Imagine going to your local supermarket to grab some milk, bread and sliced ham from the deli. You go in, get your goods, pay and leave. Pretty mundane, simple and straight forward. Something most of us do a few days a week with ease.

Now imagine going to your local supermarket to complete the same task – except this time you emerge afterwards in tears. Distraught. Scared. And unable to calm yourself down. A bit dramatic? Not for some people.

Going to our local Supervalue for my son was traumatic. He liked the idea of going in. But once he got in there, he fell apart. At first we didn’t know why. But now we know that the fluorescent lights pierced his eyes to the point of pain (even as a baby), the smell from the deli counter would make him feel ill and the combined noise of people, cash registers and supermarket music would overwhelm him and make him panic. It’s called ‘Sensory Overload’ and it’s something that we as parents have had to learn about, understand and help him with. I have to say that understanding it took quite a while but once we did, we were really able to help.

So how do we help others to understand what is going on? How do I explain what the world of autism is like to my other children? How do I explain it to the person it affects the most – my son?

Valerie Sheehan is a Home Tutor specialised in working with children with autism. Working daily with families affected by ASD she has an excellent understanding of sensory overload among many other struggles. She has combined her professional knowledge and love of helping to children to create Tony the Turtle.

Tony the Turtle is a series of children’s books aimed at children on the autism spectrum and their families. The books focus on a number of everyday situations and how they can be difficult for a child on the spectrum. As a parent, what I love is that they also offer tips and advice to help families to cope when things get tricky.  So many of these beautiful stories applied to us and our son – I have almost started calling him ‘my little turtle’.

Tony is a little turtle with autism, and when things get too much socially or if sensory input becomes too much, he retreats into his shell. I find this to be a fantastic description of what it can be like for a child in these scenarios. And it is an explanation I plan to use when my daughter starts to ask questions in years to come.

This beautifully illustrated collection of books is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. I often find it difficult when it comes to purchasing a gift for a child with autism. Mainly because some tend not to play with typical toys for their age and lots have a specific yet limited interests. Tony the Turtle would be the ideal birthday gift – especially seeing as it is something for the whole family. I would love to see these books in use in schools as an educational tool; particularly in schools that have an ASD unit.

Tony the Turtle has been featured on the Irish Examiner, the Independent and even had a spotlight on the infamous Late Late Toy Show! It really is no surprise as to why when you read these….there are plans for many more additions to the Tony the Turtle series and I am one parent that will be eagerly awaiting this Irish Authors next release!

Tony The Turtle is available for purchase online by clicking here.

The series includes:

• Tony Goes to the Playground
• Tony Tries New Food
• Tony Goes Swimming
• Tony Goes in the Car
• Tony Goes Shopping
• Tony Goes to a Party

I highly recommend visiting www.tonytheturtle.com to browse the full collection and to read about the story of how Tony came to be.

Valerie Sheehan can also be contacted by email val@tonytheturtle.com

I would like to wish Valerie the very best of luck with her future publications, and thank her for bringing this very special little turtle in to my little turtles’ life.