LI Teen Pens Book To Support Others W/ Autism Through Coronavirus

KINGS PARK, NY — A 14-year-old Kings Park boy with autism recently published a book aimed to help other children with autism get through the new coronavirus. Ben Blanchet knows firsthand the challenges of having autism and dealing with a change of schedule and routine, said his mother, Angela. The COVID-19 disease has brought sweeping changes to life for everyone, including children who haven't been able to attend school for weeks.

"The Day Matt’s Schedule Changed" follows a fictional second-grader with autism who loves school — and especially loves his schedule. Matt turns to his autism superpowers to help him navigate the challenges of all the changes to his daily routine, according to Angela Blanchet.

Ben tells others that "Autism is a superpower," which heavily plays into the plot of his book.

"I hope this book helps kids remember that they have superpowers and can use them anytime to help them relax and feel better," he told Patch. "The coronavirus has also been hard for me with my schedule and I thought kids might like a story to help calm down."

Ben began writing the story in late March after noticing many of the kids who follow him on social media were struggling with their overnight change of routine. With his mother's encouragement, he wrote the book as a week-long homeschooling project.

"Ben knows how hard it is for kids with autism to all of a sudden have no school, no therapy, no autism helpers in the home, no structured routine and even a change in brands of some foods, which is so challenging for many of these kids!," Angela Blanchet told Patch in an email. "He posted a video on his Facebook page reading the story for his followers, and many families began asking for a copy."

Ben's Facebook page is "Maybe Autism Is My Superpower."

The family made it into an e-book first, though were asked if a physical version could be made. Ben then added his own life experience as a bonus. The 25-page book, which includes photos, sells for $8.99 in paperback or $2.99 for Kindles on Amazon. Here's the link to "The Day Matt’s Schedule Changed."

"Ben worked hard to complete this book quickly because the issues children are facing are now, and there aren’t many resources, books etc. to help them with this," Angela Blanchet said, referring to the coronavirus.

Ben did a reading of the story, which he posted on YouTube.

Credit: Ben Blanchet