<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Temple Grandin</a> is an academic researcher in animal husbandry, on the Autism spectrum. While she is not doing research on autism per say, she has published various books to explain autism to a public of neuro-typical people: you can find a list of <a href="https://www.templegrandin.com/templegrandinbooks.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">such books</a> on <a href="https://www.templegrandin.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">her website</a>. I read many (if not all), and I recommend in particular the following ones about autism:</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.fhautism.com/shop/different-not-less-2nd-edition/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Different ... Not Less</a>, for some Stories of Achievement
and Successful Employment about Adults with Autism;</li>
<li><a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0593418360" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Visual Thinking</a> and <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0307275655" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Thinking in Pictures</a> for some insights about her visual based thinking; and</li>
<li><a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/1524738204" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Calling All Minds</a> for some more general thoughts about the creative thought process from the point of view of a neurodivergent mind.</li>
</ol>
<p>Only indirectly related to autism, but which I found still very interesting, are the two following books about other animals than humans and the similarity of (what we know of ) their way of thinking with Temple's introspection of how her mind works (and her generalisation to how the mind of people on the autism spectrum works):</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0156031442" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Animals in Translation</a> - (Using the Mysteries of Autism
to Decode Animal Behavior), and</li>
<li><a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B003K16PGE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Animals Make us Human</a> - (Creating the best Life for Animals).</li>
</ul>
<p>I hope it helps!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-21T08:30:04.263Z
2023-10-21T08:30:04.263Z
J.y B.y
<p>I'm no expert, but I found Jennifer Cooke O'Toole's <em><a href="https://www.jenniferotooleauthor.com/socialrulebook" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules</a></em> helpful in understanding parts of autism. It has cheatsheets that may be helpful.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-10T22:49:41.180Z
2023-09-10T22:49:41.180Z
blank
<p>Are there any books for non-professionals to better understand autism? I would also accept a cheatsheet with things to do or remember. This does not need to be academically accepted, as it is for my own personal use.</p>
<p>To provide some context to the above - I have heard autistic people struggle to understand questions such as: &quot;You understand, no?&quot; incorrectly interpreting it to mean say yes if you have not understood.</p>
<p>I vaguely remember someone say that, some autistic people once focusing on an instruction might forget something just discussed, so will struggle to apply this new knowledge to what was aforementionly discussed. I am not sure how true this is.</p>
<p>Otherwise, feel free to pin this question and hopefully as a bright community we can compile a list of common pitfalls, nuances, and problems autistics might have.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I am the autistic person, I am doing this to better understand myself and my flaws, and will provide this to my friends (so far they have been very supportive).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-12T12:45:03.193Z
you might want to look at the [autistic tag on goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/autistic-spectrum-disorder). There's a fair mix of first hand experiences and third party descriptions. One book I liked was https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16328437-loud-hands
Mark
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-20T06:55:17.360Z
I enjoyed reading "Thinking in Pictures", written by an autistic author (Temple Grading). And, Neurotribes for a popular science take.
Steven Jeuris
<language><philosophy-of-mind><autism><language-processing><theory-of-mind>
Books to understand autism?
securityauditor
# Books to understand autism?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-09-05)

Are there any books for non-professionals to better understand autism? I would also accept a cheatsheet with things to do or remember. This does not need to be academically accepted, as it is for my own personal use.

To provide some context to the above - I have heard autistic people struggle to understand questions such as: "You understand, no?" incorrectly interpreting it to mean say yes if you have not understood.

I vaguely remember someone say that, some autistic people once focusing on an instruction might forget something just discussed, so will struggle to apply this new knowledge to what was aforementionly discussed. I am not sure how true this is.

Otherwise, feel free to pin this question and hopefully as a bright community we can compile a list of common pitfalls, nuances, and problems autistics might have.

Disclaimer: I am the autistic person, I am doing this to better understand myself and my flaws, and will provide this to my friends (so far they have been very supportive).

**Tags:** language, philosophy-of-mind, autism, language-processing, theory-of-mind

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: you might want to look at the [autistic tag on goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/autistic-spectrum-disorder). There's a fair mix of first hand experiences and third party descriptions. One book I liked was https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16328437-loud-hands  
> **username_2**: I enjoyed reading "Thinking in Pictures", written by an autistic author (Temple Grading). And, Neurotribes for a popular science take.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-09-10. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I'm no expert, but I found Jennifer Cooke O'Toole's *[The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules](https://www.jenniferotooleauthor.com/socialrulebook)* helpful in understanding parts of autism. It has cheatsheets that may be helpful.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-10-21. Score: 1

[Temple Grandin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin) is an academic researcher in animal husbandry, on the Autism spectrum. While she is not doing research on autism per say, she has published various books to explain autism to a public of neuro-typical people: you can find a list of [such books](https://www.templegrandin.com/templegrandinbooks.html) on [her website](https://www.templegrandin.com/). I read many (if not all), and I recommend in particular the following ones about autism:

1. [Different ... Not Less](https://www.fhautism.com/shop/different-not-less-2nd-edition/), for some Stories of Achievement
   and Successful Employment about Adults with Autism;
2. [Visual Thinking](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0593418360) and [Thinking in Pictures](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0307275655) for some insights about her visual based thinking; and
3. [Calling All Minds](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/1524738204) for some more general thoughts about the creative thought process from the point of view of a neurodivergent mind.

Only indirectly related to autism, but which I found still very interesting, are the two following books about other animals than humans and the similarity of (what we know of ) their way of thinking with Temple's introspection of how her mind works (and her generalisation to how the mind of people on the autism spectrum works):

* [Animals in Translation](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0156031442) - (Using the Mysteries of Autism
  to Decode Animal Behavior), and
* [Animals Make us Human](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B003K16PGE) - (Creating the best Life for Animals).

I hope it helps!


---

