YOUNG autistic Wellington author Elizabeth Jade has been placed alongside some of the biggest names in children’s writing by a junior school.
A teacher from Oldfield Park School in Bath has contacted her to say it is this year naming its classes after authors and she wanted to call her class ‘Elizabeth Jade’.
The school this year will also have classes named after AA Milne, Dr Seuss, Malorie Blackman and Benjamin Zephaniah, among others.
Miss Fox said she will have two pupils with autism, two going through diagnosis this summer and one with severe hearing loss.
She thought Elizabeth would be an inspirational figure to the class, especially for those who struggle slightly more than others in school.
Elizabeth Jade has sent the school a signed copy of both her books, ‘Akea – The Power of Destiny’ and its sequel ‘Akea – His Mother’s Son‘, along with Akea word searches and signed bookmarks for all the class. The books invite readers to step inside the minds of huskies and wolves.
Pupils will spend a week discussing Elizabeth and reading her books. Miss Fox also said the stories will get the class thinking about what makes them different and how they can celebrate their differences.
Elizabeth Jade, 22, started writing at 14 when she began to struggle with depression and anxiety but was 18 before she was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome – an autistic spectrum disorder.
Her natural affinity with animals moved her to volunteer with various animal rescues – she was labelled ‘The Cat Whisperer’ during her time working with Cats Protection.
Elizabeth Jade also featured in the August Somerset Life magazine.