The Wall is centered around a young girl navigating sensory overwhelm and social anxiety while longing for friendship and a sense of belonging. Was there a particular moment that made you realize this story needed to be told?

My daughter has autism. When she was younger, I found anytime we went to a playground, a social event, a friend ‘hangout’, etc., she was really struggling with social interactions. She would repeatedly have what we call ‘shutdowns’. She stopped talking, silently cried into my shirt, and went physically limp. When removed from the environments, she recovered fast and told me that she wanted to have friends. The sensory overwhelm caused in social interactions, paired with her autism, made it very hard to regulate, thus making it harder to form friendships. When I looked for picture books to see if I could help teach her about these situations, to uplift her, I couldn’t find a story that matched what I wanted to say. It was then I decided, “Fine, I will do it myself.”

How did you approach illustrating sensory overwhelm for young readers?

My daughter does not experience sensory overwhelm in the way that is often depicted in children’s books. She does not scream, run, hit, or tantrum. I wanted to illustrate exactly what I saw in my daughter. In situations of sensory overwhelm, my daughter sometimes has word-finding difficulty. I wanted to reflect and honour that by making a mostly wordless book. I think this can be appreciated by disabilities other than autism and in children who are non-verbal.

When did the wall become the central visual symbol of the story?

From the moment of the book’s conception. When I watch my daughter in times of social overwhelm, it is as though I can see a wall come up; a barrier that can prevent or limit her and what she is able to accomplish in the moment. Though a wall can be seemingly present, I see her for the strong young lady she is: persistent, driven, funny, courageous, and unique. This book is a conversation about social challenges, but it is also a story about resilience, patience, and believing in yourself.

How can caregivers use the book to help children describe their own sensory or social needs?

Caregivers can ask the reader questions about characters in the story to prompt conversation about what is happening. I believe that by opening conversations about the illustrations and the story, it can teach compassion, empathy, kindness, and inclusion.

Some sample questions might be:

What do you think this character is feeling right now? Why do you think they are feeling that way?
What are ways you might be able to help someone in a situation like this?
Do you ever feel like this?
How do you treat yourself with kindness?
What do you do when you aren’t able to do something on the first try?