Sally J. Pla, Nervous System Regulation, and Me
I do a lot of thinking about nervous systems these days. Mostly my own and the ones that belong to my kids, but also in my work as a Children’s Librarian. Lately, in fact, I’ve done a deep dive into the ways the library can better serve neurodiverse youth and their families both through our collections but also with our physical spaces.
If you’re wondering how neurodiversity and nervous systems fit together, I’d love to connect the dots. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that encompasses autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, among other diagnoses. Brains that are neurodiverse, like mine and others in my household, are more sensitive to stress, conflict, and our sensory environments, i.e., the sounds, sights, and textures that surround us. That means it’s easier for our nervous systems to become overwhelmed and thereby dysregulated. These moments of extreme stress can take the form of fight, flight, or freeze, and when they’re particularly intense are called meltdowns. I have seen this experience from both the outside and the inside, and I have deep compassion for the effort it takes to de-escalate and get back to a regulated state. When I talk about this at home, I refer to the tools we need to help our bodies reset. And when I look for examples of these tools in action, I turn to books.
Last month, inspired by April as Autism and Neurodiversity Acceptance Month and the 2024 CLCSC Award Winner for Excellence in Juvenile Fiction, I read three books by Sally J. Pla. Along with her award-winning YA title, The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, I also picked up her new middle grade chapter book, Invisible Isabel, and her picture book, Benji, the Bad Day, and Me. Each one features realistically nuanced neurodiverse characters at different ages and stages in their journey to understand themselves.
Pla, an autism/neurodiversity advocate, deftly renders the feeling of “too-muchness” when dealing with sensory overload. She also instructively depicts a variety of positive adult role models in a kid’s universe, including but not not limited to parents, who provide support and tangible coping strategies. I loved when Benji wrapped up his brother in a blue burrito blanket in a technique he learned from his mom, and I am tucking away the trick shared by Maudie’s special education teacher to write down what each of her five senses is experiencing as a way to make sense of the bombardment. These tips are woven seamlessly into compelling stories, and I felt buoyed just imagining other readers filling their own toolboxes.
Needless to say, affirming representation of autistic and otherwise neurodiverse people is critically important right now. There is a massive amount of misinformation and stigmatization coming out of the current administration and we need to do all that we can to combat those messages with words of worthiness and empowerment.
What books, fiction or non-fiction, have helped you support the neurodiverse youth in your life? What other resources have you seen at your school or local library?
- M.