I just read Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. It's a novel told in first person by a girl with Aspberger's syndrome. It is also about individuals and a community trying to heal from terrible loss. It has been recommended for students in 4th through 7th grade, though I think 4th grade is a bit young, and that older students and adults would also enjoy reading it.
This is a link to a list of books about autism.
Anything But Typical is also told in first person. When I read it, I felt that maybe it helped me better understand what life is like for a person with autism.
These are contemporary realistic fiction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnVPbq8EpHE
http://www.pbs.org/search/?q=neurotypical