Children's Book

Ryan Bowles and Jill Britton co-authored an illustrated children's book. Entitled EmILy's Story, the goal of the book was to write a children's book that would educate young students about acceptance and empathy towards individuals with special needs. Together, the authors discussed several different types of special needs and decided that they would focus on Down Syndrome. Much of their research was gathered from the internet and they drew upon personal experiences and interactions with children to compile their story.

While the story never actually states that Emily has Down Syndrome, the authors believe that the story demonstrates to children how Down Syndrome affects the lives of those who have the disorder and how to interact with people who do have Down Syndrome.

The book is set in an elementary school and identifies some of the issues that Emily faces as she enrolls at and begins to attend a new school.

Click here to read the full text of EmiLY's Story.