My Life Beyond Autism

Book excerpt: Combining 36 pages of full illustrations with a first-hand account of living life as a child with autism, this book provides a humbling and inspiring look at how an autism spectrum disorder affects children. Tracy likes to draw, make movies and play, just like other kids. She also has autism spectrum disorder. This means she processes many everyday situations differently, such as making friends. Over time, she’s learned tricks for communicating and coping when things are hard for her. Follow along as Tracy gives a peek at what life is really like for someone living with autism and how she discovered life beyond this common disorder. Children’s voices are rarely heard amid the complexity of modern medicine. That's why every story in the My Life Beyond series stems from the imagination and experience of a Mayo Clinic patient. The books were developed through collaboration between these patients, Mayo Clinic physicians and author-illustrator Hey Gee. Through this unique lens of inspiring real-life experiences, the series explores how children view illness, challenges and recovery. One in fifty-four children in the U.S. are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder—which includes autism, Asperger's syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder—but their experiences with this condition are rarely shared. With 36 pages of full illustrations, My Life Beyond Autism brings the reader into the world of a child diagnosed with autism to show how children with this condition view their disorder and work through common behavioral challenges. The “My Life Beyond” graphic novel book series is published in collaboration with Fondation Ipsen.