A Different World
Even though we all live in the same world, it doesn’t mean that we see and experience it in the same way. In the field of developmental psychology, it is believed that we don’t start to develop a theory of mind until the age of 4: that is, the ability to attribute feelings and states of being to ourselves and others. It takes time for this to develop further. It can be hard for adults to understand that someone else’s experience of something they are familiar with is different to their own, and it can be even more difficult for a child as they are only just developing these faculties. The BookLife Publishing series A Different World provides a window to see and to compare our own experiences of the world with those of others. Even though each and every experience is unique, A Different World gives a little insight into what it is like to use a wheelchair, or live with colour blindness, dyslexia or a hearing impairment. By using creative examples that compare the everyday experience of those living with and without these differences, this series will help to foster understanding and caring for those who experience the world differently.
Dyslexia
It is believed that 5-10% of the global population has some form of dyslexia. This learning condition can manifest in many ways, but most importantly it can affect a child’s ability to keep up in the classroom. This book will help children to understand the experience of friends and peers who live with dyslexia, to understand some of the challenges they face daily and to see the world through their eyes.
Using A Wheelchair
There are a lot of things that people without disabilities take for granted, and many of them are simple things. This book highlights some of the everyday experiences of wheelchair users and contrasts them with the same experience from a non-wheelchair user's perspective. This book prompts children to look at the world differently and to consider the accessibility of the space around them.
Deafness
This entry in the series encourages children to consider the experiences of their hearing-impaired peers. Hearing and experiencing sound is so profound and such a fundamental experience of the human condition that it can be very hard for many to consider a world without it. This book provides children with simple, everyday experiences that encourages children to question how experiences would be different without sound.
Colour Blindness
Clever use of graphic design provides contrasting experiences to demonstrate some of the challenges faced by people who have a form of colour blindness. See through the eyes of a child with colour blindness and learn how you can help them to overcome some of the challenges that they face on a daily basis.
About The Author
Robin Twiddy
A Different World is written by Robin Twiddy who has a First Class Honours Degree in Psychosocial Studies. He brings this knowledge to A Different World to provide a place to start conversations about different experiences and our shared human condition. The series features innovative graphic design from Gareth Liddington that carefully and thoughtfully illustrates differing experiences of children in an accessible and clear way. Even though we all see and experience the world differently, we are more alike, all of us, than we are different.
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