Autism in Young Adult Novels

With the increase of children and teens diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there has also been an increase of books on the subject, including fiction. This book looks at 100 novels published in English between 1968 and 2013, for young adults (ages 11 to 19), with at least one main character overtly stated as having an ASD. Each novel was analyzed by the authors using a coding sheet developed for the study, which is included in the appendix. The three parts to the book are an analysis of characters, a section of annotated bibliographies, and a bibliography of novels where a character shows characteristics of having an ASD but it is not clearly stated in the book. In the character analysis, the authors looked for such things as sex, age, whether the character has friends, the relationship with family members, and how accurate the information on ASD is presented. The annotated bibliography includes information such as whether autism is a central plot of the novel, how accurately ASD is described in the novel, and how well written the novel is. This is a unique bibliography of a topical issue, and it belongs in most school and public library professional collections. * Booklist *
Originally conceived as a research article, this study offers a content analysis of autism represented in novels for young adults over the years 1968–2013, addressing the problem of how characters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are portrayed. Authors Irwin, Goldsmith, and Applegate give clear explanations of the definitions used in their analysis, although they do not describe how they ascertained literary quality. For each book, they identify which characters have ASD, how these individuals are related to the protagonist, and whether their stories are central or are subplots in the narrative. Family relationships and perceptions of these interactions are also treated. Each analyzed work included in the bibliography offers a brief description of the role autism plays in the story, a rating on an autism content scale devised by the authors (i.e., how accurate is the portrayal), as well as a note on literary quality and genre. Extensive data charts and appendixes reveal details of the scale results; inclusion of the coding sheets is a helpful addition for readers interested in replicating or extending the analysis. The sources analyzed will be especially helpful to teachers dealing with inclusion who are looking for suitable reading materials to augment students' understanding of ASD. Summing Up: Recommended. Researchers/faculty; professionals/practitioners. * CHOICE *