Grades
PreK - 12
The Best Books About Neurodiversity for Students
These powerful books feature stories, characters, and themes around neurodiversity and neurodivergence.
There are many ways of seeing and moving through the world, and introducing students to the idea that there's not a one-size-fits-all definition of what it means to be human fosters empathy, understanding, and an inclusive classroom.
That's where relatable books on neurodiversity come in. Teach students about the beauty in each person's differences through these impactful stories of acceptance, love, and friendship. Your class will love learning about new world views and may even see themselves or their friends in the pages.
Begin with You Are Enough, a heartfelt celebration of children's differences, no matter what they look like, where they come from, or their abilities. With sweet illustrations and a gentle message of acceptance, younger children will love this picture book by Margaret O'Hair.
Meanwhile, kids in grades 5-7 will see themselves in the pages of Guts, a hilariously relatable graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier detailing her sometimes awkward experiences in middle school while living with anxiety. Older readers in grades 9-12 will follow the journey of siblings — one of whom has autism — as they navigate high school and all that comes with this pivotal time in Same But Different.
Each of the carefully selected titles in this book list feature characters with neurological variances and differences such as autism, dyslexia, and ADHD. Use these titles to explore themes around neurodiversity and neurodivergence with students and to cultivate meaningful classroom discussion.
Shop the best books about neurodiversity below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.
While the world tells us to sit still, to follow the rules, and to color inside the lines, Happy Dreamer celebrates all those moments in between when the mind and spirit soar and we are free to become our own true dreamer maximus!
This inclusive and empowering picture book from Sofia Sanchez — an 11-year-old model and actress with Down syndrome — reminds readers how important it is to embrace your differences, be confident, and be proud of who you are.
In this story, told from a sister's point of view, we meet a family whose oldest son with autism teaches them important lessons about togetherness, hope, tolerance, and love.
No one expected this autistic girl to speak, but Temple did and demonstrated her talent for visual thinking that's made a lasting impact on farm management.
The story of how Frida Kahlo turned her challenges into art.
Homeschooled Emma is starting public school for the first time and, more than anything, longs for a best friend, but fate and fifth grade are not going to make it easy.
Inspired by young coauthor Libby Scott's own experiences with autism, this is an honest and moving middle-school story of friends, family, and finding one's place.
Life changes are tough for 11-year-old Willa, who has Sensory Processing Disorder. So, when Dad reveals that he's dating her best friend's mother, Willa must decide how to respond.
This tribute to one of America's most original artists comes from the imagination of one of America's most beloved children's book illustrators, Allen Say. Together they will inspire a new generation of artists to overcome whatever obstacles they encounter.
This 2007 Newbery Honor Book is a humorous and heartwarming debut about feeling different and finding acceptance.
The author introduces her battle with chronic anxiety as a teen as well as her ongoing coping strategies in this honest, often funny graphic novel.
Caitlin is a bright fifth grader and a gifted artist. She also has Asperger's syndrome, and lives in a world of her own.
After wrestling with her unquiet mind, Clea is diagnosed with ADHD. Now, the tween ask for help to reshape her life.
Award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, presents a powerful novel about a teen boy and girl, each tackling disabilities.
The summer Hattie turns 12, her predictable small town life is turned on end when her uncle Adam returns home for the first time in over ten years after being institutionalized for a condition that involves schizophrenia and autism.
Being a teen is hard enough. But when you have autism, or your sibling is struggling with the condition, life can be a topsy-turvy ride.
This summer, Arturo Sandoval declares, his son Marcelo will learn about the real world. He will work in the mailroom of Arturo's law firm. He will interact with everyone in the office. He will be normal, as Arturo has always said he is, and not have a highly functioning form of Asberger's Syndrome, as Marcelo knows he does. And Marcelo, reluctantly, must agree to his father's terms. He soon learns reality isn't easy.
