Hugo knows he is a little different from the other animals, but he doesn’t know why. Hugo is a shy fuzzy brown spider who lives in the forest with his family. He sometimes feels sad and confused about how to fit in. This story offers an exciting journey about surviving in the world with Aspergers syndrome. The purpose of the book is to bring awareness and educational information to children, families, and educators. One of our ideas is to inform children with Aspergers that even though they have been diagnosed with this syndrome, they have no limitations. As a mental-health counselor and a registered school nurse working with autistic students, we partnered in an elementary-school setting as colleagues and saw a great need for awareness of and education about Aspergers syndrome. As a school nurse, I have observed many school-related frustrations of students and families. It is our personal mission to write an informative book to embrace these unique children. As a mother of a child with Aspergers, in educating my own son, I was disheartened not to find informative books. It is my hope that this will empower other parents to see strengths in their children as they deal with daily challenges. What’s your child’s normal? We want to teach our readers that some of their behaviors are coping mechanisms. Children with Aspergers have to approach life differently in order to function. What may be considered normal for others is not necessarily how someone with Aspergers would respond. One of our aspirations is to reduce the risk of bullying through education and empowering self-confidence through feelings of acceptance. With the increase of Aspergers diagnoses, it is imperative for individuals to have the knowledge for optimal wellness.
