Bibliography on Autism

This bibliography comprises a selection of books on autism, which members of our group have found useful. The list is divided into five sections: General books on autism, NAS pamphlets, Accounts by parents, First-hand accounts by people with autism and Books for children. Some books have links to a fuller review from our newsletter.

General books on autism

Asperger's Syndrome - A Guide for Parents and Professionals: Tony Attwood, Jessica Kingsley Publishers 1997; This book is highly readable and eminently practical and is probably the best general introduction to Asperger Syndrome. Dr Attwood draws heavily on first hand evidence from people with the syndrome.
Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Uta Frith, Cambridge University Press 1991; Contains a translation by Uta Frith of Asperger's original 1944 paper as well as chapters by experts in the field.
Autism - explaining the enigma: Uta Frith, Blackwell 1989; Dr Frith attempts to isolate the core psychological difficulties in autism. This book is a compelling read and is further enlivened by the use of analogies from history, mythology and art.
Autism: the facts: Simon Baron-Cohen & Patrick Bolton, Oxford University Press 1993; A good brief introduction. Recommended as a first read for parents of newly diagnosed children. There is very little specifically on Asperger Syndrome.
Autism: an Inside-Out Approach: Donna Williams, Jessica Kingsley Publishers 1996; An interesting and challenging book in which Donna Williams, who is herself autistic, uses her own experience both to build up a picture of the true difficulties underlying 'autistic' behaviour and to give practical advice to parents and teachers.
Autism - An Introduction to Psychological Theory: Francesca Happé, UCL Press 1994; Of particular interest to those dealing with more able children as Dr Happé's own research is in this area. The book is however theoretical rather than practical.
Autism - preparing for adulthood: Patricia Howlin, Routledge 1997; How to help adolescents and young adults lead as independent a life as possible. Focuses on the higher functioning end of the spectrum.
Autism: Professional Perspectives and Practice: Kathryn Ellis (ed), Chapman & Hall 1990; This book would be useful for teachers and support staff who have little knowledge of autism. The chapter on 'Early Years' is particularly good.
The Autistic Spectrum: Lorna Wing, Constable 1996; A very readable and comprehensive introduction to the subject by one of the most experienced people in the field.
The Handbook of Autism: a Guide for Parents and Professionals: Maureen Aarons & Tessa Gittens, Routledge 1992; Written by two speech and language therapists, this is an excellent introduction to autism for both teachers and parents.
High Functioning Individuals with Autism: Eric Schopler & Gary Mesibov, Plenum 1992; As well as (amongst others) chapters on diagnostic issues, social functioning and employment possibilities, there are also essays by parents and first hand accounts by people with autism.
Treatment of Autistic Children: Michael Rutter & Patricia Howlin, Wiley 1987; Probably most useful to those working with families. Some good ideas for parents on obsessions and phobias
Understanding and Teaching Children with Autism: Rita Jordan & Stuart Powell, Wiley 1995; Useful for teachers and parents. Stresses the importance of understanding the child and working with his/her autism. The authors emphasise there is no 'quick fix' method.
The World of the Autistic child - Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Bryna Siegel, OUP 1996; A comprehensive account of diagnosis and treatment - useful as a work of reference though the examples are all American

NAS Pamphlets

The National Autistic Society publishes a range of very useful pamphlets on all aspects of autism.
Their publications list is now online.

Alternatively, write to the
Publications Dept
The National Autistic Society
393 City Road,
London EC1V 1NE
for a full publications list and order form.

Here are a few pamphlets that may be of particular interest:

Could this be Autism?: A new booklet aimed at people working in the fields of health, education and social care to help them to identify the signs of autism in young children. It emphasises the importance of specialist referral and early diagnosis.
Why Does Chris do That?: Tony Attwood; Understanding and managing the often baffling behaviour of people with autism
Children with Asperger Syndrome: Collected Papers from Study Weekends; A lot here on education, including an excellent paper by Rita Jordan on the learning needs of children with Asperger Syndrome.
Approaches to Autism: A survey of most known therapeutic approaches to autism. Not all these methods have been properly evaluated, but it is useful to know what they are.
A Mind of One's Own: Digby Tantam; This focuses particularly on the difficulties and needs of more able people with autism.

Accounts by parents

There's a Boy in Here: Sean & Judy Barron, Chapmans 1993; Written by a mother and her autistic son. Sean's contributions are in italics and get longer and longer as the book goes on. Highly recommended.
News from the Border: Jane McDonnell, Ticknor & Fields 1993; Subtitled 'A mother's memoir of her autistic son' this book charts Paul Mc Donnell's progress to age 20 and contains an afterword by Paul himself. The title refers to the fact that Paul seemed to be in a no-man's land between autism and 'normality'.
The Sound of a Miracle: Annabelle Stehli, 4th Estate 1992; The author's daughter made great progress after being treated by Audio Integration Therapy (AIT). This approach is still controversial in this country, though widely available in the USA

First-hand accounts by people with autism

A Real Person - life on the outside: Gunilla Gerland, Souvenir Press 1997
Emergence - Labelled Autistic: Temple Grandin, Costello 1986; Highly recommended. Dr Grandin has a successful career designing cattle handling equipment. She is still autistic.
My Autobiography: David Miedzianik, University of Nottingham Child Development Research Unit 1986
Nobody, Nowhere: Donna Williams, Doubleday 1992
Somebody, Somewhere: Donna Williams, Doubleday 1994
Autism - an inside-out approach: Donna Williams, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1996; In this book Donna Williams tries to explain what autism feels like from the inside and to help those on the outside towards a greater understanding of autistic people.
Coping - A Survival Guide for People with Asperger Syndrome: Marc Segar, Early Years Diagnostic Centre, Nottingham; A very useful and direct book for adults and adolescents with Asperger Syndrome

Books for Children

Russell is Extra Special: Charles A. Amenta III MD, Magination Press, New York; Based on the author's own son. A good introduction to autism for young children.
Joey and Sam: Illana Katz & Edward Ritvo MD, Real Life Storybooks, California; A story which follows Joey and his autistic brother Sam through their daily life. Very positive in its outlook.
Children with Autism: a booklet for brothers and sisters: Julie Davis, Child Development Research Unit, University of Nottingham 1994; This booklet explores some of the difficulties faced by siblings of autistic children. It contains a lot of factual information about autism.
Able Autistic Children - Children with Asperger Syndrome: a booklet for brothers and sisters: Julie Davis, Child Development Research Unit, University of Nottingham 1994; Similar to the above, but aimed at siblings of more able children.

A note for the unwary:

There are still quite a few books knocking around in public libraries which present an outdated view of autism as being caused by 'refrigerator parenting'. A particular example is 'The Empty Fortress' by Bruno Bettelheim. Please be very wary of reading such books, as the ideas put forward have been discredited. Such literature can also be extremely distressing to parents.

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