Tally is 11 years old and has autism. She tries hard to "fit in" with her neurotypical friends but this usually leads down a path of uncomfortable exchanges and even meltdowns. Her sister, Nell, loves Tally even though Tally doesn't think so. Nell often gets frustrated with Tally and her need to wear a tiger mask in public, her need to save every worm she finds on the sidewalk amongst other things. As Tally starts Year 7, her friendship group has gotten a little bit older and a little bit more concerned with fitting in with the cool kids rather than accepting Tally's behaviour which they often find embarrassing. Also at her new school is Luke, a boy seemingly determined to make her life miserable. Interspersed throughout the book are Tally's diary entries which serve as informational pieces for the reader. These are extremely helpful, especially to anyone who has autism or works or lives with someone who does have autism. Can You See Me? Is a beautifully written story that in my opinion should be required reading for staff at any high school. It's difficult to measure the amount of empathy this wonderful novel will instil into those who read it because we are all experiencing the world differently but I can guarantee it will open eyes and hearts. What I love about this novel is that it describes autism in a very honest, raw way that never feels heavy handed. It should be noted that girls portray autism differently and Tally herself says at the end of the novel that she doesn't speak for anyone, that the story is her experience. Throughout the story the reader learns things that can affect people with autism. These are things like: breaks in routine, even slight ones, can cause an increase in anxiety and even bring on panic attacks and meltdowns. A meltdown is not a temper tantrum. It is not some display of poor behaviour just for attention. A meltdown is when someone with autism is feeling completely overwhelmed and cannot express it through verbal methods alone. Tally describes her meltdowns through shouting words that she has no control over, losing her sense of hearing temporarily and repetitively singing or making noises. Tally also uses stimming to express excitement or even stress. Stimming can present itself in many different ways but for Tally she flaps her hands repeatedly. She also relies heavily on a rubber tiger mask when she's out in public, unfortunately she can't wear this to school, something that increases her anxiety. Feeling overwhelmed presents itself many times throughout the novel, this occurs when teachers give her demands or deadlines that she has trouble processing, loud noises in the corridors or classrooms disrupt her thinking to a point where she has trouble refocusing and not interpreting body language or "hidden meanings" in people's actions and words. The ignorance of the general public is handled expertly in this story, Tally and her family must deal with rude patrons at a restaurant, teachers who don't care or understand what autism even is (although luckily, Tally does have a teacher who does care) and even members of Tally's own family who sometimes feel stressed or fed up with Tally's occasional demanding behaviour (not leaving the house until the episode of Peppa Pig is over, for instance). Once again, I can't recommend this book enough, especially to teaching staff, it's a beautfiul story sprinkled with powerful insight into the world of autism. No wonder, it was co-written by Libby Scott, an 11 year old with autism. Do yourself a favour and get this book asap.
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