We are all different, this short video explains how a person with autism sees the world. It explains how everyone’s brains function differently. A great video to introduce to students when discussing visible and invisible disabilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JdCY-cdgkI&app=desktop
Eleanor May Simmonds, OBE is a British Paralympian swimmer competing in S6 events. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain, despite being the youngest member of the team, at the age of 13. In 2012, she was again selected for the Great Britain squad, this time swimming at a home games in London. She won another two golds in London, including setting a World Record in the 400m freestyle, and a further gold medal at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, this time setting a world record for the 200m medley. Credit: Wikipedia
Roberto Pino has become a hero in Brazil as his nation’s only competitive surfer born with dwarfism. Despite measuring just 136cm (4ft 5) Roberto competes against non-disabled rivals and has blown them out of the water in national contests. He made history as the first dwarf ever to claim gold in the over 35’s category of a state competition, achieving a lifelong dream. (Credit: Daily Star)
Sinéad Burke is acutely aware of details that are practically invisible to many of us. At 105 centimeters (or 3′ 5″) tall, the designed world — from the height of a lock to the range of available shoe sizes — often inhibits her ability to do things for herself. Here she tells us what it’s like to navigate the world as a little person and asks: “Who are we not designing for?”
Jahmani “Hot Shot” Swanson is just 4 feet, 5 inches tall, but that hasn’t stopped him from achieving his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. Now, he entertains thousands of fans around the world on a daily basis playing for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.
This short visual story focuses on the life of Nick Vujicic, a man born with no arms or legs, but who is touching hearts like hands never could.
Nicholas James Vujicic is a Serbian-Australian Christian evangelist and motivational speaker born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs.
https://youtu.be/FbPjFNZKMDQ
https://youtu.be/RV0g9jaHaQc
https://youtu.be/ytvNhoNzDgc
Since writing edition one of Strong and Mighty Max, it soon became clear that there was a need to publish a second edition. Online retailers quickly sold out (Amazon and Waterstones) and with interest from primary schools and libraries the market for the book was proving successful.
Beyond the market reach, the most rewarding thing for me as an author has been the lovely letters I have received and correspondence through social media from parents of children who have been born with achondroplasia. Like myself they too are keen to educate their children’s peers and explain to family members and friends what makes their child unique. I have had the pleasure of receiving encouraging feedback from all over the world. The distance may be thousands of miles and yet the shared vision as mothers and educators gives us a common goal- to help inspire others to be more accepting and understanding of differences.
Dwarfism is just that-a difference that makes children stand out from their peers because physically their arms and legs are shorter. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are, whether they are tall or short, have darker skin, speak with a stammer or have a facial disfigurement. With this in mind edition two of Strong and Mighty Max teaches kindness towards others who are different. It challenges young minds to accept, respect and be inclusive of others. The original story around the character Max stays the same, however a new character is introduced. Katy, a trainee teacher, also born with achondroplasia, weaves through the pages of the book key lessons for children to learn from the story. She emphasises the importance of kindness and directs the reader to educational activities that feature in the back of the story for further learning. These learning activities are ideal for primary school aged children and help to facilitate discussion through games, role-plays and further research.
What I love about edition two is that it is applicable to every child to help them to relate to others and to also encourage them to be confident about what makes them unique. Whether it be autism, dyslexia, skin colour, height, visible or invisible differences- the children are encouraged to learn from one another.
Through this second edition I will continue to visit schools, take assemblies and classroom sessions to answer questions around being an author and what motivated me to write this story. To make a booking and check availability click here
To download some of the educational activity sheets that are included in the book, visit the learn section of the website.
