by Cassandra Stafford, MS, SLP/L, ATP (speech-language pathologist and assistive technology professional); NWACS board member

reading time: 3 minutes

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned.

“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books” – Rudine Sims Bishop

Let’s dive into a quick overview of a book featuring AAC:

Book Title: Out of My Heart (book #2 in the Out of My Mind series)

Author: Sharon M. Draper (the author does not have the disabilities she writes about in the book)

Published in 2021

Age Range: middle-grade book

How AAC is Featured: The main character uses a speech-generating communication device, as well as multimodal communication. Another minor character also uses a speech-generating communication device.

Did you know that the 2024 Disney movie Out of My Mind is based on a book by the same title? I read that book many years ago. But it wasn’t until the movie came out this past fall that I realized the book has become a trilogy! After watching the movie, I decided to check out the other books in the series. I just finished reading book 2: Out of My Heart.

Note: I am not an AAC user, nor am I a parent/guardian or caregiver of an AAC user. I am a speech-language pathologist. So I am coming at the book from this perspective. I borrowed the book from my local library through the Libby app.

At the start of book 2, we find Melody at the beginning of summer break (following the school year in book 1). She is thinking about the summer camps her classmates talked about going to over the summer. Which gets her wondering if there are summer camps for kids like her. Off she sets on a mission to find a summer camp to go to. Miraculously, she finds one within driving distance. And actually lands a spot to go for a week that summer! The rest of the book is about her camp experiences.

After reading this book, I am left with two big thoughts.

Melody is written with some ableist thoughts and viewpoints. At least that is how it seems from my perspective. There are so many things Melody never imagined possible for herself. I sometimes wondered if some of what came across as “internalized ableism” might be due to her age, the time-period the story takes place, where Melody is growing up, and her life experiences thus far. But there were also times I was pulled out of the story with thoughts about how “off” something sounded.
I appreciated how the book touched on themes related to dignity of risk. And the tween desires to not have a caregiver hovering over her 24/7. While hopefully more people are now thinking this way, the book highlighted how disabled people can do many of the same things as non-disabled people when provided with accommodations and modifications. And opportunities. (Note: there is an aspect of one event in the book that is completely unrealistic and never would have been allowed to happen. It was clearly written as a convention for the story.)

Overall, I did enjoy this book. Have you read it? What did you think of it?