If you are looking for an interesting read, check out a few of my favorites on this growing list! I have included books about parenting, child development, behavior management, exploring other cultures, and speech/language treatment/assessment, as well as fictional and non-fiction accounts of people living with speech/language disorders.
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
by Naoki Higashida
This is an eye-opening memoir written by Naoki Higashida, an incredible thirteen-year-old boy with autism. Using an alphabet grid, Higashida carefully answered our most burning questions about living life with Autism. “Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within.”
The Power of Our Words: Teacher language that helps children learn
by Paula Denton, EdD
This book was written for classroom teachers as part of the Responsive Classroom Model to teaching. However, the information is valuable for SLPs and parents. The book outlines specific types of language that will help you more effectively manage behavior, as well as build your student’s independence and self-regulation.
Read my thoughts about this book here.
Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism
by Ron Suskind
Empowering story written by a father of a son with Autism, who learns to communicate using scripted lines from Disney films.
Where is the Mango Princess? A Journey Back from Brain Injury
by Cathy Crimmins
A personal account of how Traumatic Brain Injury impacts the lives of a whole family.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
by Susannah Cahalan
This is an unbelievable first-hand account of a young women, who suddenly loses complete control of her mind and body. It provides great perspective for health care providers on what it is like to experience sudden loss of ability due to a medical condition.
Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata
Fictional story of a thirty-six-year-old woman struggling with meeting the social expectations of her friends, family, and employer, despite her own feelings about her quality of life. While not explicitly about neurodivergence, it provides valuable insight as to how someone who is neurodivergent may feel from the pressure of neurotypical social and cultural demands.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
by Anne Fadiman
This is the story of a refugee family’s experience with the American medical system. It is a fascinating perspective of how disorders and disabilities are perceived by different cultures. Specifically, just how important it is for us to understand and respect cultural beliefs and experiences in order to provide effective care.