Today we are pleased to have guest blogger Bronte Abraham* share her story about how Barefoot books have helped her son with autism learn, grow and embrace the wider world!
“Mommy, can we go to Barefoot Books today? Can we take Barefooot books in the car? Please!!!”
While the constant questioning may be an annoyance to some, it is a melody to me. Micah is our 12-year-old son with autism, and living Barefoot is one of his most preferred activities in the whole wide world. When he is living Barefoot, he is reading, moving his body and sharing his fun with whoever wants to join in!
Almost everybody knows somebody who knows somebody impacted by autism. A neurological condition impacting 1 in every 110 people, autism is characterized, to varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Individuals with autism often find reading comprehension and imaginative play challenging, but given the right motivators, they put forth their best effort and shine!
When Micah was eight, I attended a Barefoot Books holiday fundraiser hosted by a family friend. I was introduced to colorful and melodic tales such as The Animal Boogie and Magic Train Ride, some with accompanying CDs and others just filled with beautiful pictures. I left them on the kitchen counter to wrap as presents, but Micah discovered them first—and we became a Barefoot Family.
Micah was automatically drawn in by the repetitive and rhyming language, vibrant illustrations, songs and more. He independently spent all afternoon reading, looking at pictures and dancing. For bedtime, he exclaimed “Give Jacob storytime” and slowly, but unassisted, read his little brother two books!
Since that day our Barefoot Books collection has expanded. We also relocated from California to Massachusetts, and the boys are ecstatic we live just a few miles from the Concord Studio. We continue to find many ways to use the Barefoot’s books and other items to encourage Micah’s reading skills and imaginative play. Here are some favorites:
Create a Show with Port Side Pirates
Turn the coffee table into your pirate ship, dress up and encourage audience participation with rousing verses of “We go this way, that way, portside, starbird over the deep blue sea…”
Geography and Cooperative Play with Landmarks of the World Puzzle
The boys practice their cooperative play and take turns putting together this bright puzzle that shows sites from around the world. Often we will have a Putumayo World Music CD playing such as Caribbean Playground or New Orleans Jazz.
Googling for Barefoot Books
To encourage keyboarding skills, reading and vocabulary development, Micah will search the internet for different Barefoot Book options. His reward is most often a podcast or video of a favorite tale.
Storytime, Storytime, Storytime
While Micah still prefers the simplicity of Knick Knack Paddy Whack, simply by saying “It’s Barefoot Books,” I can introduce more advanced readers such as the Monster Stories series or a collection to him. He enjoys Barefoot Books storytime with his brother, and they will even re-write and act out an entire book from memory on the white board in his room.
Share a Barefoot Books Title with a Speech Therapist or Classroom Teacher
After sharing Barefoot Books with several of our educators, the books have been included in general education lessons and social skills lunch bunches—providing our son with many leadership and social successes. They are a cornerstone of inclusion-education, as all children can learn and have fun with these books.
So I encourage you to take a look through the collection, find a title or topic something that will motivate your child and begin living Barefoot with your child. Have fun!
*Bronte Abraham and her husband, David, live in Lexington, MA with their two children, Micah (12) and Jacob (5). Micah was diagnosed with autism at age 2.5. He is now an avid guitar player, an ace at math and probably the most frequent YouTube viewer of Barefoot Book videos ever!
Join the conversation! Add your comments below.
