Verified answer

One my favorites is a children's book called "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome." It's by Kathy Hoopman

From an autobiographical perspective, Donna Williams' books from 'Nobody Nowhere' to 'Everyday Heaven' (including 'Somebody Somewhere' and 'Like Color to the Blind') are the most frank and honest accounts. I also recommend 'Finding a Different Kind of Normal' by Jeanette Purkis.

If you're looking for a straightforward textbook on autism spectrum disorders, Tony Attwood's 'Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals' details all you need to know about Asperger's syndrome in an accessible way. Likewise 'Finding Out About PDD and High Functioning Autism' by Gunilla Gerland. The latter is excellent for young readers.

have to agree with T&Cs recommendation on temple grandins 'thinking in pictures'.

besides anton LaVeys satanic bible,its the only proper word book have ever read,its both a write up on temples life from birth to how she is now,as well as looking deeply into all areas of the spectrum and functioning,what things can help etc.

can remember one part being about temple meeting up with einsteins family and giving a look into what he was like [is supposed to have been classically autistic but not diagnosed] and how the spectrum affects them all.

temple also talks alot about how she relates to/understands animals,and she has done alot for them in

americas meat factories,making them more humane due to the way she coud think like the animals.

-temple is high functioning classic autistic,though says herself if she was rediagnosed as she is today she woud probably be called an aspergan,but if are autistic to any level she is relateable,and non autistics will also get a lot out of it as well.

woud definately recommend getting it,its a very good look in,into the spectrum and doesnt just limit itself to one part.

desperate to win backbone abefiter Jean Dircol Annie comming out Server Cerebral Palsy co written between 2 human beings My left foot Cerbral Palsy no person Nowhere (e book a million) somebody someplace (e book 2) Autism walk a crooked mile by ability of father of a son with cerebral palsy and imaginative and prescient impairment Lousie Sauvage Tumble turn amputee swimmer who made Olympic beijing Natalie de toit confident a number of them have a interest flavour

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time. It's about a boy with aspergers.

Related to autism - any book by Temple Grandin and Donna Williams - both adults with autism.

Thinking in Pictures: and Other Reports of my Life with Autism by Temple Grandin. (New York: Bantam, 1995). Not really an account of Temple's life so much as her explanation of autism, particularly her own, citing examples from her own life and others she has talked to and read. It also discusses education and treatment.

Emergence: Labeled Autistic by Temple Grandin & Margaret M. Scariano. This is an autobiographical book by Temple Grandin, with Margaret Scariano. It offers insight into the frustrations that people labeled autistic have during the time they are trying to develop an ability to communicate. This is considered a rare autobiographical account in as much as the majority of the people with autism have not developed such sophisticated communication abilities.

Nobody Nowhere: The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic by Donna Williams. The autobiography of an autistic woman; bestseller in early 1993. Shows an autistic person surviving an abusive family situation; painful to read.

Somebody Somewhere: Breaking Free from the World of Autism by Donna Williams. Donna explores the four years since her diagnosis and her attempts to leave her 'world under glass' and live normally. Shows some of the distortions of perception an autistic person may have, and possibilities for un-learning them.

About Down syndrome:

Riding the Bus With My Sister: A True Life Journey. Rachel Simon

This perceptive, uplifting chronicle shows how much Simon, a creative writing professor at Bryn Mawr College, had to learn from her sister, Beth, about life, love and happiness. Beth lives independently and is in a long-term romantic relationship, but perhaps the most surprising thing about her, certainly to her (mostly) supportive family, is how she spends her days riding buses. Six days a week (the buses don't run on Sundays in her unnamed Pennsylvania city), all day, she cruises around, chatting up her favorite drivers, dispensing advice and holding her ground against those who find her a nuisance. Rachel joined Beth on her rides for a year, a few days every two weeks, in an attempt to mend their distanced relationship and gain some insight into Beth's daily life.

Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome by Cynthia S Kidder and Brian Skotko

An essay and photographic celebration of inspirational accomplishments of people with Down syndrome. Photographs are by nationally recognized Kendra Dew.

Count Us in : Growing Up With Down Syndrome, Jason Kingsley, Mitchell Levitz

Kingsley and Levitz write about education, employment, ambitions, families, sex and marriage, and their disability--Down syndrome--in a dialogue format. At Jason's birth, the obstetrician said that he'd never learn anything and should be institutionalized. Fortunately, the Kingsleys ignored this advice, and their son has since attended school, written poetry, registered to vote, and memorized scripts for appearances on "Sesame Street" and "The Fall Guy."an equally successful young man whose mother was one of the founders of the Parent Assistance Committee on Down Syndrome. Hearing about Down syndrome directly from these young men has a good deal more impact than reading any guide from a professional or even a parent. Their comments are eye-opening and heartening.