Children learn from many different types of resources, including books. Children who are average functioning have a variety of books on a multitude of topics in which they will see themselves represented, but children with disabilities or dysfunctions are less likely to see their unique concerns depicted. This project provides a children’s manuscript that shows the perspective of a child with tactile sensory dysfunction, allowing a child with that dysfunction to improve their self-perception, as well as to allow other children, parents and caregivers to better understand their perspective. The manuscript is based on evidence and research that supports its representation of tactile sensory dysfunction and that supports the value of children’s literature in reaching children. The project provides background on how children who are average functioning perceive children with disabilities, and how negative perceptions can be improved with increased exposure to the daily life of a child with a disability through literature. The project provides a rationale for how children’s books can serve as a positive exposure to the life of a child with a disability. Implications for occupational therapy are explored, including how children’s books can support the clinical goals of an occupational therapist, and how this project furthers the goals of the Centennial Vision and the Vision 2025. An authorship agreement and all necessary research documentation accompany the children’s manuscript in this project.
