Emma Dalmayne is a mother to six childen. “Some are diagnosed while others are not but all are gloriously neurodiverse,” says Emma who home educates the youngest two, one of who has complex special needs.
Emma began writing a year ago and found the reaction from her readers to be very positive. She writes a monthly column her on Geek Club Books and has also been published on The Mighty, Autism Daily Newscast, Special Needs Jungle and Autistic Spectrum Digest. She’s found her passion for helping and educating parents and professionals about a wide range of subjects from autistic mistreatment to sensory issues, from meltdowns to domestic violence. Stass Publications just published her new book and Emma is here to tell us all about it.
What inspired you to write It’s an Autism Thing…I’ll Help You Understand?
I wrote the book in response to the amount of times I would see negative responses to parents’ questions online where they would be told “It’s an autism thing, you wouldn’t understand.” I thought, well let’s make them! It’s a book that covers subjects such as meltdowns, sensory overload, shutdowns and replay. There are also explanations to autistic behaviours such as self stimulating behaviours and lining up.
In each chapter there’s ‘My Experiences’, Information and Advice clearly marked and separated by illustrations. It’s coming out as an iBook and a hard copy.
Who’s your illustrator and why was he/she perfect for capturing the spirit of your book?
The person who illustrated my book, I’m proud to say is my son Raphelle Dalmayne, he’s done an amazing job and is eager to illustrate more. Raphelle is great as he loves art and has a brilliant imagination plus he’s artistically talented, he was the obvious choice!
Who is the ideal reader and how do you see the book being used?
My ideal reader for this book would be someone who wishes to understand. Someone who is willing to step outside the box and see things from an autistic perspective, who will be open to new ideas and whom wants to help the autistic person in their life. I want them to put it down feeling enlightened, more capable and enriched with knowledge. I see it being used a tool in classrooms and homes and am hopeful it will help carers and parents worldwide.
What’s the message you want your readers to take away after reading the book?
The book promotes acceptance and a message of inclusion. I have used the term ‘autistic child’ and not ‘child with autism’ as I believe you cannot ‘have’ autism, you can however, be autistic.
For more:
- Buy the book at Stass Publications
- It’s an Autism Thing…I’ll Help You Understand on Facebook
- Visit Emma’s website
- Read Emma’s essays on Geek Club Books
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