Whether you're looking to teach your child about neurodiversity or you just want something to read for Neurodiversity Celebration Week, this book list has you covered!
Below, you'll find a collection of amazing children's books on neurodiversity that focus on introducing the concepts of neurodiversity to kids of all ages. These book suggestions celebrate different brains, talk about neurotypical versus neurodivergent brains, introduce different types of neurodivergence, and so much more. They don't focus on one specific neurotype. I have different book lists for that purpose here.
Ready to check out this list of neurodiversity books for kids? Well, let's dig in!
Awesome Neurodiversity Books for Kids
The following children's books focus on introducing the concepts of neurodiversity and celebrating differences in brains. They do not focus on one specific neurotype in particular and are instead more general in scope. In other words, they are books about neurodiversity that are geared towards children.
1. Every Brain is Beautiful by Sara Furlong
I love the simple formatting of this book and the illustrations are adorable! It would be a great book for explaining the concept of neurodiversity to younger kids, such as toddlers and preschoolers. And especially great for kids who love animals.
My only complaint (a minor one at that) would be the font they used for the text throughout. Some of the letters that would have cutouts (not sure what else to call them) in them (e.g., a, g, p, d, b, e) are completely filled in and end up looking like blobby letters. Look at the font used for the author on the cover to see what I'm trying to describe...
2. Wonderfully Wired Brains: An Introduction to the World of Neurodiversity by Louise Gooding
Written by an ADHDer, this book is incredibly detailed and is more of a non-fiction compendium than anything. It talks about masking, has pages dedicated to a wide variety of neurodivergent profiles (from autism and dyspraxia to cerebral palsy and OCD), and includes examples of neurodivergent people, both current and historical. The illustrations are great and showcase a lot of diversity too, but may be too busy for some kids. Overall, a pretty solid book.
3. The Brain Forest by Sandhya Menon
This children's book gives a good overview of ways that brains can differ, touching on autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dual diagnoses, and neurotypical brains. It also encourages kids to consider how their brain works and learns best. It's a good book with bright colorful illustrations.
4. A Kids Book About Neurodiversity by Laura Petix
Written by an occupational therapist, this book encourages kids to think about how they learn best, what makes them feel calm, how they share feelings, and how that might be similar or different to those around them. I love the simple design of this book with colorful text and lots of white space. I also love how it encourages curiosity. It's a great book that's probably best geared towards older kids.
5. Some Brains: A Book Celebrating Neurodiversity by Nelly Thomas
This book focuses on celebrating differences in brains, touching on communication differences, sensory profiles, differences in learning styles, and more. The illustrations feature a lot of diversity, which I appreciate. However, the illustrations can also be quite busy at times so this book might be visually overwhelming to some.
6. Neurodiversity! What's That? An Introduction to Neurodiversity for Kids by Nadine Arthur
This book gives a solid overview of neurodiversity concepts and terms while also touching on the importance of language and how the words you use matter. Kids will enjoy the little bits of humor throughout and the examples of neurodivergent role models (although I do wish they explicitly stated the names of these people in case kids want to look them up).
7. This is My Brain! A Book on Neurodiversity by Elise Gravel
Overall, this book does a good job of describing brain differences in an engaging way. There are a few minor things I think could be improved (e.g., acknowledging other forms of communication beyond spoken language, describing all 8 senses and not just 5), but the illustrations are really fun and colorful.
More Recommendations for Children's Books on Neurodiversity
While the above books focus more on introducing the concept of neurodiversity, perhaps you want something that focuses more on a specific neurotype. I currently only have book lists geared towards autism, but more will be coming soon. Try these book lists:
I hope you enjoyed this list of neurodiversity books for kids.
