Books with neurodivergent characters mark new chapter for publishers

Elle McNicoll, who is neurodivergent, has written an award-winning children’s book featuring an autistic character. Photograph: Aashfaria A Anwar/A Studio Aash

Children’s books that feature neurodiverse main characters are the latest publishing trend, experts have said.

Publishers, which were previously reluctant to approach the subject, are increasingly seeking out realistic and explicitly neurodiverse protagonists, often by authors who are themselves neurodivergent.