The Autism Is…? books are part of a charming series, with impressive and bright illustrations by Rob Feldman and Jennifer Lackgren. They cover subjects like autism, danger, feelings, school rules, manners, and friendship, and help to positively reinforce appropriate behavior at home and while out.
When my grandson was around 4 years old, he started asking questions that needed detailed and clear answers. Questions like, “Autism is…?”, “Danger is…?”, and “Feelings are…?” set me thinking on how to best answer him.
He loved rhyming words at the time, so considering the many rhyming games we played together, it didn’t surprise me when the answers to his questions started coming to me in rhyme, too. After I wrote and printed out the first story, “Autism Is…?”, for him, and saw his delightful reaction, I followed up with “Danger Is…?” and others on topics he needed to learn about.
When I later showed some of my writings to a dear friend and autism resource specialist, who was my go-to for support at the time, she encouraged me to publish them. Friends helped with the illustrating and design of the first book, and I decided to self-publish “Autism Is…?” through CreateSpace (an Amazon Company) to make it available as quickly and to as many as possible.
It has been a dream come true to see six of my stories published, and some of them translated into Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Turkish, and Thai. The reactions from professionals, parents, and children have been heart-warming and so encouraging.
I hope my books will make a difference for you and your children.