There’s lots of fantastic books out there to help parents, teachers and young people learn more about autism in girls.
Here’s my top 6 books to learn more about a diagnosis of autism for girls. I’d love to know your recommendations too – put them in the comments!
‘Autistic girls can be frequently misunderstood, underestimated and therefore anxious in a school environment. This practical book offers an innovative life skills curriculum for autistic girls aged 11 to 15, based on the author’s successful workshops and training, which show how to support girls’ wellbeing and boost their self-esteem.
Including an adapted PSHE curriculum, this is a straightforward guide to educating autistic children on the issues that matter most to them. It covers all essential areas of wellbeing, including communication, identity, self-regulation and triggers, safety, and physical and mental health, and offers the reader strategies to help the autistic girls in their lives enhance and develop these.’
‘Meet Maisie. She has a dog called Biscuit, a love of the great outdoors and a beauty spot on her bottom. And she is autistic. In this very appealing and accessible book, Maisie talks honestly about some of the things she finds tricky because of her autism – and some of the really cool things about seeing and experiencing the world in a different way. With fun and engaging colour illustrations by Glen Holman, Hey, I’m Maisie!, is designed to help girls explore autism with the people around them, and includes top tips to help friends, family members and those working in schools and other educational settings to encourage, inspire and support girls on their autism journey.’
‘This honest, to-the-point guide illuminates the experience of young Autistic girls and explores the situations they can easily fall victim to.
Powerful case studies show how easily misunderstandings can arise for Autistic girls and help the reader to identify common patterns of abuse.
Providing professionals with access to safeguarding strategies that are straightforward to implement and highly effective, this is essential reading for everyone who wants to better understand the challenges faced by this vulnerable group, and ensure they have access to the same opportunities to secure a good education and build safe and happy relationships as their peers.’
‘Addressing the gender gap in the understanding of autism, this multi-perspective book explores the educational needs of girls on the autism spectrum from early years to secondary school, in both mainstream and special settings. The collection, comprising insights from autistic women and girls and educational and medical professionals makes recommendations for a collaborative and integrated approach that enables girls on the spectrum to reach their full potential. By establishing close collaborations between girls on the spectrum, their parents, teachers and specialist professionals, the field can move forwards in terms of providing understanding and an appropriate educational framework for success.’
The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic
‘ “Never be ashamed of being different: it is this difference that makes you extraordinary and unique.”
This essential go-to guide gives you all the advice and tools you’ll need to help you flourish and achieve what you want in life. From the answers to everyday questions such as ‘Am I using appropriate body language?’ and ‘Did I say the wrong thing?’, through to discussing the importance of understanding your emotions, looking after your physical and mental health and coping with anxiety and sensory overloads, award-winning neurodiversity campaigner Siena Castellon uses her own experiences to provide you with the skills to overcome any challenge.
With practical tips on friendships, dating, body image, consent and appearance, as well as how to survive school and bullying, The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide gives you the power to embrace who you are, reminding you that even during the toughest of teen moments, you are never alone.’
The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods
Whilst not about a diagnosis of autism, this book is a really useful one. Written by autistic author Robyn Steward, this is a detailed guide for young people aged 9 to 16 on the basics of menstruation. Created in consultation with young people, an online survey and a group of medical professionals, this is a book that teaches all people about periods, which can be a scary and overwhelming issue.
Promoting the fact that everyone either has periods or knows someone who does, the book reduces the anxiety girls face in asking for help. It offers direct advice on what periods look and feel like and how to manage hygiene and pain. It also breaks up information using flaps and step-by-step photos of how to change pads and tampons, it discusses alternatives to tampons and pads, and gives information about possible sensory issues for people with autism.
I’d also recommend visiting the Autistic Girls Network Website here
The SEN Resources Blog 