Rochelle Flynn
Rochelle Caruso Flynn, MD grew up in a Philadelphia suburb. With much perseverance, she achieved her dream, becoming a pediatrician specializing in pediatric emergency medicine. Despite this, Rochelle always felt that she had yet to find her perfect niche in her career and in life. The quest for her ever-elusive niche meant moving several times, but along the way, she met her husband. With his encouragement, Rochelle decided to make a career change to general pediatrics. Then, in May 2013, her world once again turned upside down when she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (now ASD). Rather than providing relief as the explanation for many of her life’s challenges, Rochelle now found herself reevaluating her entire life from this new perspective. She currently resides in San Antonio with her amazing husband, two adorable children, and (much to her husband’s dismay) a large and growing menagerie of furry, scaly, shelled, and fluffy critters.
After Floppy the bunny learns that he has autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, he tries to figure out how he can get “off” the spectrum so that he can be “normal.” But as Floppy learns more about himself, he realizes that he likes having a brain that works differently. ASD makes him special!
Floppy the bunny likes to wear his favorite soft clothes and shiny shoes every day. He likes to do certain things, like pulling out his chair before he sits down, three times each. He likes to eat his favorite green gelatin at lunch and play with his toy dinosaurs, which he knows so much about. But when he can’t do these things, Floppy gets very, very upset.
At the doctor, Floppy learns that he acts this way because he has autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. The doctor tells Floppy and his parents that ASD means his brain works differently from other people’s. That isn’t a bad thing, though — not at all!
At first, Floppy’s not so sure. But the more he learns about himself, the more he realizes that his doctor and parents are right. Being different in this way is OK. It is what makes him so special!
Written by Rochelle Flynn, a pediatrician living with ASD herself, Floppy-Lop Ears and the Spectrum is an important resource for explaining ASD to children and parents alike. With a helpful, in-depth section for parents as well as a sweet and engaging story for kids, this book will help the whole family navigate life with ASD in a healthy, positive way.