While it may seem to some as though neurodivergence is a relatively new phenomenon, it is clear from writing down the centuries that it has always been present – it just hasn’t been recognised or diagnosed by the names we now understand.
Brains are hugely varied – hence the term neurodiversity, as we use biodiversity to describe the variety of species. Just as some people are visually creative while others are more gifted mathematically, so some have neurodivergent brains which can make navigating a neurotypical world challenging.
Non-fiction books about ADHD, autism and neurodiversity
Scattered Minds Dr Gabor Maté (2019)
Known as @ADHDLove on social media, this charismatic couple have entertained their millions of followers with stories and skits of life about as an ADHDer (Roxanne) and the neurotypical partner who loves and lives with them (Rich – although he is currently investigating an autism diagnosis). Their first book, Dirty Laundry Click here to read an extract from SMALL TALK.
Ellie Middleton was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 and as autistic the following year. Since then, she has become a powerhouse in neurodivergence activism through her Unmasked online community and its accompanying book . How to be You , her second book, offers practical tips for late-diagnosed adults on how to work with – rather than against – their brains. She also shares advice on dismantling society’s neurotypical approach and how to overcome the structures that make things difficult for anyone with a different brain.
A well-worn trope is that autistic people don’t feel emotions. This is far from the case – but given the first autism diagnosis was only made in 1943, we are learning all the time. Donvan and Zucker’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated book goes to the source of learning: the families, doctors, researchers and autistic people whose experiences and battles led to change. This book also revealed how Hans Asperger, who discovered the syndrome named after him, may have cooperated with the Nazis in sending disabled children to their deaths as part of Third Reich programs. In a Different Key is a beautifully written yet unflinching and informative examination of autism's history.
This book marked a sea change for comedian Shaparak Khorsandi, whose family had fled Iran during the Islamic Revolution after her satirist and poet father made a joke which was seen to criticise the regime. Long performing as ‘Shappi’, having gone by this name as a teenager to avoid mockery and mispronunciation, she reclaimed her full name in 2021. The same year, she was diagnosed with ADHD, something which helped her understand years of difficulty in relationships, with eating, and navigating life. This, her fourth book, is a very funny and moving memoir about her life up to and following her diagnosis – and what she has learned about navigating the world with new understanding about herself.
A professional counsellor with ADHD, KC Davis has built an enormous and loyal following on social media thanks to her compassionate view of self and home care as functional tasks rather than moral ones. Davis brings her years of experience and advice to people who struggle with everyday care tasks due to mental health, fatigue, life challenges or chronic illness. Her five-things framework – that in any space, there is only rubbish, dishes, laundry, things that have a place, and things that don't have a place – is a brilliant starting point for regaining control in a messy overwhelming space.
Gemma Styles has broken away from being “sister of” Harry to become an influential figure in her own right. A podcaster, eyewear designer and writer, Styles uses her 10 million-strong Instagram following to advocate for better mental health provisions. Her ADHD diagnosis in 2022 gave her clarity around her experiences with anxiety and depression. In her debut book, Styles shares her journey to diagnosis by examining mental health in the digital age and the ways in which women’s health has been sidelined.
Novels with neurodiverse characters
The Rosie Project is a sublime read that shrewdly throws questions of diagnosis back at neurotypical enquirers: Professor Don Tillman, a genetics expert using science to find himself a girlfriend, may present with many of the identifying factors of autism, but he isn’t “suffering” at all. The academic Stuart Neilson, diagnosed autistic in his mid-40s, has written an excellent exploration of this on his blog . As many academics and neurodivergent organisations point out, many of the problems encountered by neurodivergent people come from trying to engage in a society that isn’t made for them.
Kathy Lette’s eleventh comic novel was inspired by her experience of raising her autistic son, the actor Jules Robertson. The story centres around Lucy, who has raised her son Merlin singlehandedly since his father left them both – and she has prioritised her son to the extent that she hasn’t had a relationship since. When Merlin turns 10, she decides that enough is enough and it’s time to have a go at dating again, which doesn’t go entirely smoothly due to Merlin’s blithe way with words. Things look up when the delightful Archie appears on the scene – but then so does Merlin’s father, trying to convince Lucy to give him a second chance so that Merlin can have a father in his life. Lucy needs to decide who to prioritise.
Mark Haddon may not have given his young hero, Christopher Boone, an outright diagnosis – the better to allow readers to identify with him – but Christopher has since been hailed by scientists, researchers and autistic people as a sympathetic and expansive portrayal of an autistic person. This is a wonderful book: part mystery – next door’s dog, Wellington, has been murdered, so who did it? – and part coming-of-age story, as Christopher expands his horizons to uncover answers. The long-running stage play brought many newcomers to Christopher’s world but Haddon’s book remains essential reading.
This affecting story from the Booker-nominated author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry
The first adult novel from the best-selling author of the YA series Geek Girl is also her most personal. At 39, Smale was diagnosed as autistic, and her heroine Cassandra shares both an adult diagnosis as well as the strengths and challenges that come along with being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. However, Cassandra has one up on the reader when she discovers that she has the power to go back in time and to change events of the past – most convenient, given the terrible day she’s just had: she's been dumped, fired, and her usual café has run out of her regular order. Since her diagnosis, Smale has been a champion for women who have been diagnosed as neurodivergent in adulthood. Cassandra in Reverse is another such rallying point (as well as a rollicking good read).
Some adults coming to terms with a new diagnosis find an element of grief for the life they might have had if they had been diagnosed earlier. Green, author of many YA bestsellers including The Fault in Our Stars
