Children’s Books That Celebrate Communication Differences, Neurodiversity & Bilingualism

Historically, popular children’s books in the U.S. have not featured characters with disabilities, communication differences or speech and language disorders. Nor have they included a variety of characters from minority backgrounds or featured children that are being raised in bilingual households. As bilingual Speech Language Pathologists that come from minority and bilingual backgrounds ourselves - we feel strongly about incorporating culturally relevant materials to support the unique cultural and linguistic needs of the communities that we serve throughout San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles. We also believe it’s important to expose ALL children to books that promote diversity and inclusion and to educate others about the wide range of communication differences in our increasingly diverse population.

We have compiled a list of ten children’s books that we highly recommend for children of all ages, that focus on the unique strengths, abilities and common challenges faced by children with communication differences as well as children with various disabilities. Several of these books also feature children from different multicultural backgrounds and bilingual households. We have included a link to a free online ‘read-aloud’ version for each book recommended below, so families can easily share the stories with their children without having to purchase them:

1.     I Talk Like a River – written by Jordan Scott:

This book was written based on the author’s personal experience with stuttering and it tells the story of a young school-aged boy who feels isolated because he is unable to communicate like those around him (more fluent speakers). This book has won numerous awards and is a wonderful book to read aloud to all children, including those with fluency disorders, to expose them to the societal challenges that children with fluency disorders and differences face, particularly in the school setting with peers and classmates.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of I Talk Like a River:

https://youtu.be/jHcZVbSWbA4

2.      More Than Words: So Many Ways To Say What We Mean – written by Roz MacLean

This incredible book features a variety of children that communicate and express themselves in different ways, including using American Sign Language, Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices, braille, speaking, writing etc. We love how this book highlights the many ways that children can express themselves in a positive light.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of More Than Words: https://youtu.be/hXsRauFaTrM

3.     It’s Okay to Be Different – written by Todd Parr 

This children’s picture board book is a wonderful way to introduce even the youngest readers to the concepts of diversity and the acceptance of self and others. The colorful and vibrant pictures are engaging for infants and toddlers and also terrific for preschool aged children, to teach the importance of embracing our many differences.  Each page begins with the repetitive sentence, “It’s okay to…” which we love to use during speech therapy sessions, especially with our gestalt language learners (children who learn language best in ‘chunks’ such as phrases).

Click the following link for an online read aloud of It's Okay To Be Different: https://youtu.be/KK-c42oc09Q

4.     Let’s Go for a Walk - written by Ranger Hamza

This is a ‘search and find’ picture book that features three characters with disabilities, including a child with a hearing impairment who has a cochlear implant, a child with a vision impairment who wears glasses and an adult character with a prosthetic leg. We love to use this book during our play-based speech therapy sessions by playing, ‘I Spy’ and having children search and find various things around their house that are featured in the book (e.g. “Let’s find something red in this room!”). It’s a wonderful book for families to read and play this simple game together, to expand their children’s language learning in their homes and communities.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of Let's Go for a Walk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNfl5lTz1s0

5.     Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You! - Written by Sonia Sotomoyor

 Written by United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and geared for slightly older children, this book celebrates the different abilities that children have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor features children with all sorts of challenges and highlights the special powers those kids have – as well as the importance of working together to build a community garden. This book has both Spanish and English versions, that we love using with our bilingual families.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You! https://youtu.be/IkgPbeFBesY

6.     It was Supposed to be Sunny – written by Samatha Cotterill

This picture book is geared for elementary-aged children, especially those who may have difficulty adapting to changes in their daily routine and schedules. It is a story about an autistic girl named Laila, who has planned her perfect birthday party but must change her ‘schedule’ based on unexpected events that happen over the course of the day. We love the strategies that Laila’s mother uses, to help her daughter navigate different social situations and unplanned events that are beyond her control. We also love the use of the visual schedules that are incorporated throughout the story.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of It was Supposed to be Sunny: https://youtu.be/yAa_K_KyIs8

7.     A Day with No Words – written by Tiffany Hammond

This book features a non-speaking Black family that use tablets, a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), to communicate with each other and with others throughout the day. It was written by an autistic mother with two autistic sons and is a wonderful book to read with children who currently use or are learning to use various methods of AAC to enhance their communicative abilities, as well as children who do not use spoken language or are minimally verbal. At Sunny Spot Speech Therapy, we work with many children who are learning to use AAC to better communicate with their families, at school and within their communities. We highly recommend this book to all families and teachers of preschool and elementary aged children.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of A Day with No Words: https://youtu.be/NYNok9tRWrc

8.     Talking is not my thing – written by Rose Robbins

This book exposes children to a non-speaking autistic character who communicates with her brother and family members in a variety of different ways! We highly recommend this book to our neurodiverse families as well as children who are learning to use alternative means to communicate such as AAC.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of Talking is not my thing: Read aloud: https://youtu.be/5nU3PCuTB4w

9.     My Town/Mi Pueblo – written by Nicholas Solis

This bilingual picture book features two cousins who live in two towns, separated by the U.S. and Mexican border. It focuses on the differences and similarities that their homes share, as they live in two countries and speak two languages. It is a terrific book showcasing the strengths and advantages of having multicultural families.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of My Town/Mi Pueblo: https://youtu.be/bnuP-GJvSpA

10.  Spanish is my Superpower – by Jennifer Jones

This story is told from a child’s perspective and focuses on the importance and value that should be placed on children who speak more than one language in America. It is written in English, but focuses on how amazing and unique it is to be able to speak more than one language and it celebrates the Spanish language.

Click the following link for an online read aloud of Spanish is my Superpower: https://youtu.be/wJXQ-d15N-s

ABOUT OUR SPEECH THERAPY PRACTICE: 

Sunny Spot Speech and Language Therapy’s mission is to provide personalized and inclusive speech therapy for kids of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds. We have a passion for tailoring our speech and language therapy to embrace each child's unique strengths, interests and abilities using a neurodiversity affirming approach. We offer bilingual speech therapy - with services available in both English and Spanish languages.

We provide private speech therapy for kids in home, online, at your child's preschool, daycare, private school, or at another community location throughout Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. Locations include:  Northridge, Calabasas, Granada Hills, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Topanga, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Universal City, San Fernando, Valley Village, Burbank, Glendale. 

If you are seeking ways to better support your child’s communication and speech and language skills at home, please contact us for a free phone consultation or email us for more information. Phone: 818-350-3107 Email: info@sunnyspotspeech.com.