Children of all ages love picture books, and they can be beneficial for their development as well. This can be especially true for children on the autism spectrum. While any reading with your children is beneficial, some books are better than others when it comes to reaping the benefits of reading with your autistic child.

Benefits of Reading With Children

There are numerous benefits to reading with your children, whether they are on the spectrum or not. These benefits may be more pronounced in autistic children, however. Benefits can include:

• Enhanced memory and cognitive abilities
• Word recognition and vocabulary building
• Social skills and increased social understanding
• Self-regulation skills
• Calming and bonding with caregivers

Best Books for Kids with Autism

For younger children on the spectrum, we love these books because they offer lots of repetition for language development and memorization, bright pictures, and fun stories that will keep children engaged.

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Artist Sandra Boynton shows us that getting dressed can be hilarious in Blue Hat, Green Hat. It’s short and engaging, so even the youngest kids can follow along. It also offers a fun introduction to clothing, getting dressed, and colors to help promote word recognition.

Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom by Bill Martin & John Archambault

This classic story is full of rhyming and repetition to help children learn the letters of the alphabet in an engaging and silly way.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

This classic rhyme and finger play is brought to life by Eileen Christelow, who tells of five mischievous monkeys who won’t stop jumping on the bed – much to their mother’s dismay. It’s a colorful book with repetitive rhymes that kids can chant along to while learning to perform early counting.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon has been beloved for generations with its gentle poetry bidding goodnight to the objects and creatures existing around us. It’s a soft but engaging story that helps foster word recognition and early language skills.

The Grouchy Lady Bug by Eric Carle

In this lesser-known story by Eric Carle, a grouchy ladybug challenges a friendly ladybug to a fight, only to decide the friendly ladybug isn’t big enough to bother fighting with. She then goes on in search of bigger and bigger animals across the world. This book features Carle’s trademark bright colors and fun illustrations and helps children learn animal recognition.

Additional books by Eric Carle we love: Panda Bear, Panda Bear; Brown Bear, Brown Bear; The Very Lonely Firefly.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and Megan Loyd

This story about a little old lady who isn’t afraid of anything features bright illustrations and fun rhymes as kids follow along. It’s perfect for Halloween but also makes a fun tale kids will want to read all year round as the Little Old Lady gets the fright of her life!

Best Books for Children with Autism Starring Autistic Characters

Many children will also enjoy reading books featuring characters who are autistic like them. Here are a few of our favorite books for kids with autism featuring autistic characters:

• A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey – This book explores the life of Henry and his quest to make friends as an autistic person.
• Benny Doesn’t Like to be Hugged by Zetta Elliott – This is a book that explores the challenges of having sensory overload and a need for personal space that others may not always understand.

Best Books for Kids with Autism and Teens

As children get older, they may enjoy more complex books that explore autism and how it shapes them as individuals in how they relate to the world. Here are some of our favorite teens and children’s books on autism for older kids.

• On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis – An autistic teen navigates survival during an asteroid impact with the Netherlands. This is a great YA novel with an autistic protagonist.
• A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll – This narrative follows the story of an autistic teen and explores what being autistic means to the author and protagonist.

Final Thoughts on Choosing the Best Books for Kids with Autism

Keep in mind that choosing the best books for children with autism isn’t one-size-fits-all. Kids have their own favorite topics and preferences, so you should always follow your child’s lead as they get older and develop favorites.