Latest / Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast / How Children's Books Help Explain Autism and Big Emotions | Alisha Simpson Watt

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How Children's Books Help Explain Autism and Big Emotions | Alisha Simpson Watt · Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast

2:27
Hello, I'm Alicia Simpson Watt.
2:29
I am the author of it's okay, Maddie, a story about autism, big feelings, and learning to cope.
2:38
Thanks, Alicia, for appearing on the Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors podcast.
2:43
Alicia has mentioned she's written a children's book, and today we're going to discuss your book.
2:49
It's okay.
2:50
Maddie and I look forward to our conversation.
2:53
But Alicia, before we jump into the details of your book, can you tell us what being a children's book author means to you?
3:02
Being a children's book author means being able to give children voices heard to allow them to feel heard in writing stories that resonate not only with adults, but also children.
3:16
Fantastic.
3:17
And I know we'll talk more about this, but tell us about your inspiration and your origin story and how you came up with the idea behind your book.
3:27
How did it all start?
3:29
So my background, I'm a social worker, but National Board Certified Behavior analyst.
3:34
And I own Collaborative ABA Services, which is a behavioral health agency here in Connecticut.
3:40
And we specialize in applied behavior analysis therapy.
3:44
And a large portion of our kiddos are diagnosed with autism, but we also work with children that are impacted by other developmental disorders and behavior challenges.
3:54
And so my professional work goes along the lines of being in the field of applied behavior analysis and also the social worker behavior analyst working with that population of children.
4:06
But also in addition to that, which some people really don't know is I'm also a mom of a child that has autism.
4:14
And believe it or not, Maddie's story is really inspired by my daughter and some of her challenges, in addition to some challenges that some of the kids that I've worked with also experienced as well.
4:27
Thank you for sharing that.
4:28
And I wanted to let you know I do have your book.
4:31
I also have your website so that I can refer we'll refer to your website later on.
4:37
So I've got your website up, so I'm just going to put it up in front of me here on my iPad and then we can talk about it more as we go along.
4:46
So I appreciate that, Alicia.
4:49
I always talk to people about their children's book business.
4:54
However, looking at how you've come at it, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, but you definitely have a unique approach.
5:05
Like you said, you have your own agency in behavioral health practice.
5:10
I'm curious, how are you using your book authorship to support your organization?
5:19
So the book is very interesting because it provides information and resources at the end of the book for adults as well.
5:27
So Even though it's a children's book, at the end of the book, I do talk about what we do here at Collaborative ABA Services, which talks about what autism is and how to have these age appropriate conversations with
5:40
children and where families can go to get additional resources and support.
5:45
And so was that your.
5:48
Because we'll talk about your website in a bit.
5:50
But was that your primary goal when you wrote it's okay Maddie was to find a way to communicate not only to children, but to adults when you actually wrote the book?
6:04
Yes.
6:04
I wanted it to not only be a children's book, but also something that can be beneficial to adults reading the book.
6:12
And it doesn't necessarily have to be a parent.
6:14
It was a caregiver, an educator, even a fellow therapist that is working with children that does do struggle with autism.
6:23
But interestingly too, with Maddie's story, the way that I wrote the story is it does address, like, the sensory challenges associated with autism and the difficulty with navigating changes in routine, but it also addresses big emotions or big
6:37
feelings, which a lot of children do experience.
6:41
So that piece as well, I wanted to make something that doesn't necessarily only resonate well with just children, but also to help support adults that do work with children that struggle with these.
6:56
I love that.
6:57
I love that.
6:57
To be able to bring a children's book into and make it an easy, fun read.
7:02
But it also, like you said, has a story, and we'll talk more about that and how it weaves its way through these big emotions, as you call it.
7:11
So when you were developing the book, I noticed you have it on Amazon, you offer it in three different formats.
7:20
You have a ebook, which I own, and then you also have a soft cover book and a hardcover book.
7:27
Can you explain the strategy that goes behind each one of those book formats?
7:33
Yes.
7:34
So, interestingly, I worked with a publisher which happens to be Blue Balloon Books, and they've helped me navigate the different formats of the book.
7:44
And when we met together, they actually asked me, how do you want to present the book?
7:48
Do you want to be a hardcover?
7:49
Do you want to be soft cover?
7:51
And I said, hey, I want it to be accessible to everyone.
7:54
So I really wanted it in all three formats so that it was accessible.
7:58
Even someone reading it somewhere in Germany that they're able to get access to the book.
8:04
And that's where my thinking was, just making it accessible to everyone.
8:08
And when you're creating different copies, I know, like, for example, with Ingram Smart, you can actually create different formats.
8:16
Like, but what we did was also utilize Amazon, of course, for the paperback, and then use ingramsparks for, like, the other pieces of the book as well.
8:27
So we looked at different printing methods and different organizations or companies for distribution.
8:33
Distribution, thank you.
8:34
That's the word I was looking for.
8:36
And went from there so that everyone can have access.
8:39
And that's terrific.
8:40
And that's what I find, is that generally most children's book authors use Amazon for their ebook and their softcover book.
8:49
And then of course, unfortunately, with Amazon, you have to have a minimum of five or 75 pages to actually get a hardcover book out into the marketplace.
9:01
Ingramsparks fills that gap.
9:03
So thank you for sharing that.
9:05
You talked about Blue Balloon Publishing, and I think you're my second children's book author out of into almost a hundred published children's book authors that I've interviewed.
9:18
But Blue Balloon I'm familiar with from the background with someone else.
9:21
Tell us a little bit more about them.
9:24
Are they a hybrid children's book publisher?
9:28
So in other words, you made an investment into their services.
9:32
Tell us the story.
9:34
Yeah, so they're actually a hybrid publisher.
9:38
So you do maintain control over the publishing journey, but they actually help you along with that being said, they have their team of support, where they have an editor, they have someone that can help put the book together
9:51
for you, they have someone that does marketing.
9:54
So it's a whole full service.
9:56
What I also liked about them is they'll meet you where you are, so you might not want all of the services they will provide.
10:03
Their services are individualized, based on the author and what you're looking for, and you still maintain your story.
10:09
You don't lose focus, and that's terrific.
10:12
So it's like a la carte service where you pick what you need and then you take on whatever roles that you feel comfortable with.
10:21
Yeah, it's that.
10:22
It's nice that way.
10:23
So that's fantastic.
10:24
So when it came to the publishing of your children's book, what was the biggest challenge or frustration for you in the process?
10:32
Because this is your first children's book, is that correct?
10:35
It is.
10:36
But definitely I've had some challenges.
10:39
Blue Balloon Books saved me because when I first started, I'm new to the process of being an author, I really didn't know any better.
10:47
And so initially, I had wrote my manuscript, I had my story, and I went with a different publisher at the time.
10:55
They sold me a dream, and I was like, oh, this is great.
10:59
And then as I started working with them, I started noticing some red flags.
11:03
For example, at first you have to pay a certain fee, but then all of a sudden, they started adding on all these additional services.
11:10
As I went and started adding more fees that I was like, wait, the math's not math.
11:16
And with my manuscript, they were supposed to edit the manuscript, but then when I got back, it was the same manuscript that I submitted.
11:24
So.
11:25
So that was another red flag.
11:27
And then I started.
11:29
They had an illustrator at the time, and they were giving me all these different illustrators, but it wasn't really what I was looking for to really tell Maddie's story.
11:38
And the illustrations were all over the place.
11:41
It was like Maddie looked like one person in one picture, and in another picture, she looked like something else.
11:47
And then the style of the illustrations was different between pictures.
11:51
You could tell that it might have been multiple different people that were working on these illustrations, and they weren't on the same.
11:57
They were drawing the different parts of the story at the same time and not really working together.
12:02
So I was getting almost like a collage of different pictures that really didn't speak to Maddie's journey.
12:09
And so it just so happened that Blue Balloon Books was recommended to me from someone.
12:15
And I was like, hey, I'm going to try them out.
12:17
And then as soon as I met with them, I was like, okay, this definitely would be a better fit.
12:22
And when I went to them, I already had my manuscript already and already had an idea of the illustrator that I really wanted to work with.
12:30
And so they took me in and they actually edited my manuscript even more.
12:36
And then my illustration that I had already had found my own illustrator independently, because I really wasn't happy with the previous illustrator that came with the other publishing company.
12:46
And they helped me put Maddie's story together the way it should be.
12:50
And it was a really great experience.
12:53
Fantastic.
12:53
And that's why I asked the question, because I do find sometimes when people use hybrid services, you're just never sure who's the company.
13:03
And so when you share your experiences and then recommend somebody that you've had a good experience with, it just helps our listeners understand that you really have to do your due diligence when you start looking into hybrid publishing
13:20
services.
13:20
So thank you for sharing that.
13:22
It's really appreciated when you talk about your illustrator.
13:27
A lot of times the hybrid services, they'll either have a stable of illustrators, or they'll give you a list of names and say, here's three to five.
13:38
Reach out to them.
13:39
Or they'll say, go to Fiverr or some other service like that and find your own illustrator.
13:48
You mentioned you started with the original publishing service, and then you switched and you found your own illustrator that you were happy with.
13:57
So tell us about your illustrator's name and how did you find them, knowing you went through this tough time.
14:04
So I actually did some research.
14:06
I actually looked up Irwa Moxwood, and I literally did some research, and then I found her online, and then she had a portfolio of work that she had done for other authors.
14:20
Okay.
14:21
And I was very impressed with her work.
14:23
And I was like, this is definitely going to be a good fit.
14:26
Because I.
14:27
In my mind, I already knew.
14:29
I was like, I want to make Maddie like.
14:32
What do you call those characters?
14:34
Like a Pixar.
14:35
Like a Pixar Part two.
14:36
Okay.
14:38
That was, like, her style of illustrating.
14:41
And I was like, that's exactly what I wanted.
14:43
So I actually did my research and I found her, and then her and I connected, and I had shared my manuscript with her, and she read it and she liked it, and basically she took the words and brought
14:57
Maddie to life with the pictures.
14:59
And what I liked about it was before she even finished all of the illustrations, before, when she first started, she basically had different versions of Maddie, and it was more along the lines, like a partnership.
15:12
Yeah.
15:12
Like Maddie this way, or let's change this.
15:15
So she made sure that the main characters, Maddy, her sister, mom, her brother Ronnie, the teachers, everyone that were involved in Maddie's story, she made sure that those characters were right before she put them in the different scenes
15:31
of the book.
15:32
And I appreciate.
15:33
Right.
15:33
For you.
15:34
Yes.
15:35
Terrific.
15:36
Terrific.
15:36
Because that's the whole thing about working with an illustrator.
15:40
A good illustrator will definitely work with you.
15:44
In our case, the name of our main children's book character is Caboose with a K, which stands for Kira, which is my oldest granddaughter.
15:53
But we had a vision of what Caboose looked like, and eventually we were able to go to one of those build a bear places and create what our character should look like.
16:06
And then from there, I sent pictures to the illustrator and our illustrators in England.
16:12
And so I sent the pictures and he got it.
16:17
And I also said to him, the rest of the characters have to give that same kind of feel.
16:25
So when you talk about the Pixar look, we had a certain feel that we wanted also.
16:30
So it's nice when you can find an illustrator that you can work with and they can bring your vision to life.
16:40
So would you work with that illustrator again?
16:44
Absolutely.
16:44
And I'm actually in the process of working on A series of Maddie.
16:49
So I do plan on creating more stories centered around Maddie's experiences.
16:53
And I do plan on working with IRWA to bring the series to life again.
16:58
Good for you.
16:59
Good for you.
16:59
I looked at your website and of course you've had your business.
17:03
I'm not sure for how long.
17:05
How long have you had your business?
17:41
Since June of 2019.
17:43
Okay.
17:44
So obviously I always ask this question, but I think we know the answer.
17:48
Always say, did the website come first or the book?
17:51
But in this case, the website came first and then came your book, correct?
17:55
Absolutely.
17:56
The book was just released this year, actually in March of 2026.
18:00
And tell everybody the name of your.
18:02
Website for collaborative ABA services.
18:05
It's www.collativeabaservices.com and it's our website for our behavioral health practice.
18:13
And it provides a lot of information of what we're up to, as well as resources for the community as well.
18:20
That's terrific.
18:22
And I also noticed, and I love it, how comfortable you and your staff are.
18:27
You have a YouTube channel.
18:30
I think you're up to over 20 episodes, if I'm not mistaken.
18:35
And you guys make it fun.
18:38
It's like a roundtable, which is neat.
18:41
Tell us a little bit about.
18:42
Because it's called Collab Talk.
18:46
To us a little bit about that.
18:48
Yeah, so it's called Collab Talk.
18:50
And the reason why we call it Collab Talk because it's different providers sitting at the table.
18:53
It's myself as a licensed clinical social worker and board certified behavior analyst.
18:59
And then there's another BRI is was our another bcba.
19:04
And then we had Katie, who was like an occupational therapist.
19:08
And then we had Meg, who was a social worker.
19:10
So we all had different backgrounds.
19:12
And so we would bring up different topics that were related to what families might be facing in the community and just educating them about different topics so that they can be equipped with making informed decision and also being
19:28
knowledgeable about the help and resources and supports that are out there.
19:32
That's terrific.
19:33
And to anyone listening, you've got to go to Alicia's website and just look at her YouTube channel because it's a neat format with the round table.
19:45
And I noticed on episode 19 you had a special guest.
19:51
So I want to tease our audience to go and watch episode 19.
19:57
Do you remember episode 19?
19:58
And your special guest thinking, you know what?
20:02
I'm drawing a blink.
20:04
Your special guest actually sat in for, I think Brie at the time.
20:11
So I just wanted to tease the audience that that was fun to actually do that so good for you guys to have fun with it, too.
20:20
I know it can be a very serious topic to talk about, but to actually add some humor with it, I think it's a great thing.
20:29
Yeah, absolutely.
20:30
And we do have fun.
20:31
Sometimes we're, like, laughing and then we're like, all right, guys.
20:37
And believe it or not, those recordings were actually from last year up until, I think, earlier this year.
20:43
And then we decided to take a break, and then we are looking at revamping another season of Black Talk.
20:49
Right.
20:50
Topics.
20:51
I love your intro music and how you do that.
20:54
Really good job.
20:56
Thank you.
20:57
You're more than welcome.
20:58
How else are you driving traffic to build awareness to your website?
21:03
We do social media outreach, so we do have.
21:07
We are active on different platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.
21:12
Tok is a big one, actually.
21:14
That seems to be like our.
21:15
Our comedy.
21:47
We have a lot of little funny videos on TikTok.
21:50
We have a sense of humor.
21:51
We also promote it too, because we are in a community a lot.
21:55
We do different community events, so we also promote it there as well.
21:59
We're also very involved in different initiatives.
22:02
For example, we'll do all this with Speaks walks, and you'll find us there.
22:08
Or we were at Autism Resources Connecticut.
22:11
They just had an event here in Connecticut.
22:13
So we're very big in the community and we usually are there with a table.
22:17
We're handing out information and resources, and part of that is sharing our website.
22:22
In addition to our website of collaborative AV services, we also have other initiatives.
22:27
We have Collab Weight, which is a wait list management software we just launched in January of this year to help families access care.
22:35
So we had that.
22:36
And then of course, my story or my book.
22:39
It's okay.
22:39
Maddie and I have the author website through Amazon.
22:43
So we are constantly just sharing information and just being involved in the community and hosting events.
22:50
For example.
22:51
Another example is that we host at Adventure palace here in Meriden, Connecticut.
22:55
It's like.
22:55
It's an activity place where they have the.
22:59
Oh, my goodness, like the slides and stuff like that.
23:01
And we host it.
23:03
We do Sensory Friendly Night.
23:05
Wow.
23:05
We open it up for the community and in addition to the families that we work with.
23:10
And our staff are usually there greeting the community and helping.
23:13
So we do a lot in the community to help promote and also help support as well.
23:19
You know what?
23:20
I don't have anybody I know that has autism, but I did learn a lot, even just listening to the first couple episodes.
23:28
And it's becoming, through education and awareness, people are learning more and more about it.
23:35
So that's fantastic.
23:37
And so that's why I encourage people to go to your YouTube channel and look at Collab Talk.
23:44
Even if they listen to the first one or two episodes, if they just to learn about autism, it's really neat.
23:51
Thank you.
23:52
You're welcome.
23:53
I also am interested because I noticed on your website you've now started an online merchandising store.
24:01
So tell us because as a children's book author, trying to make a living is pretty difficult when you just have one book type.
24:12
So tell us about your online merchandising store and how that works.
24:18
Yeah, so it's Step into the Spectrum is the theme and it's by collaborative services.
24:25
And so what we've done is create different shirts and we have different merch with that promotes autism awareness and also autism advocacy.
24:34
For example, I'm wearing one of the shirts.
24:38
There's one that says I'm an autism provider.
24:40
Support for autism is not petty.
24:43
So we have different, different phrases in the whole point of it.
24:47
Oh, and teach them where they learn.
24:49
So basically the point of Step into the Spectrum is really increasing the awareness and also delivering meaningful messages and just wearing the merch to say, hey, I support this.
25:01
Kohl's right on.
25:02
And so are you using Shopify or Printful or who's actually handling your merchandising?
25:10
When someone orders it, what's the company that's behind the scenes for you?
25:14
Yeah, so we partner with 4th wall and so they are.
25:18
It's very nice because it's like all in one.
25:21
They help as far as we can create the designs and everything on their website and then we create our own website and connect it and then all of the orders are fulfilled through them.
25:33
And then we also have a TikTok store, which now TikTok also helps with the orders as well.
25:39
So.
25:40
But a majority of it is really through Fourth Wall and then TikTok kind of sinks in with it.
25:45
And how did you find for Wall versus Printful or Shopify?
25:49
What made you go with them?
25:52
Honestly, just doing some research and just compare and contrasting the different options out there and just looking at what each service provides and what's available and looking at our needs as a company and what we're looking for and
26:07
just doing a cost benefit analysis.
26:09
Are you happy with what's happened so far?
26:12
Yeah, I think Fourth Lawn is very, very easy to navigate.
26:16
It's very beginner friendly, especially for someone like me that's not really like a full time designer because definitely some of the softwares out there.
26:25
It can be very complex and take people a lot of time.
26:29
No question.
26:30
No question.
26:31
So I want to jump now into more about the book.
26:36
You mentioned your daughter, one of your daughters, I think you have three children.
26:41
Yes.
26:41
And one of your daughters has autism.
26:45
So was she the specific motivation behind the book?
26:50
Yeah.
26:51
And actually her name does have Maddie in it, so she is really the real Maddie.
26:56
Okay.
26:56
And she's definitely the inspiration.
26:58
And I've made Maddie towards her liking the pink hair.
27:02
The pink brazen hair.
27:03
Yes, that's literally her.
27:06
And loving the color pink.
27:08
And having to have a pink pen.
27:10
That is my Maddie.
27:12
And it's nice to draw from something that you're living with and.
27:18
But you're able to turn it into a children's book, so pretty darn cool, actually.
27:23
Character development.
27:24
Talk to us about is Maddie's character close to the character Maddie in the book, or is there some differences?
27:35
They're kind of close.
27:36
Really close.
27:37
Very interesting.
27:38
From the hair, the braids, even down to wanting to wear pink all the time.
27:43
That.
27:44
That is.
27:44
They're very similar.
27:46
Okay.
27:46
And what about the relationship with her mother in the story?
27:49
Is that similar relationship with.
27:52
Between you and your daughter?
27:55
Yes.
27:55
Like providing support and problem solving together?
27:59
Absolutely.
28:00
Okay.
28:01
And does Maddie have a big brother?
28:03
She does, believe it or not.
28:05
Maddie's siblings, Yala is really close to her real younger sister.
28:11
And then Ronnie, who's Maddie's older brother, is really close to her older brother as well.
28:17
Terrific, Terrific.
28:19
So talk about the interaction between the teacher and Maddie.
28:28
And was it a dynamic you're living through right now?
28:33
Not currently, but in the past?
28:35
Yes.
28:36
The ripping of the homework?
28:37
Absolutely.
28:38
The screaming?
28:40
Absolutely.
28:41
Yes.
28:43
And so just take us a little bit deeper into the interaction between the characters.
28:50
So with Maddie, Maddie's interaction with Ronnie at the beginning, she wasn't happy that he was bringing her to school because she thought that mom was supposed to bring her.
29:02
So she wasn't happy about that.
29:04
And then her sister plays a part in the story, too.
29:07
And I think in the series, we'll talk more about her sister as well, because as you see, Maddie is more in her own little world.
29:14
And then the dynamics with the school counselor.
29:16
Absolutely.
29:17
Is someone that she does connect with at school that she goes to when she's feeling overwhelmed.
29:23
Having that quiet space is a real thing.
29:26
Being able to ask for help.
29:28
The loudness of the cafeteria in the morning program is a real thing.
29:34
And the dynamics of Miss Diego and ripping the paper and then giving.
29:39
Quietly giving her another Paper is reality.
29:42
And some of the kids, though, as far as our friend that was on the swing, and she didn't want to get off the swing, so recess ended early.
29:52
That part is more along the lines of my personal experience with working with other kiddos.
29:58
Okay, so that wasn't a real character in Maddie's world, but it's something that I've seen happen with other kiddos.
30:06
And then also with the other phrase that were in the story, the classmate with the not touching up the blocks and wanting to draw unicorns.
30:16
They also were characters that I had developed just based on my experience in working with kiddos.
30:23
Terrific.
30:23
Terrific.
30:24
So now that you've divulged that you are going to work on a book series, which is really neat, I'm curious about.
30:33
Are you going to.
30:34
This story takes place primarily in a school environment.
30:39
Are you going to take Maddie into different environments in your upcoming book series?
30:46
Absolutely, because my goal is to address the different challenges that children have that are neurodiverse, but also weave in some challenges that typical kids might face as well.
31:01
Because I want to make it this.
31:02
Maddie's stories are inclusive.
31:04
So even though Maddie has autism, some of the things that she might face, any other kid might also have the same challenge.
31:11
Which is interesting because even like when I'm reading it into the schools and I'm reading about Maddie, some of the kids that aren't necessarily have autism or other disabilities, some of the kids are like, that's me.
31:23
I've had some big feelings or I felt angry.
31:27
I want to make it.
31:27
Her series are still stories that everyone can connect with.
31:31
Fantastic.
31:32
And you know what's interesting, because I've got five grandchildren and I've seen them go through that dynamic.
31:38
Also, they don't have autism, but again, it's part of childhood and part of that growing up, when you're around people, you're going to run into circumstances like that.
31:49
So thank you for sharing that and thank you for broadening the base.
31:54
That's really important.
31:55
Give us your feelings about or your perspective on the theme.
32:01
So talk to us about the theme of the book.
32:05
The theme of the book really is to help families navigate challenges, especially if their child struggles.
32:16
Some of the characteristics of autism are the difficulties with sensory regulations, difficulties with transitions or changes in their routines.
32:24
But also acknowledge that even though they have these challenges, that they're still who they are and it's okay.
32:32
It doesn't define who they are.
32:34
And some of the themes were in the story were being okay with who Maddie is and when in the sexual, she was like, mom, is it because I have autism?
32:43
And mom refrained it and was like, we all have difficult or challenging day.
32:49
So mom refrained it away from just labeling her day because she had autism.
32:54
And the other piece was having self advocacy.
32:57
And that was another theme of children being able to openly express their needs and what's going on to a caring adult and being able to take the information and resources and apply them and be able to be successful
33:14
and so helping them build that self confidence.
33:16
And that's why at the end of the story, Maddie's got her little hand up and she's like, I did it.
33:21
Because the theme is she has her self confidence and she's done it.
33:25
That's terrific.
33:27
You talked about this earlier and I want to get more into the central teaching because at the end of the book you have several pages on techniques.
33:38
Talk to us about that and how it ties to.
33:42
Into the central teaching of the book.
33:45
Yeah.
33:45
So at the back of the book I do list like how to have age appropriate conversations about autism, also how to read Maddie's book to children in general, and how to be able to have these age appropriate conversations.
33:59
It also talks about things to consider before reading, during reading, and after reading the book.
34:05
It even provides different activities like the calming area or spaces and utilizing coping strategies or tools that Maddie may benefit from or from what their child can benefit from, and even helping families navigate the resources and supports that
34:23
they have in their community as well.
34:25
But also I talk about what autism is and also not just talk about it, but what are the signs and symptoms so that they're aware and what to do.
34:36
Those were like the biggest things really is just not only making like you talked about earlier, not only it being a children's book, but also basically like a resource guide.
34:46
That's terrific.
34:47
Children with autism, just trying to understand this a bit more is that their capacity to learn is really no different than any other child.
34:57
Is that correct?
34:58
It's just the way that they learn.
35:01
And so we just have to change our approach to teach them those skills.
35:06
And that's the biggest difference.
35:08
Just because a child is on a spectrum doesn't necessarily mean that they can't learn.
35:11
Just have to adjust our teaching style.
35:14
And it's not just for a kid on a spectrum, but even if a kid has other disabilities, if they have ADHD or if they might have cognitive delays either way, or they might have difficulties with language, we have
35:28
to modify how we teach them.
35:30
Absolutely.
35:31
Yeah.
35:32
You got to meet them where they Learn.
35:33
That's actually one of our.
35:34
One of our sayings on, like, in our merge, on one of our heads, it says, meet them where they learn.
35:39
Because, like, what you said, like, some of them might have been auditory learners.
35:43
So, like, their brain processes information a little bit different.
35:47
Where you might have someone that might be an auditory learner or a visual learner, you know, and you met them where they are, and they were able to take that information and run with it.
35:57
I love that.
35:57
I love that.
35:58
Meet them where they learn.
35:59
That's fantastic.
36:01
Wow.
36:02
Wow.
36:03
So thank you for sharing that.
36:04
Now that we know that you're going to write a continuing series with Maddie, can you share some insights into your writing process and how you're going to go about doing this?
36:19
Yeah.
36:20
So one thing I like about being a writer is being able to incorporate my experiences and kind of be able to tease out what part of my experiences I want to write about and what part of my experiences
36:31
where I'm like, I'm not going to write about that.
36:34
So a lot of my thought process really comes from everyday, different things that might come up.
36:42
And I'm like, this would be a great story.
36:44
Or.
36:44
Or I'm also looking at too, what are some things that I'm seeing as a provider, even as a parent, that there's not enough information about that I feel like the community can benefit from.
36:57
And I kind of use that, too, and that helps me navigate what I want to address.
37:02
Are you going to be drawing on your own personal experience with your daughter, knowing your background?
37:08
Are you going to draw in on your background also?
37:11
And then knowing you have this, like you said, this forum of people around you that come from different backgrounds.
37:19
Tell us about how you're going to develop these and research these new books in your book series.
37:27
So I'm already actually in the process.
37:30
I have some ideas and thoughts, and a lot of the inspiration is really coming from not only my experience, experience as a parent, but also it's coming from my experience, of course, working with other professionals, but also as
37:43
a provider.
37:44
Because even though I'm the owner of collaborative ABA services, I still provide direct services.
37:49
So I autism evaluations, I still do the ABA therapy.
37:52
I'm still very involved and in my work with the different children and families that I work with, there are some themes and different things that do come up for me, and I think about those being very great talking
38:06
topics, even some things that I'm seeing from a community, perspectives that come up.
38:11
That seems to be a theme.
38:13
So I take that and I use that as my foundation on what my next topics will be.
38:20
Okay.
38:21
And so, Alicia, I want to take you back a bit.
38:25
We talked about using your book in your business, but I'm curious about when you first started thinking about, okay, I'm going to write a children's book.
38:34
I'm going to use it as a bridge to talk to parents and healthcare providers.
38:40
Or I'm not sure.
38:40
I probably don't have the terminology correct, but.
38:44
So I'm thinking, tell us about what you envision the success of the book would look like.
38:50
What was that?
38:51
So in my vision, honestly, I feel like I'm witty right now.
38:56
If the book resonates with just one or two people and it helps just one family act like I'm still winning because that was really my underlying purpose is really just to get the information and resources out there.
39:09
And also, the book also has been received very well, even though it's only been out since March.
39:16
Since then, I've been invited to have book signings at Barnes and Nobles, also participate in different author events.
39:26
I've been providing reading and lessons in the schools and sharing Maddie's stories in the school systems, which is very nice.
39:34
And also providing consultation to other educators on how they can incorporate Maddie's story into social emotional learning curriculum for their students.
39:43
So I do so.
39:44
And also we've gotten some positive feedback from other book reviewers or, you know, are starting to notice Maddie.
39:51
And I'm getting messages from some book reviewers like, hey, I didn't know that this book existed.
39:55
This is a great resource.
39:58
So I'm actually feeling like I am winning because it's.
40:01
It seems to be resonating well.
40:03
And then I believe Maddie also was recognized recently.
40:07
And oh, my goodness, I forgot the name of the paper.
40:11
Connecticut Families.
40:12
It was a paper here in Connecticut.
40:15
They published it's okay.
40:17
Maddie was featured as one of their books.
40:20
Maddie's definitely been picking up some momentum, and it has appeared to be well received, even from Liberians, too.
40:27
I'm getting positive feedback from Liberians as well and being invited also to come into the libraries and do story times with their kiddos.
40:35
So I do think Maddie is definitely on the path to being very successful just by the feedback and insight that I'm getting from the community, even families.
40:45
I even have parents that have been reaching out and just resonating or connecting with Maddie's story.
40:52
So it's very nice now that we.
40:55
Know that you're going to continue writing and you're a very busy person, which blows my mind.
41:01
So Tell us, how is the role of being a children's book author going to fit into your life in the grand scheme of things?
41:10
Honestly, it's all about prioritizing in planning.
41:16
Unpaid.
41:17
So.
41:18
So I literally.
41:19
For me to stay on top of everything, I have the calendar and my Outlook calendar is like my best friend.
41:26
So I literally put all of my appointments, my sessions, my meetings, everything in there.
41:31
And it's just carving out that time to designate to Maddie.
41:35
Are you actually devoting time, specific time on your calendar to writing?
41:41
So I'm working on it.
41:43
Ring.
41:46
If I had a dollar for every.
41:48
Time I've heard that I'm interesting, because I would be like, yeah, I want to talk about it.
41:54
I'm going to definitely time.
41:55
And then all of a sudden, two weeks later, it's like, oh, I got the manuscript written out of the blue.
42:00
I'll give you inspiration.
42:01
And I'm like, oh, yeah, here's the main script.
42:03
Oh, good for you.
42:04
Good for you.
42:06
Advice for aspiring authors.
42:09
What kind of advice would you give someone who's just starting out, just doesn't know where to start?
42:15
What kind of advice would you give them?
42:18
I would always say do your homework, research.
42:23
If you're going to go with a hybrid publisher, do your homework.
42:27
Find out what they do well, what they may not do well.
42:31
But also look at the reviews, because a lot of times people will put reviews.
42:37
And also determine if you're going to write a story.
42:40
The most important piece too is what kind of author do you want to be?
42:45
Do you want to write an adult story or do you want to write for children's book?
42:49
Because you got to really know what kind of genre you're going to be a part of or what you're gearing towards.
42:55
Because you want to make sure that whatever you're writing, it's definitely speaks to your population or to your audience.
43:04
Because the worst thing ever is someone that just says out of the blue, I'm going to write a children's book.
43:09
But then come to find out the children's book is really for more for adults.
43:13
It doesn't resonate for children.
43:15
So definitely know what you're planning on writing.
43:19
Like, you're general.
43:19
Are you going to.
43:20
Are you going to be adult writer or children's writer and go from there.
43:25
What keeps you going as a children's book author?
43:28
What keeps me going is really the work that I do as a professional and as a parent that honestly keeps me going because I love what I do.
43:39
It's not necessarily me just writing about the experiences.
43:42
I live it and I'm also doing.
43:44
It as a professional encouragement for readers.
43:48
I tend to say this towards the end of the interview, but tell us, why should people purchase your children's book?
43:56
Maddie's Story is not only great for a typical children, but it speaks well and it's been received well by children of all abilities.
44:07
It teaches them about empathy.
44:09
It teaches children about understanding feelings.
44:13
It also teaches children about coping with big feelings when they occur.
44:18
It also helps support inclusion and social emotional learning.
44:23
And also it's the resource guide for parents or caregivers that are working with children that are neurodiverse to help navigate those situations in an age appropriate way.
44:36
Thank you Alicia.
44:38
Final Thoughts Is there something thinking oh, I wish Rick would have asked me that question.
44:43
Is there something you'd like to share?
44:45
Not really.
44:46
I feel like we talked a lot about Maddie in regards to her story and the benefits of of Maddie.
44:54
And also we touched upon collaborative ABA services and our step into the spectrum.
45:01
And also I mentioned earlier the collably I feel like and you also talked about some guidance or for new writers.
45:08
The information shared summed everything up well.
45:11
Thank you Alicia.
45:13
Thank you so much for being a guest on the Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast.
45:17
Your generosity of time and your insights will significantly benefit aspiring children's book authors and readers, and we promise to provide our audience with links to Alicia's website, her social media.
45:32
You'll have to get to see her website.
45:34
It's really cool, especially the YouTube channel.
45:37
And also I didn't look at your TikToks because I'm not on TikTok, but I'll have to figure that one out.
45:43
And about her organization, her book.
45:46
It's okay Maddie.
45:48
If you've enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button to listen to other future episodes and feel free to share this episode with anyone inspired by or who enjoys hearing about Alicia and her children's book.
46:04
It's okay Maddie.
46:05
Thanks Alicia.
46:07
Thank you.