Authentic
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- September 17, 2026
The story behind My Dinosaur Shoes
Eleni Tassopoulos Wehner is an AuDHD woman who writes to increase realistic representation of autistic and other neurodivergent children and their families. Her Roscoe & Ivy series (Barefoot Books, Autumn 2025) is inspired by real-life strategies she uses with her neurodivergent children. My Dinosaur Shoes is the first book in the series.
It starts with our oldest.
She is 3 years old. Holiday family photos are scheduled. It’s a “mini slot”, which means the whole session is only 15 minutes long. I attempt to place my nonspeaking child’s foot into her new boots – the ones that perfectly match her outfit. She kicks her foot and starts screaming. I’m frustrated. Why won’t she just TRY THEM ON? I keep trying for 20 minutes. She’s crying. I’m crying.
I give up, hoping my makeup hasn’t run down my face. She wears her sneakers with her red velvet dress. We make it to our now 13-minute-long photo session.
She wore those same iridescent Velcro sneakers every day.
