Chameleon Tale: A Colorful, Sensory Story

At any moment in time, we are taking in information about our world through our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin, and joints. This, sensory processing, is how we experience our world and is unique to each person. Our job as parents, caregivers, and adults in influential roles is not only to take notice of our own sensory systems, but to help children do the same. The goal of this manuscript is to bring awareness to this topic and supply tools for discussion. We, the authors, in a real-life OT session, realized the need for this book when Sarah didn't have a children's book to recommend for Jackie's child. Jackie had already completed two children's books and said, "Well, let's create what we need!"

A Chameleon Tale uses the changing color of the chameleons' skin, differing facial expressions, and a variety of actions to illustrate how a sensory threshold can influence individual alertness. Likewise, as humans, our bodies, expressions, and actions also reflect specific levels of alertness. This text, accompanied by the demonstrative changing colors of skin, prompts children to recognize that this fluctuation is normal. Further, it helps communicate that there are tools to help when feelings (derived by our sensory inputs) impact their success in what they need and want to do. The book's characters, our chameleon family, will journey outside of their familiar environment, something we ask our kids to do most days of the year. Notice how this seemingly simple task affects each chameleon differently.

The more experts (like co-author Sarah Collins, MSOT, OTR/L) learn about neurodiversity and the brain / body response to environmental stimuli, the greater they are realizing people process and integrate sensory stimuli differently. Through this story, the readers will gain a better understanding of their own brain / body connection and honor their unique responses while simultaneously empathizing with other's responses in the same environmental situations. Though every child and caregiver combo will benefit from communicating about their sensory needs, this book will be especially helpful for the neurodivergent community and their families. Use this book as a starting point for conversation with the children in your life.

Font: Avenir (visual scanning and dyslexia-friendly)

Age Group Suggestion: 6-11 years