Creating Children’s Literature to Promote Acceptance and Awareness of Autism

Author(s)

Heather O'Hara, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Major

Education (Elementary and Secondary)

Second Major

Psychology

Advisor

Sweetman, Sara

Advisor Department

Education

Date

5-2019

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorder, education, children's literature, awareness, acceptance

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Abstract

Picture books and short stories are often used by parents and teachers to develop social emotional competence in young children (Ludwig, 2012). The book I developed is titled Marty Meets a Friend, and is written with the intent to promote awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to teach about acceptance and appreciation for differences. The book is about a young dog, Marty, who meets his new neighbor, Max. Though not mentioned explicitly in the book, Max has common characteristics similar to someone who is diagnosed with ASD. Some of the stated qualities Max has are: intense or focused interests, repetitive body movements such as hand flapping, limited use and understanding of non-verbal communication like eye contact, and difficulty with social responsiveness. There are guided questions included at the bottom of specific pages to be read by an educator, parent, or adult to encourage students to think deeper about the meaning of acceptance relative to their everyday life. Research shows that deliberately planned interventions using picture books can create peer awareness which can be implemented through a step-by-step decision-making process. By raising awareness about ASD, it can develop a foundation for authentic inclusion in the classroom (Maich & Belcher, 2011). By self-publishing this book, I hope that a student will either be able to relate to Max’s differences and feel proud to be represented, or be able to connect to Marty’s journey of realizing the value of acceptance. The overall message or theme in this book is to support every person, no matter their differences.