Celebrate Autism Awareness Month with these authors on the spectrum

April is Autism Awareness month. When both of my daughters were diagnosed as being on the spectrum, my diagnosis followed soon after. Like I always tell people, "it didn't change anything, but it explained a lot." The experience I have had since, as well as the early intervention for my children, made it much easier to deal with when the same diagnosis came for my youngest son. As an adult with Asperger Syndrome raising three kids also on the autism spectrum, this is a special month for me. What better way to celebrate, besides lighting it up blue, than to add some titles to your collection by authors who have experience with the autism spectrum? The Spark, by Kristine Barnett – Kristine Barnett is the mother of Jacob Barnett, a child prodigy who was diagnosed as autistic at age two. When diagnosed, Kristine was told Jacob would never be able to tie his own shoes. Since his diagnosis, Jacob taught himself calculus, and would sneak into college math lectures. Now, Jacob is a paid researcher in the field of condensed matter physics, among other amazing accomplishments. The Spark is a memoir of a mother's hard work in making the best world she could for her son, and speaks volumes of the importance of early intervention's role in helping people on the autism spectrum navigate through the neurotypical world. The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida – Naoki Higashida is a non-vocal teenage boy with autism who uses an alphabet board to communicate. The Reason I Jump is Naoki's answers to 58 questions about autism and his personal experience with it.  It's a brief, yet inspiring read that allows those on the outside a glimpse into an autistic mind. Born on a Blue Day, Thinking In Numbers, and Embracing The Wide Sky, by Daniel Tammet – Daniel Tammet, like Jacob Barnett, is a math whiz – Tammet knows pi up to 22,514 places. He's also a polyglot; having learned many languages, including the notoriously challenging Icelandic (within a week, no less). He also experiences synesthesia, which lends itself to his ability to grasp mathematics. He also has Asperger Syndrome. He discusses at length his love for mathematics in the book Thinking in Numbers, discusses the difference between savant and non-savant minds in Embracing the Wide Sky, and tells his life story in Born on a Blue Day. Thinking in Pictures and The Autistic Brain, by Temple Grandin – Temple Grandin might be one of the best known people to find success on the autism spectrum.  She was diagnosed as a child, at a time when even less was known about autism. She grew up to revolutionize many aspects of how livestock are treated, particularly with respect to how they are prepared for slaughter. Thinking in Pictures is her memoir, detailing her upbringing through her adulthood, and how she beat the odds to become one of the world's foremost advocates for autism awareness and animal welfare. The Autistic Brain is her scientific text aimed at increasing understanding for autism and autism spectrum disorders. Look Me in the Eye, Be Different, and Raising Cubby, by John Elder Robison – John Elder Robison has Asperger Syndrome, the diagnosis coming as he turned 40. Prior to being diagnosed, he spent time developing handheld games for Milton Bradley and building special effects guitars for Ace Frehley of Kiss, eventually taking up repairing imported cars, writing a blog about his experiences as an "Aspergian," and writing the books above. Did I mention his brother is Augusten Burroughs? Look Me in the Eye is his memoir, outlining his life leading up to his eventual diagnosis. Be Different is practical advice for others on the spectrum, as well as for those who care for them. Raising Cubby tells the story of Robison and his autistic son and how they grew up together. Look Me in the Eye, is a special book for me. It was the book that helped me to start learning more about autism when my youngest daughter showed significant developmental delays. I saw a lot of the same experiences I had growing up in the stories Robison shared – the obsession with single topics, the loner behavior, and exclusion from a lot of the "in-groups." By identifying with what I read, it helped demystify autism, and take away some of the anxiety that comes with it. What I take away from all of this is that autism can be difficult, but it doesn't mean those on the spectrum don't get to live a regular life.   Justin Noszek is a Support Services Specialist at OverDrive.

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