I'd recommend first of all checking out Mel Baggs's stuff. Sadly, sie has passed away, but their writings on autism and disability more broadly are highly overlooked. I'd recommend checking out hir two blogs and this article on Disability Studies Quarterly:
In terms of books, there's a lot. It generally varies in quality, but there's plenty of important writings. Here's some I like, even if I don't always agree with everything they say:
Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone by Douglas Biklen: Sadly, this one isn't too easy to find, but it provides experiences from various autistics who communicate primarily through typing. All of the authors here are really fascinating to hear from, and they break down the common misconception that autism is a single unified experience.
Neurotribes by Steve Silberman: You've probably already heard of this one, but I thought I'd recommend it anyways. It's a useful and accessible account of autism's history, from its inception to where it is currently. I don't think it's perfect, but it's definitely informative.
Asperger's Children by Edith Sheffer: Ever heard of Asperger's Syndrome? This book tells you about Hans Asperger, a child psychiatrist with ties to the Third Reich. His paper on 'autistic psychopathy' (gee, wonder why autistics are said to not have empathy) became influential in the United States through Lorna Wing, but his work has recently become controversial due to his ties to the Nazis.
In Two Worlds by Ido Kedar - This is a novel about a nonverbal autistic boy and his experiences with ABA and other forms of therapy, all of which failed to provide him with a means of communication. Things remained that way until he learns to communicated through facilitated communication.
Women From Another Planet?: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism: Although it subscribes to a binary notion of gender, this anthology contains plenty of fascinating experiences and breaks down the common stereotype of autistic people only being white boys who play with trains.
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Re: Autism Book Recs
Date: 2023-01-02 10:07 pm (UTC)I'd recommend first of all checking out Mel Baggs's stuff. Sadly, sie has passed away, but their writings on autism and disability more broadly are highly overlooked. I'd recommend checking out hir two blogs and this article on Disability Studies Quarterly:
https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/1052/1238
Blog Links:
https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/
(Sadly the blog's format makes it hard to find older articles, but there's still plenty of useful information here)
https://cussinanddiscussin.wordpress.com/
In terms of books, there's a lot. It generally varies in quality, but there's plenty of important writings. Here's some I like, even if I don't always agree with everything they say:
Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone by Douglas Biklen: Sadly, this one isn't too easy to find, but it provides experiences from various autistics who communicate primarily through typing. All of the authors here are really fascinating to hear from, and they break down the common misconception that autism is a single unified experience.
Neurotribes by Steve Silberman: You've probably already heard of this one, but I thought I'd recommend it anyways. It's a useful and accessible account of autism's history, from its inception to where it is currently. I don't think it's perfect, but it's definitely informative.
Asperger's Children by Edith Sheffer: Ever heard of Asperger's Syndrome? This book tells you about Hans Asperger, a child psychiatrist with ties to the Third Reich. His paper on 'autistic psychopathy' (gee, wonder why autistics are said to not have empathy) became influential in the United States through Lorna Wing, but his work has recently become controversial due to his ties to the Nazis.
In Two Worlds by Ido Kedar - This is a novel about a nonverbal autistic boy and his experiences with ABA and other forms of therapy, all of which failed to provide him with a means of communication. Things remained that way until he learns to communicated through facilitated communication.
Women From Another Planet?: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism: Although it subscribes to a binary notion of gender, this anthology contains plenty of fascinating experiences and breaks down the common stereotype of autistic people only being white boys who play with trains.