal. In scarcely a decade, we have gone from almost no fiction by openly autistic authors being published to having an embarrassment of riches. I could easily have found three times as many titles in the library’s collection without changing the rules I set for the list.

Think of this list, then, as something of a sample platter. I have tried to represent a variety of genres. I have tried to show some of the extraordinary diversity of autism, and the ways in which autistic and LGBTQ identities so often overlap. Some of the books here feature autistic characters and the issues specific to them, some have characters who “read” as autistic even if the term is never used, and some do none of that. The only criteria are that these are works of fiction intended for adults, written by authors who have publicly identified themselves as being autistic.

Read what appeals to you, and then use that as a starting point for seeing what else is out there.

These books feature real and fictional characters with disabilities in order to showcase how inclusion and diversity improve our community as well as remind disabled readers that they're not alone. When able, I focused on titles that were created by authors and illustrators who identify as disabled. I also noted which titles are set in dyslexic-friendly fonts or have other formats, like eBooks or audiobooks.

These books feature real and fictional characters with disabilities to showcase how inclusion and diversity improve our community as well as remind disabled readers that they're not alone. When able, I focused on titles that were created by authors and illustrators who identify as disabled. I also noted which titles are set in dyslexic-friendly fonts or have other formats, like eBooks or audiobooks.

Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. We have created a list of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and short films showing what it is like to live with various disabilities.

These books provide an introduction to anxiety. Produced in collaboration with the Douglas Center and MCC.