October is National Book Month, which is sponsored by the National Book Foundation in an effort to celebrate how books can "open our minds." As an author, freelance writer, tutor and mother - I couldn't agree more that books help "open our minds." In fact, I have written a series of children's books to help educate children and adults on Asperger's Syndrome and language skills. The first book in the series has been picked by a few publishing companies and I have the pleasure of announcing that I have chosen one of them to sign a contract. "Grace Asperger Goes to School" will be printed in approximately the next 6-12 months. To help fund this project please feel free to donate (anonymously or using your name) by going to www.GoFundMe.com/publishLeslie.
Parents have asked me how to explain Asperger's to their children. My hope is that each book will help people better understand how people with Asperger's think very literally while teaching some English terms at the same time.
My idea for these books came to me when my oldest daughter (that has Asperger's), was told to "throw out her ice cream cone." We were at a restaurant and I was in a hurry to get going. She looked at me and then turned to stare at the garbage half-way across the room. She shrugged her shoulders, then "threw the ice cream" at the garbage. Due to the fact, that it was one of those garbage containers that you have to push open, the ice cream splattered all over the place. Many people stared at us horrified at the mess. My daughter looked at me innocently, and said, "What? You said to THROW it out." I burst out laughing and said, "Yes. Yes I did." Then, I proceeded to clean up the mess. However, the lesson was far from being over. I had many people talking about me. I'm not deaf, I heard the comments: How can she just laugh?; Why isn't she punishing her daughter?; If that was my kid... It made me realize that Asperger's is a hidden handicap. My daughter "looks" normal and therefore people assume she is being a "bad" kid when she does something out of the ordinary. My hope is to educate kids but adults, too.
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