Books, Movies, and TV
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Stories Featuring Children with Diverse Abilities
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(Fiction and Non-Fiction)
Books About Intellectual Disabilities
Non-Fiction / Memoirs
• I Am a Superhero Expert: Growing Up with My Autistic Older Brother — Josh Stehle
• Count Us In: Growing Up with Down Syndrome — Jason Kingsley & Mitchell Levitz
• The Reason I Jump — Naoki Higashida
• Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism — Temple Grandin
• Born on a Blue Day — Daniel Tammet
Fiction
• Flowers for Algernon — Daniel Keyes
• Mockingbird — Kathryn Erskine
• Rules — Cynthia Lord
• Al Capone Does My Shirts — Gennifer Choldenko
• Marcelo in the Real World — Francisco X. Stork
• Out of My Mind — Sharon M. Draper
Books About Mental Health Conditions
Depression
• All the Bright Places — Jennifer Niven
• It’s Kind of a Funny Story — Ned Vizzini
Anxiety
• Finding Audrey — Sophie Kinsella
• Every Last Word — Tamara Ireland Stone
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• OCDaniel — Wesley King
• Turtles All the Way Down — John Green
Bipolar Disorder
• When We Collided — Emery Lord
• A Tragic Kind of Wonderful — Eric Lindstrom
ADHD
• Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key — Jack Gantos
• Focused — Alyson Gerber
Films That Showcase the Power, Potential, and Resilience of Every Child
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(Includes autism, Down syndrome, anxiety, ADHD, depression, OCD, bipolar, selective mutism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and developmental disorders.)
• The Unbreakable Boy (2025) — Autism & brittle bone disease — true story
• Stand Clear of the Closing Doors (2013) — Autism — boy flees into the NYC subway
• Silent Fall (1994) — Autism — child is only witness to parents’ murder
• A Boy Called Po (2016) — Autism — single father raising autistic son
• The Rainbow Kid (2015) — Down syndrome — teen on journey across Ontario
• My Feral Heart (2016) — Down syndrome — young man adapts to care home life
• Any Day Now (2012) — Down syndrome — adoption case involving neighbors
• Far From the Tree (2017, documentary) — Down syndrome & other differences — real families
• So Damn Easy Going (2022) — ADHD — Swedish teen facing life and relationships
• Thumbsucker (2005) — ADHD — teen struggles with identity, school, medication
• Trapped in Silence (1986) — Selective mutism — trauma-based communication block
• My Child Won’t Speak (2010, documentary) — Selective mutism — follows young girls
• Speaking in Silence (short) — Selective mutism — London-based documentary short
• Just Like You: Anxiety & Depression — Youth and adults share lived experiences
• Jimmy (2013) — Mild intellectual disability — emotional family-based story
• Tru Confessions (2002) — Developmental disability — twin sibling dynamic
• White Frog (2012) — Autism — teen coping with grief and family perception
• Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) — Down syndrome — young man pursues wrestling dream
Family TV That Encourages Acceptance and Inclusion
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• Atypical (Netflix) — Autism spectrum — independence, identity, relationships
• The Healing Powers of Dude (Netflix) — Social anxiety disorder — support dog at school
• The A Word (BBC) — Autism diagnosis impacts family relationships
• Ralph & Katie (BBC) — Down syndrome — couple navigating adult life
• Speechless (ABC) — Cerebral palsy — assistive tech, inclusion, and family life
• There She Goes (BBC) — Intellectual disability from chromosomal disorder — family perspective
• 13 Reasons Why (Netflix) — Depression, trauma, and suicide in teens
Review a Resource:
I am a Superhero Expert
This memoir by Josh Stehle is a well-written account of his experience growing up with his autistic older brother. It’s often funny, insightful, and highlights the positive brotherly connection that they share. It’s a quick must-read for autism parents and siblings.
