Autistic Pride Day is celebrated on the 18th June each year. It is a day to recoginise the importance of pride for autistic people and its role in bringing about positive changes in the broader society. Autistic Pride Day was first celebrated in 2005 by Aspies For Freedom, who modelled the celebration on the gay pride movement. Organisations around the world celebrate Autistic Pride Day with events held to connect with each other and demonstrate to neurotypical people that they are unique individuals and not cases for treatment.

Diversity and difference should be celebrated all year round, however you'll also see World Autism Awareness Day and World Autism Acceptance Week on the calendar. The 2nd of April which marks World Autism Awareness Day, where the United Nations encourage member states to take measures to raise awareness about people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The UK’s National Autistic Society marks World Autism Acceptance Week from the 27th March through to the 2rd April. The choice of wording in the two titles is key, awareness and acceptance, both vital, and yet acceptance hits home the hardest.

As well as differences being celebrated all year round, they should also be read about all year round. The books we have included in this collection feature characters with, or potentially with Autism Spectrum Disorder (which includes Aspergers syndrome) that we recommend today and every day. These books are all works of fiction and you’ll find several different genres from family drama, to crime, humour, and relationship tales. Some of the authors know the autism spectrum intimately, whether they themselves are on the autism spectrum, or have family members or friends who are. In several novels no labels appear, allowing and encouraging the reader to accept the character entirely for who they are. All of these novels highlight awareness, and acceptance, all of them are fabulous reads.

You can find out more about Autism Spectrum Disorder by visiting www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism