New Children’s Book Explores Life from the Lens of an Autistic Child’s Sibling
February 15, 2015: In her new book, award-winning Ismaili-Muslim author, Shaila Abdullah pens a tender and humorous account of a sibling who describes the joys and woes of living with her autistic brother.
Ann Arbor, MI—While there is a wealth of information that deals with the various challenges faced by parents of autistic children, there is relatively little information available on how a sibling can cope with an autistic brother or sister. Shaila Abdullah’s latest children’s book A Manual for Marco (ISBN # 978-1-61599-242-3, Loving Healing Press) is a game changer in that category.
For 8-year-old Sofia—the main character in A Manual for Marco—living with her autistic brother is not easy but she does so with wisdom, wit and loads of patience. Sofia thinks that if her brother Marco had come with a manual, her family would be better equipped to handle his various needs. When the girl decides to journal about her experience dealing with her brother, she realizes that she has, in fact, created a manual for Marco.
A Manual for Marco is inspired by real life characters—the Alis in Austin, Texas—who have a 13-year-old son, Zain with autism, and a 9-year-old daughter Sofia who is neurotypical. Despite the challenges the family faced in raising a child with special needs, they never regarded autism as a life sentence. Instead, they considered their experience as an opportunity for their family to grow stronger together.
“Initially it was a tough journey for us, especially for young Sofia, who did not understand the nature of Zain’s condition,” stated their mother Dr. Salima Ali who also offers tips for parents in the book. “Sofia went through many stages of confusion, fear, anger, and embarrassment. As is commonly seen in siblings of special children, Sofia in time became a compassionate and caring sibling.”
Lorna d’Entremont of Special Needs Book Review hailed A Manual for Marco as highly recommended. “Through her genuine, caring accounts about growing up with an older, autistic brother, this 8-year-old also shows her love for her sibling who is special but sometimes does things that are not-so-special,” said d’Entremont.
More information about A Manual for Marco can be found at
www.ShailaAbdullah.com. The book is available in hardback, paperback, and ebook formats.
About the Author:
Shaila Abdullah is an award-winning author and designer based in Austin, Texas. She has written four other books: Saffron Dreams, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, My Friend Suhana, and Rani in Search of a Rainbow. Abdullah has received several awards for her work including the Golden Quill Award, Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction, and Patras Bukhari Award for English Language. Several academic institutions have adopted her books as course study or recommended reading, including the University of California, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Indiana University, and Boston University.
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