Free Autism Spectrum e-books

Starting or extending your personal Autism reference library? Begin by trying these four free, reputable e-books written for the public (with or without Autism), parents and professionals.

A Parent’s Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder (2011) by the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) .
This short guide is intended to help parents understand what autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is, recognize common signs and symptoms, and find the resources they need. It is a useful 27-page book  offered in Epub and Mobi formats for e-readers, alongside the common PDF format, and it is also published in Spanish.  

Ohio’s Parent Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders (2009) from OCALI – The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence.
This 274-page manual provides an overview of the world of autism spectrum disorders. It was developed by Ohio parents, for Ohio parents, with examples provided from their experiences. The information included in the manual is a result of their answers to the question: When your child was first diagnosed, what information did you need most?
The manual covers a wide range of topics of interest to families, and each chapter contains rich reference materials, including books, websites, and names of organizations where additional information on each topic may be obtained.

A Spectrum of Relationships (2011) by C. S. Wyatt
The author reflects on his own experiences as a diagnosed high-functioning autistic individual navigating the complex and sometimes frustrating social situations of daily life. This is a free 81-pages-long abridged edition in ePub format. It can be downloaded from the author’s popular blog The Autistic Me, which features more reflections on daily life with autism from his perspective of a university professor.

Finally, section C2 of the IACAPAP Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2012) covers autism spectrum disorders.
The IACAPAP Textbook is a global publication by the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions in Geneva, and is intended for professionals training or practising in mental health and not for the general public. This colourful 27-page chapter can be downloaded as a PDF.