Behind the Book

Many books about Autism have a specific audience in mind, the Autism community.

This community, comprised of Autistic adults and children, parents to autistic children, professionals, researchers, therapists, etc. is often who those books are for.

There’s nothing wrong with this, we need more of this honestly.

However, we need more books that bridge our world with that of those not of our world. In other words, we need more books that serve as invitations for allistic (not Autistic, but can be Neurodivergent in other ways) and non-disabled persons to not only see us but to know us.

And that’s what I tried to accomplish with a children’s book containing less than 600 words.

This was a book about Autism, a unique way of experiencing Autism, intended for an audience that extended beyond this community.

Because we are of this world, and this world is large, what we require to access it, is a collaborative effort between those touched by Autism in some way, and those who are not.

My work centers on the disruption and dismantling of oppressive systems, the examination of privileges intersecting with oppressions, and the attitudes that shape and maintain violent institutions. This work moves beyond this community.

Everything about this book was deliberate; from the actual story, to the decision to make it rhyme, gearing it towards children, to the title itself. Each served a purpose, each meant something.

I want to share more about that.

The story:

a love letter to Aidan, inspired by my family. Aidan does not speak. As a family, we participate in days in which we do not speak either. We communicate just as Aidan does. With Aidan, with each other, and with the community. This is a story that follows a day with Mama and son, exploring that relationship, communicating without speech, and venturing into the community.

Why it rhymes:

I don’t do rhyme well, but it was important to me that it rhyme because songs are important to Aidan. He lives for music. He has preferences, he bounces along to the beats, and he sometimes mouths the lyrics. I wanted to inject many ways to honor him with this book, and this was one way how.

The title:

A Day with No Words. The title gave me a hard time, I won’t lie. Because I sat in a space where I felt that this was a book created for a specific audience, and I knew deep down it wasn’t. I knew I didn’t want it to be. This book is the manifestation of our histories and contexts. And our history dictates that this community knows my son carries words he does not speak, but those outside of this community do not.

And this is a book about bridging our world with theirs. They associate speech with words and if my son can’t produce speech, then he mustn’t know words. It’s a ridiculous assumption given this world communicates with words nonverbally all the time. But they don’t often extend this understanding to Aidan.

The title is reflective of their assumptions and the story is a challenge to them.

Who is this book for?

While anyone of any age should read this book, it’s construction centers on child readers. The first time my children noticed they were different and treated as such was around first grade. Stories can be our best teachers. This book asks questions and then answers them. This book will allow children and adults the opportunity to open themselves up to connecting with experiences outside of their own.

This book may be someone’s introduction to disability, and for me, that’s an enormous responsibility. My son’s way of experiencing autism isn’t uncommon but it’s often treated as rare. There aren’t many who have encountered someone like Aidan.

This is a book for children and adults alike. A book on visibility, compassion, and concern. This isn’t just a children’s book, it’s an invitation to an experience many do not know. It’s a lesson in community and humanity. It’s a challenge to commonly held beliefs. It’s a call to action.

I sincerely hope y’all enjoy this book. I hope it inspires you to move beyond social media. I hope it makes you smile. I hope you share it with those outside of this community.

Enjoy.

And don’t forget to leave a review once you’ve read it. They really help a first-time author like myself.