Abigail Balfe Q&A Meet the author-illustrator and autism advocate behind A Different Sort of Normal. A Different Sort of Normal is the beautiful, and beautifully illustrated, true story of one girl’s journey growing up autistic, and the challenges of navigating the ‘normal’ world around her. What inspired you to write your own life story for children to read? I spent the majority of my life feeling out of place, like I didn’t fit in with any of the groups or people around me, nor the routines and expectations created by society – so when I was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 33 it was as if all the confusing parts of my life suddenly started to make sense. I finally had a reason for feeling different from those around me. I finally started to accept myself and prioritise my own wellbeing, rather than constantly trying to please those around me and attempting to pass as “normal”. I was studying for an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the time, so I naturally started scribbling thoughts and facts and memories about my childhood in my sketchbook, making sense of my life on paper with doodles and words. As these words and pictures started to come together, I began to realise just how helpful a book telling my story could be for children growing up struggling to fit in – I certainly would have loved to read a book like this when I was a child. During this time I had also become increasingly aware through my online research (especially through the autism-related accounts I followed on Instagram), that many children and adults are currently missing out on an autism diagnosis due to factors like race, gender, where they live and how much money they have – as well as due to the harmful stereotypes and misconceptions around autism. I’m extremely privileged to have had access to an NHS diagnosis here in the UK and I wanted to use that privilege to tell my own story. And in telling my experiences I want to help every child who feels different, while hopefully playing a part in quashing some myths around autism along the way. The book is for everyone who has ever felt out of place, autistic or not autistic. There is something universal about feeling out of place and each of us experiences the world differently. I wanted to show children that despite those feelings and struggles, it’s possible to be happy and at peace with yourself. The things that set you apart from others are also the things that make you unique and important.
