Welcome to My Coastal Classroom, a place where I share the small but meaningful steps in my journey as an early childhood educator. Today’s post is about why I chose to create a children’s book for one of my assignments and how Nova’s Colors came to life.
For one of my assignments in Diverse and Inclusive Practice in ECE, we were asked to research a childhood disorder or condition, explore the developmental challenges that may occur, and reflect on how social and cultural contexts shape a child and family’s experience. We also needed to share strategies that support participation in early learning environments. Instead of writing a traditional research paper, we were encouraged to choose any format that clearly demonstrated our understanding.
I decided to create a children’s book called Nova’s Colors.
I chose this format because I wanted to explain autism in a way that felt engaging, gentle, and accessible for young children. Many autistic children experience the world through vivid sensory details, so using color as the main theme felt natural and respectful. It also connects to my own background in the arts, where color has always been a way for me to express emotion, identity, and perspective. Creating a story allowed me to blend research with creativity and present the information in a way that feels warm, inclusive, and easy for families to connect with.
I also chose to keep the main character, Nova, gender‑neutral. This supports inclusion and acknowledges that gender can shape how children express themselves and how families interpret developmental differences. Leaving Nova’s gender open allows every child and family to see themselves in the story without assumptions.
Below, you’ll find a link to the book if you’d like to read it.
tinyurl.com/novascolors
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