Depicting Disabilities in Children's Literature

A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold is a great example of a book that I would use to begin talking to students about disabilities, such as Autism, with students. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis is becoming more and more common among today's youth. In most classrooms, but not all, there will be at least one student on the spectrum. I loved how the author uses very clear and straight-forward characteristics to describe the main character, Bat, who has ASD. She touches on how a disruption in a routine can imbalance a student's equilibrium as well as other common characteristics such as taking things very literally. In an ASD course that I am currently taking in my graduate program, we have discussed characteristics associated with ASD. During these conversations, I have learned that students with ASD typically “act out” or become especially irritated when their emotions become deregulated. When this occurs they begin to demonstrate “autistic behaviors”. These “autistic behaviors” are coping mechanisms to help people with ASD regulate their emotions and regain a sense of balance. On pages twelve through fourteen of the book the reader gets a glimpse of what is going through Bat’s brain when his schedule/routine is disrupted because his mother is late getting home from work. He becomes extremely worried and even suggests calling the police to his sister. When she gets home he is relieved but is more concerned about if she remembered to stop at the grocery store and get more vanilla yogurt. When she replies that she did not he begins to demonstrate “autistic behaviors” by squinting his eyes and making his hands into fists while squeezing them tightly by his side. At this point in the story Bat’s emotions are not regulated and he is using a coping mechanism to help regulate them. His mother responds very calmly and explains why she was late and unable to stop at the grocery store he began to calm down and fixate on the baby animal that his mother brought home from her clinic. Some readers, especially those with ASD, will be able to make at lease one connection at this point in the story. Every human becomes mad and/or angry at some point and will often "act out" when this occurs. Readers with ASD could also make the connection of using similar coping mechanisms (clinching their hands together into fists and squinting their eyes). This representation within the text humanizes what ASD could like for an individual, as we know that ASD looks different for everybody. 

I really loved this book because it helps readers begin to understand what it might look like to walk in a person who has ASD’s shoes. I also really liked the story of friendship between Thor the skunk and Bat that Arnold created in this text. It reminded me of a quote that is displayed on the page that Chapter 7 of Laminack and Kelly’s book Reading to Make A Difference begins. The quote written by Brain Tracy reads “The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance”. I think that this quote is extremely applicable to this book. Bat displays unconditional love for Thor the skunk throughout this text. Bat cares for Thor as if he was a real child; he carries him in a neck sling, feeds him his bottle, and cuddles with him. Bat and Thor have a special bond and accept each other for who they are. Animals are amazing like that- they accept their owners for who they are and love them unconditionally. By the end of the story, Bat has created this special bond with Thor the skunk and he jumps through many obstacles and hoops to convince his mom to let the family care for the skunk until it can be released into the wild. At the very end when Bat’s mom agrees to let him keep the skunk for a little while longer it made me think of the saying “if you love something set it free”. Although Bat will not have to say goodbye to Thor the skunk just yet, but eventually when Thor is big and strong enough to survive in the wild he will have to set his friend free. I have become invested to find out what happens in the next book, Bat and the Waiting Game.