Children's books about neurodiversity: picture books and workbooks

A book about difference works best when the child can recognise something and the adult reading it has no agenda. This guide covers what we stock for children, says what each book does, and points to BookTrust for fiction. Everything comes from publisher and charity pages, checked on 26 October 2026. We have not read these books aloud to any children, and we do not claim a book will change how a child feels.

What kinds of children's books about neurodiversity are there?

Broadly three: picture books that explain a trait, activity books you work through together, and books of young people's own words.

The first kind suits younger children, who need a few words and a picture to hang them on. The second suits a child who likes to draw and an adult who has time to sit with them. The third suits readers who want to hear from people their own age, not from a grown-up explaining. Fiction is a fourth kind, and arguably the best for children who simply want a good story with someone like them in it. BookTrust says representation matters because stories with neurodivergent characters help children see themselves and widen their view of others.

Which picture books explain ADHD and autism?

Kathy Hoopmann's All Dogs Have ADHD and All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum.

Each is an 80-page hardback from Jessica Kingsley Publishers. The dog book uses new photographs of dogs to illustrate traits such as restlessness, excitability, distractibility and impulsiveness, and the publisher says it is humorous and understanding about the challenges and joys of raising a child with ADHD. The cat book is an updated version of an earlier title, and it covers sensory sensitivities, social difficulties and communication, in a humorous tone that conveys dignity and individuality, in the publisher's words. The publisher gives no age range for either, and the pictures do much of the work, so the books suit a parent and child reading together better than a child reading alone.

Which books are for dyslexia?

Three, and they are quite different: Xtraordinary People, Mission Dyslexia and Dyslexia is My Superpower.

Kate Griggs, who founded Made By Dyslexia, wrote Xtraordinary People as a 32-page book for ages 5 to 7 that presents dyslexic thinking as a set of strengths. Mission Dyslexia is a workbook with three superhero characters, Creatia, Persisto and Willforce, and a villain, with activities on naming feelings and finding practical ways through reading, writing, organisation and time management. Dyslexia is My Superpower (Most of the Time) is Margaret Rooke's collection of more than 100 interviews with young people with dyslexia, with a section for education professionals. The superpower framing is not to everyone's taste, so look at one before you buy.

How do you choose between them?

Pick by the child's age first, then by whether they like pictures, drawing or other people's stories.

If you have to choose one for a child of about six, Xtraordinary People is the cheapest and the only one with a listed age band. For a child who draws, Mission Dyslexia. For one who is nine or older and reads, Rooke's collection is the likeliest to feel like it is talking to them, though the publisher gives no age range.

How do you read one with a child?

Read it yourself first, then let the child lead.

A photo book can be read in ten minutes, but nothing says it has to be. Stop when the child stops, let them point and comment, and do not turn the end into a lesson. A workbook such as Mission Dyslexia is meant for children and adults to work through together, so pick a time with no hurry and put it away when it stops being fun.

Where to find fiction

BookTrust has a booklist of 20 titles, and it is the best place to look.

The list covers ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and OCD, in books for ages from 1 to 14. It includes Abigail Balfe's A Different Sort of Normal, Louise Gooding's Wonderfully Wired Brains and Elle McNicoll's Like a Charm. BookTrust describes the list as non-exhaustive and as an introduction. We have not stocked any of these yet and have noted them as additions.

Things to know

• Availability. Jessica Kingsley Publishers' own pages showed four of these as awaiting stock on 26 October 2026, so check delivery before you promise a book for a particular day.
• Age ranges. Most publishers do not give one. Judge by a sample and by the child.
• Diagnosis is your call. None of these books says when to talk to a child about a diagnosis.
• Tone. Some families like the strengths-based framing and some find it hard to recognise in their own child. Both are fair.
• We have not tested any of this with children. We describe what publishers say.