“This Is What Authentic Joy Looks Like!”: A Celebration of Joy in Neurodivergent and Autistic Children
Guest post by Carol Roesler
Get to know the characters in our delightful book series “The Adventures of Niko the Highly Sensitive Dog” as I chat with them once again to share what brings each of them their own sense of personal joy. I am especially grateful to Niko - who is always bringing joy to everyone who is lucky enough to meet him, which is why Julie Bjelland and I chose him to be the star of our sensitive children’s book series! Click here to read my previous interview with Niko and his friends.
Enjoy reading what brings Niko, Juju, Buttercup and Blueberry their own pure joy!
“I LOVE running across the grass and catching my frisbee and bringing it back to Juju when she throws it for me! When I get to run free in the forest on a hike it makes me feel so happy in my heart. I don’t really like being on a leash so getting to scamper across the soft sand at the beach or on a trail is the BEST! Playing fetch with my ball is super fun too!"
“I love wandering all over Sunshine Farm with my little goat friends following me. I love to jump on something and then they jump on something too! We all laugh together. It made me happy that you and Julie included this in Book Two “Bedtime Bliss” - all the readers can see the pure joy on my face jumping in the barn with Giggles the Pygmy Goat and our other little goat friends! I also love laying on my back on the soft grass, feeling the breeze as it drifts the clouds in the sky above me. I am proud that special type of quiet joy was shared in our first book “The Magic Portal” and I hope lots of other Autistic sensitive kids like me get to look up at the magical sky whenever they need peaceful moments that feel so good.”
“I just love being surrounded by all my latest favorite books! It makes me feel happy to have several books going at once and my notebook nearby. I can’t fall asleep each night until I create my lists of information that I have learned from my book friends. I get a feeling of joy inside my heart and my tummy when I have new things to learn that fascinate me and lots of quiet time to get lost in friendship with them.”
“I love makin’ my friends laugh! I love snacks! There’s a bunch of joy inside me when I get to do summersaults down the hill and giggle! If someone around me is looking kinda sad, I think it’s really the BEST when I can make them smile by dancing with my big blue feet or share my yummy snacks."
Niko asked me to tell all the readers that he would love to hear from them what brings them joy! You can leave a comment below or write to Niko directly at SensitiveNiko@gmail.com
About Me
Carol Roesler is an empath and also a part of the sensitive autistic neurotype. She co-hosts “Intuitive Parenting” events inside the Sensitive Empowerment Community and frequently writes blog posts on the topic of parenting on JulieBjelland.com. A longtime volunteer Children’s Librarian, Carol often wished for books with characters that reflected the unique traits of bright, sensitive children. Inspired by her own childhood love of books, she created Buttercup, while her daughter’s “deep-dive research” inspired the joyful character Blueberry.
Get to know the characters in the delightful book series “The Adventures of Niko the Highly Sensitive Dog” as Carol Roesler chats with them once again to share what brings each of them their own sense of personal joy.