NANAIMO — May Sosa appears to have the storytelling bug, having now produced several children’s books with the singular aim of emboldening neurodiverse children.
Sosa, profiled by NanaimoNewsNOW last spring, has produced her fifth children’s book ‘A Squirrel Finds its Own Way to Glide, which profiles a frustrated rodent’s inability to move like other squirrels.
“At some point you may be able to find a way of doing something similar to what you were hoping to do and it’s okay that it’s not exactly the same,” Sosa said.
Her 11-year-old autistic son Liam chose a squirrel to be profiled in her latest book.
The story portrays how the squirrel realized it had other abilities it can excel at and celebrate.
Sosa, a psychiatric nurse team lead at Nanaimo hospital, had no prior story-telling experience.
She began putting pen to paper in 2023, culminating in four fairy-tale style books released last year featuring the perspective of neurodiverse children represented by various animals.
“I want to make sure that the message and focus is a positive one because I want to highlight the ability, not the disability,” Sosa said. “For me, being neurodiverse is having different abilities.”
Sosa, who has donated numerous to local organizations, including her workplace, said her stories can also be useful tools for caregivers, educators and therapists who work with neurodiverse children.
She has created a brand for her line of books: Stories Without Labels, while Sosa also writes newsletters, and most recently began podcasting.
“I don’t think labels should be a thing that people should focus on,” May said. “I’ve seen it many times where we focus on: ‘What’s the diagnosis? What’s the name of it?’ That doesn’t matter, it’s what you can do that matters.”
Sosa is hosting a book launch event open to the public on Saturday, April 12 from 2 pm to 5 p.m. at Beban Park Social Centre’s Room #1.
More information on Sosa’s advocacy work can be found on her website linked here.
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Details regarding May Sosa’s book unveil event on Saturday, April 12 at Nanaimo’s Beban Park Social Centre. (Submitted)
