What does sad look like? Sleepy? Angry? Itchy? For children on the autism spectrum, communicating through photographs is sometimes the only way to adequately express their feelings. Now for the first time, a book by Miriam Smith and Afton Fraser will give them a voice. Point to Happy is the first book designed specifically for children on the spectrum. “This book addresses what I’ve found to be the most challenging part of our daily life: communication,” says Fraser, whose son is autistic. The book includes a soft pointer, encouraging children to choose different foods, recognize feelings and interpret everyday tasks. From one page to the next, a boy goes from happy to sad. On another page, daddy gives a hug, and a girl says thank you. “The first time [son] Griffin spoke was when I took his hand and pointed to something,” shares Fraser, adding that one of her goals is to help children grow in speech, behavior and empathy. “Griffin has started to say ‘sad’ when he feels sad.” And that, as they say, is priceless.
