📚Recommended Reads
Books for parents of neurodivergent teens & young adults — and anyone trying to do right by them.
Also for people lookin’ to just be a better human being.
🧠 Executive Function & ADHD
Start here if your kid is bright but overwhelmed — or if you are.
Smart but Scattered – Dawson & Guare
Practical tools written like they’ve actually met a child before. Helps turn chaos into structure without sounding like a drill sergeant.
Your Brain’s Not Broken – Tamara Rosier
Breaks down ADHD motivation, emotion, and time-blindness with warmth, clarity, and lots of “ohhhh, that’s why” moments.
Atomic Habits – James Clear
Tiny steps. Big wins. Helps you and your kid get unstuck from all-or-nothing thinking.
🧩 Autism & Communication
Books that shift the focus from fixing to connecting.
Uniquely Human – Barry Prizant
A respectful, hopeful guide that invites us to listen first and respond with humanity. Gold standard.
Autism Life Skills – Chantal Sicile-Kira
Straight talk from someone who’s been there. Focuses on real-world success and social navigation.
Let’s Relate – Brian R. King
(Yes, that’s me.) Tools to help build strong, reciprocal relationships with your autistic loved one. Practical, compassionate, and battle-tested.
💬 Better Conversations (and Tougher Ones, Too)
Because what we say — and how we say it — can change everything.
The Explosive Child – Ross Greene
Lagging skills, not bad behavior. This book rewrites how we handle conflict, especially when meltdowns are part of the picture.
Daring Greatly – Brené Brown
What happens when we lead with courage instead of fear? Especially helpful when repairing parent-teen trust.
The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
Four deceptively simple principles. Use them and watch your inner peace (and your relationships) transform.
Early Socratic Dialogues – Plato
If you like helping others arrive at truth rather than forcing it, this classic will speak your language.
🧭 For Teens and Young Adults Finding Their Way
Books that affirm, explain, and empower.
ADHD: What Everyone Needs to Know – Hinshaw & Ellison
Direct and thorough. A great entry point for teens or college students trying to understand themselves.
The Reason I Jump – Naoki Higashida
Written by a 13-year-old autistic boy. Profound, poetic, and perspective-shifting.
👥 For Siblings, Friends, and Curious Allies
Help the people around your child get it without needing a PhD.
Can You See Me? – Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott
A novel written with the input of a neurodivergent teen. Perfect for tweens or siblings who want to understand autism with heart.
Different, Not Less – Temple Grandin
Profiles of autistic adults succeeding in life. Inspiring, honest, and a great myth-buster.
🍎 For Teachers, Coaches & Other Caring Adults
For the grown-ups who want to do better — but need the tools.
The Whole-Brain Child – Siegel & Bryson
Science meets storytelling. A must for anyone guiding kids through emotional storms.
NeuroTribes – Steve Silberman
The big-picture history and future of autism. A longer read, but packed with insight and humanity.
🧘♂️ Mindfulness, Emotional Regulation & Calming the Chaos
When your nervous system is fried and you’re just trying to breathe.
Permission to Feel – Marc Brackett
Gives both parents and kids language and permission to name emotions without shame.
The Mindful Way Workbook – Teasdale, Williams & Segal
Gentle, no-fluff guide to managing racing thoughts and strong emotions. Feels like a weighted blanket.
Why Emotional Regulation Might Mean Everything – Terry Duncan
For the curious brain that wants the “why” behind the meltdowns — and the path to better regulation.
🫂 Grief, Letting Go & Redefining Success
For the moments when it’s hard to keep going.
Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
A powerful reminder that we don’t always choose our suffering, but we do choose how we respond to it.
The Big Leap – Gay Hendricks
Ever feel like you hit an invisible ceiling when life gets good? This book helps you break through it.
The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
Resistance, avoidance, fear of failure — meet their worst enemy: a clear path forward.
The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk
Trauma doesn’t just live in memories. It lives in our bodies. This book helps you understand and begin healing.
The Deepest Well – Nadine Burke Harris
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are real, and they don’t have to define us. This one connects the dots between childhood stress and lifelong health.
🌟 For the Big Picture Thinkers & Visionaries
Because some of us like zooming out just as much as zooming in.
Quiet – Susan Cain
If you're raising a quiet thinker in a loud world — or are one — this is a celebration of your superpower.
Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
A portrait of a complex, neurodivergent innovator who shaped the world by thinking differently.
Think Again – Adam Grant
Reconsider your assumptions. Update your beliefs. Grow like it’s your job.
A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle
Less “fix yourself,” more see yourself clearly. A deeply grounding book for the soul-searchers among us.