The importance of including neurodivergent characters in books

Published on: 29 July 2024

Flora Stormer and the Golden Lotus author Isabella Harcourt shares why it's vital to feature neurodivergent characters in children's books.

Something that every person who tics has to think about is how they ought to prepare new friends and acquaintances for their condition. How do I explain the best ways to react to my repeating the word 'bananas' over and over, or clapping my hands unexpectedly? How do I detail what it feels like, what factors make it better or worse? And after all of that, how do I stop it from defining me as 'the one with Tourette's'?

Now, imagine all of that, except you are seven years old and you've only just begun to tic. To call it a bewildering experience is an understatement.

At that age, I didn't know that the examples of Tourette's Syndrome I was seeing on the TV were extreme cases, or that they rarely explored the realities, such as the fact that only 15-20% of people with Tourette's experience coprolalia (swearing tics).

I only found out as a young adult that it was a neurodiversity and that you're 86% more likely to have another neurodiverse condition like ADHD, OCD or an anxiety disorder alongside it.

How books can provide reassurance

When I was diagnosed, the first thing I did was look for books about it. Not text books – I wanted to see myself in fiction. Partly, I suppose, to have a way of articulating to others how my tics felt and the many ways that they impacted me, but also because I was lonely.

I wanted a friend that understood what it was like. A friend that could comfort me when things were hard, but one that could also give me hope that I would still have a wonderful life.

I recall being extremely scared about my future, and being acutely aware that it stretched out in front of me and that this condition would never go away. A multitude of obstacles loomed ahead. How on earth would I navigate that? Did anyone know? Could anyone help me?

It has not turned out as frightening as I had feared, and I wish I could reassure little me. Which, in a way, is what my book Flora Stormer and the Golden Lotus is all about. I'm trying to reassure any other little mes out there that might be quietly frightened, take their hand, give them a warm smile, and tell them, 'Everything will be all right. Let's go on an adventure.'

Why authentic representation is important for all readers

Thankfully, lately we're seeing more children's books hitting the market which represent neurodiverse experiences, and it fills me with joy thinking about all those readers who can see themselves in the books they read. Not only providing a fictional friend who is experiencing the same thing as them, these books are also giving them tools and the language they might need to articulate their experiences to their friends and family.

The benefits are not just isolated to neurodivergent readers, however; the breadth of this representation in children's books today is also giving neurotypical readers an empathetic experience.

One of my favourite reviews I've received is from a young reader who had not heard of Tourette's Syndrome before and had gone on to explain it to her parents; she wanted to share this new-found knowledge, and in doing so was not just spreading awareness but also had the confidence to initiate a discussion with others about it, hopefully further developing her understanding.

There is perhaps a danger of seeing neurodivergence as a catch-all term, and with retail and library spaces being so limited it would be easy to say, 'We already have a book that has neurodivergent representation.' Said book may be representing one of many different experiences, however, and the beauty of showing varied neurodivergent representations is that it allows children to better understand the variety of the world around them.

Children's books come to their readers at such an important time, while they are developing their view of the world and simultaneously looking inwards to learn about themselves.

They also come to their readers at, it seems to me, the perfect moment to give neurodivergent children a kind and helping hand as they navigate such a confusing and often distressing landscape.

Flora Stormer and the Golden Lotus by Isabella Harcourt is out now.