As fall season starts to kick in, books are a great escape from the cooling climate surrounding us! For this segment of Blue Birds Reads, I wanted to focus on literature written by authors that are on the spectrum. Often times, literature about autism is not written by an author who actually has autism. Usually, the author is either a family member, researcher, or a person who knows someone about autism. Although it is great to see more perspectives, many outsider perspectives can create too many harmful generalizations about the autistic community. Books written by authors on the spectrum provide valuable opportunities for outsiders to understand what the world may look like to an autistic individual. Many times (as I have found), these books will make readers question our societal norms and embrace all of our human interactions. I urge you, my dear readers, to take the time to read at least one of these books. I assure you, the time will be worth it. Your perspective on life itself might change.
Now for the good part - the books!
Population One: Autism, Adversity, and the Will to Succeed by Tyler McNamer
How to Talk to an Autistic Kid by Daniel Stefanski
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin
Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet
Happy reading, Blue Birds!
Signing off,
Smrithi K