Uniquely Wired: A Story About Autism and Its Gifts

Winner of Learning Magazine 2019 Teachers ChoiceSM Award for Children's Books. Some people say I have a disability. I don't see it that way at all. I am Uniquely Wired. This is the heartwarming and illuminating story of Zak, a young boy living with autism who wants you to understand how he experiences the sights and sounds of the world around him. Zak knows he's not quite like his siblings and classmates. Bright lights and big crowds send him into a freak-out mode. Hugs make him uncomfortable, too. His atypical behaviors, from flapping his arms to spinning his body, seem so out of place. But for Zak, that's just how he copes. Despite some peculiar behaviors, Zak's desires and disappointments are as ordinary as any child's. He loves watches; he hates being excluded. As Zak embraces life the only way he knows how, he teaches those around him important lessons about fairness, patience, curiosity and independence. From the pen of award-winning author Julia Cook, Uniquely Wired is written for K through 6 students and all those who live, work, play or go to school with children on the autism spectrum or those who have other special needs. Tips for understanding children who are Uniquely Wired are included in the storybook. 31 pgs. Published by Boys Town Press ISBN: 978-1-944882-19-8