Can You See Me?: A powerful story of autism, empathy and kindness

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Autism affects people in different ways. Does it help you understand your own – and other autistic people’s – behaviour?

LIBBY: Whenever you are going through stressful times, don’t bottle it up but tell those who are close to you. You’ll be surprised how much it honestly does help. LIBBY: To All the Boys I Loved Before is my number one favourite. Also, Wonder and What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew! What is your biggest dream for the future? Inspired by young coauthor Libby Scott’s own experiences with autism, this is an honest and moving middle-school story of friends, family, and finding one’s place. Libby Scott: Well, for me it was mainly the feeling that I was somehow different to everyone else and I just didn’t know why. Also I now know what “demand avoidance” is. Somebody would tell me to do something and I felt almost physically incapable of doing it, unless they asked me in a very specific, less abrupt tone.What would you want other parents to know if they are concerned about their child and wondering if they should take them to a doctor? LIBBY: Well, because there’s a lot of similarities between me and Tally it wasn’t hard. I just wrote what I know and I feel. Sometimes I forgot I was writing as Tally and I just wrote as me! Tally isn’t ashamed of being autistic — even if it complicates life sometimes, it’s part of who she is. But this is her first year at Kingswood Academy, and her best friend, Layla, is the only one who knows. And while a lot of other people are uncomfortable around Tally, Layla has never been one of them . . . until now. LIBBY: My Mum (she made me say that!) Really strong females inspire me, like Taylor Swift, Little Mix, Rebel Wilson, and of course, Greta Thunberg.

Something is different about sixth grade, and Tally now feels like she has to act “normal.” But as Tally hides her true self, she starts to wonder what “normal” means after all and whether fitting in is really what matters most. Tally’s story is somewhat inspired by your own! How did you use your personal experiences with autism to give Tally’s diary entries an authentic voice?LIBBY SCOTT: Well, it’s the story of a girl called Tally, who is fictional but kind of based on me. She’s having a hard time settling in at her new school, which she finds extra hard because she is autistic and trying to hide it. But she shares her true feelings in her diary entries, which I wrote myself. Readers can expect to feel mixed emotions. People have said they laughed and cried their way through the book. Then my parents paid to go to the Lorna Wing, which specialises in diagnosing autistic girls. They spent hours speaking to my parents, believed what they said, and then hours speaking with me, too. They seemed to understand autism a lot better. It’s a shame my parents had to pay to get that – what about kids whose parents can’t? Just know you’re not alone – there’s always someone either going through the emotions you are, or who can help you in different ways. There are Facebook groups that you or your parents can join, lots of TikTok videos, and books like mine and Rebecca’s, which can help you and others to understand you. Plus the PDA society [for Pathological Demand Avoidance] and the National Autistic Society.