I was chatting with some other therapists about good books for neurodivergent folk. They came up with a list. This aims to be a curated, community-informed reading list for therapists and clients exploring neurodivergence. All books listed:

• support the neurodiversity paradigm
• offer lived experience or neuro-affirming perspectives
• avoid deficit-based or pathologising narratives
• were positively received in the peer discussion
• exclude authors or titles noted as problematic

Books for Autistic and Otherwise Neurodivergent Clients

Untypical

Wharmby, P. (2022) Untypical: How the World Isn’t Built for Autistic People and What We Should All Do About It. London: HarperNorth. ISBN: 9780008529307. A clear and affirming account of autistic experience in a neurotypical world, offering practical insights for clients and clinicians.

The Umbrella Picker

McNeice, J. (2021) The Umbrella Picker: A Journey to Autistic Diagnosis. Sheffield: GP. ISBN: 9781739785086. A thoughtful, relatable reflection on late autism identification, especially resonant for women and AFAB clients.

Strong Female Character

Brady, F. (2022) Strong Female Character. London: Brazen. ISBN: 9781914240461. Comedian Fern Brady’s powerful, funny, and uncompromising memoir of growing up autistic.

Unmasked

Middleton, E. (2023) Unmasked: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Autism and Neurodivergence. London: Penguin. ISBN: 9780241652022. A contemporary and accessible guide for people exploring or understanding their autistic identity.

Letters to My Weird Sisters

Limburg, J. (2021) Letters to My Weird Sisters: On Autism and Feminism. London: Virago. ISBN: 9781838950064. A reflective, literary exploration of autistic identity through a feminist and historical lens.

Books for Clients Navigating Therapy

The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy (my recommendation)

Jones, S. (2024) The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN: 9781839977305. A neurodivergent-authored, compassionate, and highly practical guide to understanding therapy, self-advocating, and bridging misunderstandings with therapists. Useful for both clients and practitioners.

Books for Autistic or Neurodivergent Therapists

On Being an Autistic Therapist

Marnau, M. (2023) On Being an Autistic Therapist: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Guide. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN: 9781915220561. An essential text for autistic therapists and trainees. Marnau offers an honest and sensory-aware exploration of therapy practice, relational nuance, and the lived experience of being an autistic clinician.

Foundational Books on Neurodiversity and Neuroqueerness

Unmasking Autism

Price, D. (2022) Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity. New York: Harmony. ISBN: 9780593235232. A widely respected exploration of masking, liberation, and the neurodiversity paradigm.

Neuroqueer Heresies

Walker, N. (2021) Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities. Autonomous Press. ISBN: 9781945955266. A foundational text introducing neuroqueer theory, radical neurodiversity, and liberation-based practice.

Summary Table of Recommended Books

Title	Author	Focus	Best For
Untypical	Pete Wharmby	Autistic lived experience	Clients & therapists
The Umbrella Picker	Jane McNeice	Late autism diagnosis	Clients
Strong Female Character	Fern Brady	Autistic memoir	Clients
Unmasked	Ellie Middleton	Autism, identity	Clients & younger adults
Letters to My Weird Sisters	Joanne Limburg	Feminism & autism	Clients & therapists
The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy	Steph Jones	Therapy access	Clients & therapists
On Being an Autistic Therapist	Max Marnau	Autistic therapists	Therapists
Unmasking Autism	Devon Price	Masking, authenticity	Clients & therapists
Neuroqueer Heresies	Nick Walker	Neurodiversity paradigm	Therapists & trainees

References

Brady, F. (2022) Strong Female Character. Brazen. ISBN: 9781914240461. Jones, S. (2024) The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN: 9781839977305. Limburg, J. (2021) Letters to My Weird Sisters. Virago. ISBN: 9781838950064. Marnau, M. (2023) On Being an Autistic Therapist. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN: 9781839972727. McNeice, J. (2021) The Umbrella Picker. GP. ISBN: 9781739785086. Middleton, E. (2023) Unmasked. Penguin. ISBN: 9780241652022. Price, D. (2022) Unmasking Autism. Harmony. ISBN: 9780593235232. Walker, N. (2021) Neuroqueer Heresies. Autonomous Press. ISBN: 9781945955266. Wharmby, P. (2022) Untypical. HarperNorth. ISBN: 9780008529307.