Library Services Blog

World Autism Acceptance Week – 28th March – 3rd April

World Autism Acceptance Week 28 March - 3 April

This week, we are focusing on books and resources that support World Autism Acceptance Week. Here you can find a range of books to help you explore and find out more about autism from a range of different perspectives and areas.

Boosting our collective understanding is one way to help create a better society and remember you can find out more ideas and tips via the National Autistic Society.

Recommended resources

Luke Beardon. (2017). Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults.
Estimated to affect just over 1 per cent of the adult population in the UK - some 700,000 individuals - autism is still persistently viewed as a disorder or impairment - but, this concept needs to be challenged. Find it here.

Steve Silberman. (2015). Neurotribes : The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently.

Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years. Find it here.

Naoki Higashida. (2013). The Reason I Jump: One Boy’s Voice from the Silence of Autism.

Written by Naoki Higishida when he was only 13, this remarkable book explains the often baffling behaviour of autistic children and shows the way they think and feel - such as about the people around them, time and beauty, noise, and themselves. Find it here.

Michael Barton. (2014). A Different Kettle of Fish: A Day in the Life of a Physics Student with Autism.
On a journey from the comfort of his familiar surroundings into the hectic environment of London, Michael Barton observes the world around him from the rational perspective of someone on the autism spectrum, complete with quirky illustrations and humorous anecdotes about contradictory signage, hidden meanings and nonsensical figures of speech. Find it here.

Ashleigh Hillier, Jody Goldstein, Deirdra Murphy, Rhoda Trietsch, Jacqueline Keeves, Eva Mendes, & Alexa Queenan. (2018). Supporting University Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice.

Increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder are entering higher education. Their success can be jeopardized by organizational, social/emotional, and academic challenges if appropriate supports are not in place. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a support group model for university students with autism spectrum disorder in improving psychological and functional outcomes. Find it here.

Sarah Bargiela & Sophie Standing. (2019). Camouflage the Hidden Lives of Autistic Women.
This title provides an engaging insight into the often underexplored condition of autism in women and girls. It is the perfect resource for anyone who wishes to understand how gender affects autism, it shows how to create safer, more accommodating environments for women on the spectrum. Autism in women and girls is still not widely understood, and is often misrepresented or even overlooked. Find it here.

Janine Booth & John McDonnell, J. (2016). Autism Equality in the Workplace: Removing Barriers and Challenging Discrimination.
People with autism often find themselves excluded from working life. This practical handbook lays out reasonable, achievable ways in which working environments can be adapted and autistic people included as valuable members of the workforce. Find it here.

Related resources

You can also find books and resources related to autism and neurodiversity within the themed Hallam Library Curated Reading Lists here.

Explore the range of websites and books related to wellbeing, autism and neurodiversity on the Reading For Wellbeing Curated Reading List here.

The Parents and Carers Curated Reading List contains a range of resources aimed at parents and carers and is available here.

You can find comics and illustrated books in the Meanwhile, Back in the Library the Comic Collection Curated Reading List here.

Personal narratives can be found in the Disability Curated Reading List here.