Can You See Me?: A powerful story of autism, empathy and kindness

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LIBBY: Well, because there’s a lot of similarities between me and Tally it wasn’t hard. I just wrote what I know and I feel. Sometimes I forgot I was writing as Tally and I just wrote as me! Autism affects people in different ways. Does it help you understand your own – and other autistic people’s – behaviour? Just know you’re not alone – there’s always someone either going through the emotions you are, or who can help you in different ways. There are Facebook groups that you or your parents can join, lots of TikTok videos, and books like mine and Rebecca’s, which can help you and others to understand you. Plus the PDA society [for Pathological Demand Avoidance] and the National Autistic Society.

LIBBY: To All the Boys I Loved Before is my number one favourite. Also, Wonder and What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew! What is your biggest dream for the future? Inspired by young coauthor Libby Scott’s own experiences with autism, this is an honest and moving middle-school story of friends, family, and finding one’s place. Now that I have that label it actually helps me with finding solutions to my problems. I can spot and connect well with people with ADHD and autism – it’s like a special gang that I wasn’t a part of before. If you saw me in school you probably wouldn’t think I was autistic and that’s why girls get missed for diagnosis. That’s because of everyone else’s perspective and stereotypes of autism and what they imagine it looks like. But I have a lot of things that I enjoy doing like hanging out with friends, horse riding, singing and song-writing. When somebody’s diagnosed it’s nothing to be afraid of, you are just the same as before but now you know why.Tally is starting secondary school and she’s anxious about lots of things. Acclimatising to new surroundings and learning the ways of different teachers is tough. Plus there's the boy who calls her names, and her friends from primary school who she's always depended on before have started talking about things that just don't interest her (like boys) and cautioning her when her behaviour is embarrassing. LIBBY SCOTT: Well, it’s the story of a girl called Tally, who is fictional but kind of based on me. She’s having a hard time settling in at her new school, which she finds extra hard because she is autistic and trying to hide it. But she shares her true feelings in her diary entries, which I wrote myself. Readers can expect to feel mixed emotions. People have said they laughed and cried their way through the book. Written in collaboration with young blogger Libby, who is herself autistic, this is a powerful and highly relatable story about fitting in and being yourself. Tally's diary entries give an authentic insight into one girl's perspective of being autistic, and smashing a host of common assumptions and stereotypes about autism as we see Tally’s potent sense of humour and her deep empathy. Most powerful of all is Tally’s ultimate realisation that autism is not something that needs to be hidden. LIBBY: Whenever you are going through stressful times, don’t bottle it up but tell those who are close to you. You’ll be surprised how much it honestly does help. LIBBY: I hope they learn that autism is not an illness, it is just a different way of seeing the world. It’s not without its problems, but often those problems can be easily sorted if others make small changes to fit around us a little more.

What would you want other parents to know if they are concerned about their child and wondering if they should take them to a doctor? Something is different about sixth grade, and Tally now feels like she has to act “normal.” But as Tally hides her true self, she starts to wonder what “normal” means after all and whether fitting in is really what matters most. Tally isn’t ashamed of being autistic — even if it complicates life sometimes, it’s part of who she is. But this is her first year at Kingswood Academy, and her best friend, Layla, is the only one who knows. And while a lot of other people are uncomfortable around Tally, Layla has never been one of them . . . until now. I would 100 per cent go for it, it will always be better in the long run to know who you are. If I didn’t have my diagnosis I wouldn’t be where I am now. It’s always the better option to look into it as much as you can at a young age.

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What would you want other autistic kids – who may or may not have an official diagnosis – to know about what you’ve learned? Tally’s story feels so authentic because the book was co-authored by Libby Scott, a 12-year-old autistic writer who channeled her own experiences into the story. We had the chance to chat with Libby about discovering her passion for writing, her biggest dream, and how she used her life as inspiration for Can You See Me? Libby Scott Chats About Her New Novel, Can You See Me?: Tell us a little about Can You See Me? and what readers can expect from the story. LIBBY: I discovered it by writing a short story, which then went viral on social media! I loved knowing my words were impacting on people so much. I also like being able to pour my real feelings out onto paper. It helps me understand myself more.