Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism by Laurie Lears

Image from Google Images

Ian’s Walk is the story of a girl and her young brother who is autistic. She wants to go to the park with her friend, but her brother wants to come along. Like many older sisters, Julie does not want her little brother coming, but it is her sisterly duty to bring him and keep a close eye on him. Even though this is true, Julie describes another reason why it’s not always fun to bring Ian along: he has autism and his behavior isn’t always what is considered “normal” to other people. She describes all the places, sights, and smells that they encounter which cause Ian to react in ways that is either embarrassing for her or that draws attention to them. For example, in Nan’s Diner Ian is fascinated by the spinning ceiling fan, he doesn’t the noisy fire truck coming down the road, instead of smelling the flowers at the stand, Ian prefers to sniff the bricks of the nearby wall, put his face to the sidewalk instead of going to the pond, or eat dry cereal instead of pizza. When Julie isn’t looking, Ian wanders off by himself exploring. When Julie notices, she panics and only finds him when she tries to think like he would. She discovers him lying under a bell ringing it. On their walk home she begins to appreciate Ian and doesn’t complain about his individual behavior. As the story ends, Julie tells Ian what a good walk they had and “just for a flash” Ian looks at her and smiles.

I loved this piece of literature because it shows that a disability can be difficult for everyone; including the person with the disability and their loved ones. Even though it can be hard, this book gives a realistic view of Autism when it depicts how Ian’s senses things differently than his sister. These sensory differences are not uncommon for individuals with Autism, although it is different for every person. Although the text shows these differences and difficulties, it also shows Ian having a good time on his walk, and his sister accepting him and his individual behavior on their walk home. Ian is portrayed as capable of enjoying himself, not as a victim of his disability. Ian’s Walk won a Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award in 2000 because of its positive portrayal of Ian. “The Dolly Gray Award is sponsored by The Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and Special Needs Project” (Dyches Article).

Lears, Laurie. Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1998.