When we think of tools that can help our children better understand and navigate the complex, BIG emotions they can often times be battered with, books are often a tool we parents reach for. Something that can help us express the things we want to say to our children, in a way our children can understand. Because lets be honest… explaining emotions can be just as hard for us as it is for our kids to understand.
The Autism-Emotion Puzzle
Adding the challenges of explaining to a child on the autism spectrum the intricacies of emotions into the mix, and the task can sometimes feel overwhelming and insurmountable. It is a challenge myself and my daughter, Oakleigh, face every day. She’s a brilliant kiddo, fascinated by the world around her and absorbs every bit of information she can get her hands on… but the details and subtext of emotion, of facial expressions, of how to explain how she feels in a meaningful way… those things are an elusive piece of information she has struggled to grasp.
Discovering the Scribble Shot Magic
Luckily for us, people much smarter than us… the lovely multi-disciplinary team at SHINE, particularly Lauren, Kim and Marcy (that’s MISS Marcy to you 😉) had an ace in their pocket.
One afternoon, during one of our in home visits, they introduced the Scribble Spot book series to Oakleigh. Already a voracious reader, she was very pleased at the idea of a new book and was more than happy to cuddle up and take turns reading. The book was about a spot, made of big, confused eyes and a chaotic mess of multicoloured lines.
The book explained how when we’re overwhelmed with all our many emotions and don’t understand what we’re feeling, it can feel like we’re also that tangled mess of chaotic colours. It introduced each emotion, tied into a colour, and how we could identify each one.
It doesn’t sound terribly ground breaking to us grown ups, but the look of comprehension… that ‘click’ I saw as the gears in Oakleigh’s mind started cranking and turning… it was a moment I won’t soon forget. For the first time, emotions seem to make just a smidgen more sense to her… they weren’t this foreign concept that was completely alien to her. It was amazing.
Now, revelations aside… I won’t say that that one book was the “the thing” that illuminated the complexities of all emotions to my child. But, it and other books in the series, as well as their stuffies (a favourite of Oakleigh’s), and readings of the books on youtube have been incredibly helpful in not only teaching Oakleigh about how to identify and name different emotions, but also in how to manage those big emotions that sometime run away with her.
We routinely use the “Find your peaceful spot” prompt to help her relax from a challenging moment.
The series is an excellent tool, one that myself and my husband are so grateful that the team at SHINE introduced into ours and Oakleigh’s lives. The SHINE team continues to be an amazing resource and source of guidance. Their unwavering support, combined with the insights from the Scribble Spot series, has truly been a beacon for us on this journey. It's like they handed us a map in a language we could finally understand.
Every day, as Oakleigh grows and learns, we see the positive ripples of that one introduction. It's more than just a book; it's a bridge, a conversation starter, and a comforting reassurance that we're not alone on this path. And as we watch Oakleigh find her "peaceful spot" more and more often, we're reminded of the power of understanding, community, and the right tools.
So, here's to SHINE, to the Scribble Spot series (written and illustrated by the ingenious Diane Alber), and to all the families out there navigating the intricate dance of emotions with their kiddos. Together, with a little help and a lot of love,
we're all finding our way. And that, in itself,
is a reason to celebrate.
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