An Autistic Author Recommends Autistic Kidlit
Let’s talk about some great kidlit books with autistic representation. There are so many more that could be included—but these are some of my favorites.
Autistic
Pushing Back On Tragedy As The Only “True” Representation Of Autism
Autistic people face enough suicidal ideation without being asked to think of themselves as nothing more than burdens to their loved ones, and I can’t support or contribute to any conversation that increases that risk.
A Review of All the Noise at Once: Being Young, Autistic, and Black
All the Noise at Once tackles so many issues with such care and thought, including 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.
Black and Late Diagnosed: Talking With Autistic Poet Traci Neal
Since I was late diagnosed with autism, I feel like the people in my life are still adjusting—because now I am being the ‘real’ me, and not the person they thought I was.
For Autistic Adults, Making Friends Can Be Complicated
Being an autistic adult and making friends is probably harder than it was when I was a teenager (this might not be true for other autistics, but it’s my experience).
A Murder Mystery Novel With An Autistic Twist: The Framed Women of Ardemore House
The Framed Women of Ardemore House is a taut “fish out of water” murder mystery about an American autistic woman who inherits an eerie British mansion. We talked with autistic author Brandy Schillace about how more novels like hers feature autistic protagonists as complex humans with interesting lives, rather than only as Very Special Autism Stories.
Neurodiversity Is About Everyone
Neurodiversity is a vital concept, and understanding the difference between neurodiverse and neurodivergent is much more important than just splitting hairs over linguistics. Here is a comic explainer.
Let Autistic People Make Their Own Choices!
When other people take choices away from autistic people, it can make us believe we are useless and destroy our confidence. It can even lead to us putting ourselves in dangerous situations, just to prove we can do things.
Accepting Compliments While Autistic
Many autistic people find accepting compliments and being kind to ourselves difficult, especially if our experience has been that other people lambast us if we dare to exist openly while autistic.
Talking With Dinosaur Star and Co-Creator Ashley Storrie
Ashley Storrie, co-creator and star of Hulu’s series Dinosaur, talks with TPGA about incorporating her own autistic experiences into the show, and why storytelling is so crucial for wider understanding of underrepresented groups.