Inspired by the story of a young girl with Angelman Syndrome, Jade and the Walking Stick is a fantastical tale of a special needs child coping with the challenges in her life. Written for the author’s daughter, the book symbolizes the developmental milestones common to special needs children through a fantasy fiction narrative. A fable of acceptance and triumph, Jade and the Walking Stick should inspire others to face all of life’s challenges with a smile. Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a chromosomal disorder which causes severe developmental delay and physical/mental handicaps. The condition is caused by a partial deletion of the 15th maternal chromosome. Children with AS typically require an assistive device (usually a walker) until they learn to walk on their own (usually between 5 and 8 years of age). Individuals with AS (or “angels” as their known) very seldom learn to speak, and if they do, they usually only have a vocabulary of 1-10 words. AS children are known for their unusually happy demeanor and wide, bright smile. “Angels” make friends wherever they go because they are almost always laughing and smiling.

Many of the pages have an optional “Paint Me” feature for children to finger paint the pages and create their own custom version of the book.

Additional features: Professional voice over, table of contents control to navigate easily through the book and an audio on/off control.