A local author recently released a children's book called Hello Oli, inspired by her son Oliver.

Sara-Norine Perrault of Ponteix, said her goal in publishing the book is to shed light to other families and help them understand people like her son. 

"Oli is autistic and this world wasn't built for him," Perrault said. "I'm hoping that this is a fun way for families to learn together about kids with disabilities and to help end the stigma against it."

hello_oli_cover

The book follows a neuro-typical boy, Kit, who has a new classmate Oli, a neuro-divergent boy, and how they navigate a friendship. Kit goes home and shares with his family the things he learns about autism.

"Oliver got diagnosed with autism at the age of two, which completely changed our life," Perrault said. "But as he was entering school, it gave me a whole new level of anxiety. When I brought him to school, lots of children were asking me questions about Oli because he is nonverbal. He does not speak. I had to get a little bit of thicker skin to help answer these questions."

It was then that the idea sprouted for her to write a book.

Perrault said she found herself sitting at her computer one day writing about her son, and went with it. 

Hello Oli is available for presale through the book's Facebook page, and will soon be up for grabs online with Friesen Press.