- You don't have to buy anything to learn more.
- Start with the free guides written by autistic people.
- Borrow books free from your public library, including ebooks and audiobooks through the Libby app.
- Audiobooks count. So does reading one chapter and stopping.
- Take what fits and leave the rest. No single book describes every autistic person.
Free guides to start with
Welcome to the Autistic Community
A free guide from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, with an adult version.
The Autistic Welcome Pack
A free pack and workbook for adults diagnosed later in life, from Reframing Autism.
Ideas that make it make sense
MOEˣ's plain-language guide to monotropism, double empathy, masking, and more.
Books to borrow
Well-known books about autism, most by autistic authors. All are widely available at public libraries.
| Book | Author | What it's about |
|---|---|---|
| Unmasking Autism | Devon Price (2022) | Masking, unmasking, and building a life that fits. Written by an autistic psychologist. |
| Strong Female Character | Fern Brady (2023) | A memoir by a comedian diagnosed as an adult. Funny and direct. |
| Look Me in the Eye | John Elder Robison (2007) | A memoir by a man who learned he was autistic at 40. |
| Thinking in Pictures | Temple Grandin (1995) | One of the first widely read books by an autistic author about how she thinks. |
| NeuroTribes | Steve Silberman (2015) | The history of autism and how ideas about it changed. |
| Divergent Mind | Jenara Nerenberg (2020) | Why many women's neurodivergence was missed, and what it looks like. |
To borrow free: get a library card (many libraries offer one online), then use the Libby app for ebooks and audiobooks.
How to read when reading is hard
Listen instead
Audiobooks while walking or doing chores. Speed them up or slow them down.
One chapter is enough
You don't have to finish. Stop when it stops helping.
Skip around
Read the chapters that match what you need right now.