Meg Eden Kuyatt: An Autism Roundup

A roundup of notable reads -- in honor of today, April 2, being World Autism Acceptance Day.

As an autistic person, I know from personal experience just how critical authentic autism representation is. It was a book that first opened up the possibility for me that I might be autistic—though looking back, I realize that that book may have some problematic and oversimplified portrayals of what it means to be autistic. But I was so hungry for representation, and since autistic representation was even less common than now, I took what I could get.

Because of this, when I see myself in books with autistic protagonists, I can’t help but cheer! I know there are quite a few great books with autistic representation, and there are so many more that could be included, but here are some of my favorite picture books, early chapter books, and middle grade and young adult (YA) reads.

I hope you enjoy.

PICTURE BOOKS AND CHAPTER BOOKS

Flap your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming by Steve Asbell

I love how this book normalizes and celebrates stimming! The ending is especially hopeful, reminding that no feeling or sensory sensation has to overpower us, especially when we can self-soothe and stim!

Bitsy Bat, School Star by Kaz Windness

Bitsy Bat uses the fantastic metaphor of an “upside-down” bat in a world of mammals. At school, everything she does is perceived as “wrong” because it is different from the world of her classmates and instructor. But Bitsy learns to find joy in her differences and takes initiative to celebrate the strengths of not just herself but her classmates. This picture book is a great way to introduce readers young and old to the difficulty of being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world, as well as how to welcome neurodivergent folks and create a neurodivergent-inclusive space.

The Infinity Rainbow Club Series by Jen Malia

The Infinity Rainbow Club is a school club for neurodivergent kids, and I wish I could join! The first book in the series, Nick and the Brickbuilder Challenge, shows Nick, an autistic boy, learning how to work with others and grow in being thoughtful of those around him. As an autistic person, I really relate to Nick’s desire to work on his own, and his struggle to work together and see other perspectives. But this is such a critical life lesson, and one that author Jen Malia handles with such care, and in a perfect way for a chapter book reader. I’m excited to read more! The series centers on protagonists with diverse brains and ethnic backgrounds.

Too Much! An Overwhelming Day by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang

This picture book is a great way to introduce readers of all ages to the idea of sensory sensitivity and overstimulation, as well as how to help folks who have sensory needs. I especially loved the informative backmatter with concrete suggestions on how to handle overstimulation and sensory needs. I wish I had this book when I was younger to better understand where my autistic burnout and exhaustion comes from.

MIDDLE GRADE

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

The Fire, the Water and Maudie McGinn is particularly compelling in how it portrays the intersection of abuse and neurodivergence. Maudie’s abuse makes her particularly prone to doubt herself and her place in the world. She sees herself as “a girl with glitches” and has to learn to not mold herself for others but find confidence and joy in her own unique wiring. This book also does a great job of portraying a nuanced portrayal of the ramifications and trauma of ABA therapy and Autism Mom culture, which we definitely need more of in media.

The Lonely Below by g. haron davis

Oh, Eva is so relatable—with the masking, the food aversions, the learning how to talk with different people, how to adjust her talking for others. I loved seeing the intersection of autistic and Black experience, and how this impacted our protagonist. Do note there is a minor romantic interest in the book. Overall, a fun, spooky story with depth, intersecting with the horrors of real-world history.

Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll

Show Us Who You Are is a speculative novel, asking readers: How might we use technology to replicate loved ones before they pass, so, in a way, no one ever has to die? How would we want to remember them? How do we process and avoid grief through technology? And how might technology with an ableist focus create an erasure of neurodivergence? The novel gives this speculative backdrop, but focuses on authentic interactions and a beautiful relationships between the autistic protagonist Cora and her ADHD friend Adrien. The way Cora and Adrien express the pressure a neurotypical society imposes on neurodivergent people is so resonant and nuanced. It also does a great job of showing the similarities and differences between autism and ADHD, in a compelling way.

Maya Plays the Part by Calyssa Erb

Maya, like all of us, is messy. She can be overconfident, inflexible, and unfair to her friends. But she’s also passionate, hardworking, and struggling to cope in a world not built for her. To some readers, Maya might just seem annoying and selfish—but this is oversimplifying. As an autistic person, I can absolutely see myself in Maya’s black and white thinking, her hurt over things not going as planned and her struggles to “play the part” as Maya in Public, and to mask.

“Maya in Public” and other stage metaphors show how an autistic person uses their special interests to make sense of the world, and may help allistic readers better understand what it’s like to be autistic. I loved seeing Maya grow and try new things, even if it was uncomfortable, as well as apologize for her mistakes and learn from them. Maya is a very honest reflection of how we all have strengths and ugly sides, but also provides a fantastic model for how we can grow and become our best selves. This is such a valuable story on learning to be flexible and seeing that there are many great roles we can play—even if it’s not the one we expected. A highly recommended read, for autistic and allistic readers alike.

YOUNG ADULT

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis

All the Noise at Once tackles so many issues with such care and thought. Some of those topics include racism, classism and class segregation, the stress of excellence and being a “model citizen,” family expectations, ableism and neurodivergent treatment in a neurotypical world, police brutality and power imbalances, but the book never feels bloated or didactic. These topics are all so organically woven into the narrative that they only invite the reader to engage and think about the systems in the world we live in. There is incredible thoughtfulness and nuance in this story as it tackles such critical and necessary conversations on continued injustice in this country and world, never limiting them to black-and-white categories. All the Noise at Once is realistic in the difficult, but also the hopeful. Aiden and Brandon and their friends and family go through so many hard things, but there is also light at the end of the tunnel. There is also joy and humor and a promising future. Especially in these times, a dose of realistic hope is more important than ever.

Sensory: Life on the Spectrum Anthology

This graphic novel anthology is a great resource for autistic folks, as well as allistic folks who are looking to better understand autism and how to support autistic folks. The anthology nature also means that there are diverse perspectives represented on what it means to be autistic, which is so important to representation as every experience is different.

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

I love seeing more young YA novels—especially romances—getting published about the early high school experience. There are so many lines in this one that I loved and connected so much to, and haven’t seen represented about the autistic experience in other books before. I don’t tend to read much romance but I really felt engaged with the love triangle here, and resonated with the main character Jessie’s challenges navigating and communicating in these relationships. (Do note there is a bit of cursing in this one.)

Meg Eden Kuyatt is an autistic author who teaches creative writing at colleges and writing centers. She is the author of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection “Drowning in the Floating World,” the forthcoming “obsolete hill” (Fernwood Press) and children’s novels including the Schneider Family Book Award Honor-winning “Good Different,” and the forthcoming “The Girl in the Walls” (Scholastic, 2025). Find her online at megedenbooks.com.

This post originally appeared in the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism.