E C A F W E N E TH Y C A R E T I L OF
Emily Dolton
How Two Neuro-Diverse San Diegans Are Changing Your Child’s Bookshelf
The first time I met Sally Pla, she was reading aloud from her book, “Stanley Will Probably
Be Fine”, at an event at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. Chairman of the San Diego Comic Fest, Matt Dunford, was also there because Pla’s main character Stanley, a neuro-diverse middle school student, is on a scavenger hunt to win tickets to Comic Fest. At the time, I had no idea that both Pla and Dunford had high-functioning Autism. Since that day, I’ve had the pleasure of working with both of them.
MEET...
Award-Winning Author, Sally Pla
Many of the characters in Pla’s
children’s books have traits similar to her own. In addition to Stanley, there is Charlie of The Someday Birds, who searches for rare birds and the perfect chicken nuggets on the way to see his military dad being treated for a traumatic brain injury; and Benji of Benji, the Bad Day, and Me, whose mom rolls him into a blanket burrito to help with his sensory needs. Pla admits she is tired of disabilities being pathologized as problems. So she and Marriage and Family Therapist Merriam Saunders launched the blog A Novel Mind, a resource for youth literature that highlights characters who are neuro-diverse or have mental health challenges. “I wanted a place where parents come together to find books that help kids see themselves in a positive spotlight,” says Pla. “It started with a list, and now I think we have 30 archived posts from authors sharing thoughts and stories.”
Pla and Saunders have compiled a list of 664 books with diverse characters. Parents and educators are invited to add more. They highlight books with main characters that have disabilities or challenges and who are not marginalized or sidelined. Books are not rated or ranked on the site, as everyone has a different favorite. When pressed to name a book or character that really speaks to her, Pla sites M is for Autism, by the students of Limpsfield Grange, a school for girls with ASD. The book follows a girl with social and communicative challenges. “I really feel the sensory anguish [of the main character],” Pla says. I relate to her sensory needs.” Pla is working on a new book with a female protagonist with Autism, as she feels girls are underrepresented in Autistic character depiction. Stay tuned for another book about how children know if they are growing, which should be available soon.
84 • SNRFSD.org • SanDiegofamily.com • flourishing families 2020
