Representation
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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. -
- September 29, 2025
What Disability Pride Means to Me
Jenna Elyse Johnson is a children’s author, teacher and bookseller with a particular passion for writing stories that highlight disability joy. Having grown up with cerebral palsy, and now living with other chronic illnesses, Jenna enjoys creating stories that feature all types of characters. Her new picture book, Every Body Move!, is an original singalong celebrating kids with disabilities and the tools that help them access our world.
When I talk about disability joy or disability pride, I sometimes get confused looks from others. “You are happy to be disabled?” someone might ask me. Or “So, you’re never upset about being disabled or chronically ill?” The answer is…well, it’s complicated!
I want to preface this by saying that I cannot possibly speak for the entire disability community. I am speaking from my personal experience, though I know many people within the disability community share my opinions. Still, everyone is entitled to their own views
