Children's Books and Picture Books Written and Illustrated by Autistic People

  Children's Books and Picture Books Written and Illustrated by Autistic People and Why Representation Matters Materials for Children Professor: Beth Wrenn-Estes Info 263-10 April 26, 2025

  Introduction When I was two years old, my brother, Gregory, was born. I recently looked back on some old home videos and was surprised how nonplussed I was when my brother would struggle with sensory input and changes to routine. By the time he was six years old, he officially was diagnosed with autism. Back in the early 1990's, autism was not as prevalent and well-known as it is today and many of Greg's teachers didn't know how to handle his behaviors (he was placed in a general ed setting, but exhibited behaviors that would disrupt the class). My mother made the decision to take him out of public school and home school him from 5th grade all the way through his senior year of high school, in which he thrived academically and behaviorally, but did miss out on the social aspects of being around other peers. All this being said, I really wanted to do my "Choose Your Own Topic" on autistic representation in children's books and picture books since, growing up,...

  Conclusion As I am writing this conclusion, there is so much hurtful and incorrect rhetoric regarding autism, claiming that "These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date" (NPR, 2025). Spewing this vitriol feeds into the idea that people with autism are a burden and perpetuates false information about autism being a "disease" and an "epidemic." Now, more than ever, we need books from autistic writers depicting authentic, respectful, and honest portrayals of characters with autism. Creating multi-faceted characters with autism whose perspectives are affirmed and not diminished helps readers not familiar with ASD learn empathy and compassion while people on the spectrum can feel seen and represented.  2020's onward, there are definitely improvements in representing the full autism spectrum, from minimal support (Level 1) to very ...

  History Autism Definition Per the National Institute of Mental Health, "autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave [...] it is described as a 'developmental disorder' because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life" (2024). ___________________________________________________________________________________ Dolly Gray Awards Started in 2000, the Dolly Gray Awards honors authors, illustrators, and publishers of books that depict characters with autism and developmental disabilities. The award has been presented every year since 2000 and aims to celebrate "authentic and inclusive portrayals of characters with autism and developmental disabilities in children's and young adult literature" (Dolly Gray Award, n.d.). Selection of Dolly Gray Award winning Books _________________________________________________________________________________...

  Authors Sally J. Pla Website https://sallyjpla.com/ Children's Books  The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn Ada and Zaz The Someday Birds Benji, the Bad Day, and Me Stanley Will Probably be Fine Invisible Isabel No World Too Big Genre Children's fiction About the Author "I know what it feels like to be a little bit different, a little off, unsure, and unusual, in a world that can be very straight and narrow-thinking about what it calls ‘normal.’ And I know what it’s like to feel scared of pretty much everything. And to choose not to speak. I didn’t know it when I was a kid, but as a grown-up, I learned there was a reason for my struggles: autism! For me, it means I have a harder time dealing with sensory stuff – the too-muchness of the world. But I’ve learned a lot of skills along the way, and I manage quite well now" (Taken from Sally J. Pla's About page ) Benji, the Bad Day, and Me Invisible Isabel _____________________________________________________________...

Illustrators   Samantha Cotterill Website https://www.samanthacotterill.com/ Art Style and Techniques Bright colors, light and shadows, 3-D design, fun and whimsical About the Illustrator "Samantha Cotterill is an award winning picture book author and illustrator of many books for children. Samantha has been featured in The New York Times (as illustrator for Just Add Glitter, written by Angela Diterlizzi and A Grand Day, written by Jean Reidy) and The Wall Street Journal for her art in The Jinx and The Doom Fight Crime! (written by Lisa Mantchev). She has recently launched a book series for kids on the Autism spectrum and/or with sensory issues entitled Little Senses, with This Beach Is Loud! chosen for Dolly Parton's 2020, 2021 and 2022 book list for The Imagination Library. Over 1,000,000 copies have been distributed nationwide through this program.  Samantha contributes regularly as a resident host for the 3 Point Perspective Podcast, and as instructor at the School of Visu...