We recently connected with Sivan Hong and have shared our conversation below.
Sivan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Writing books for neurodivergent children started with my family’s own journey into the world of neurodiversity. I have ADHD. For me, my discovery didn’t come through typical routes, it wasn’t a result of struggling in school or work (even though looking back now, those challenges should have made my diagnosis very apparent). I found my way to this diagnosis at the age of 47, through the experiences of my beautiful, ADHD children. Their diagnosis was like a mirror, reflecting not just their reality, but also mine. And suddenly, our family portrait had a new shade – we were different, journeying through a world of neurotypical norms.
As an author, I find words to be powerful. They define our world, shape our perceptions, and express our deepest emotions. They are like a secret club that if we could understand them, it could transform our reality. As a newly minted member of the ADHD club, I found myself lost in the sea of terms and emotions. How could I have this new identify? What happened to my old one? I went through a period of mourning for who I thought I was and angry for not knowing sooner. And like so many of us, I could not stop Googling. I came across so many terms and so many experiences. Some of them fit but others did not. But in this craziness of new terms and emotions, one term reached out and really fit – neurodiversity.
Neurodiversity. This term took me out of the shock of a diagnosis and helped me in my understanding of ADHD. Rooted in science, it encompasses all brain and learning differences – Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and more. It was there to tell me that even though parts of ADHD were hard, there was not something “wrong” with me. It told me and the world that our brains were not malfunctioning or deficient. They were different, a unique blend of chaos and creativity. It was not about deficits; it was about differences. I could work with differences. And these differences brought incredible strengths with them.
This understanding was a lifeline for me, as a mother, and as a woman grappling with a late-life ADHD diagnosis. It was like the world suddenly clicked into place, like a puzzle piece finding its home. My brain wasn’t faulty or broken; it was just different, and in that difference, it was beautifully unique. And so were my children’s brains.
As a mom, I had to make sure that my boys grew up understanding this truth. I needed them to realize that they weren’t damaged goods but beautiful minds with incredible capabilities. They had to see that their difference was not a curse, but a superpower, their superpower. But the journey of teaching this to my kids was not without challenges.
One such challenge was finding appropriate resources to communicate this truth to them. As an advocate of storytelling, I embarked on a quest to find picture books that showcased neurodiverse characters, characters that mirrored my boys. But this quest was harder than I thought. The few books I found either trivialized or dramatized the differences, creating caricatures instead of characters. My boys needed to see characters who loved their routines, who needed breaks from the chaos of life, who found solace in fidget toys or comfort in chewing gum. They needed to see their experiences reflected, normalized, and celebrated.
And then, in the most unexpected turn of events, I found a new calling. Seeing the void in children’s literature, I took it upon myself to fill it. I took on the hat of an author and illustrator to tell the stories that were missing. And thus, the Super Fun Day Books series was born, a collection of stories about neurodiverse children, like mine, navigating life’s twists and turns.
These books are not just stories. They are guides, fashioned after social stories used in special education, with an intentional focus on making them accessible to everyone. With simplistic illustrations to maintain focus on the narrative and a dyslexic-friendly font, my goal was to make these stories reachable and relatable to all children, not just those with ADHD.
Our journey with neurodiversity is like a rollercoaster ride, full of highs and lows. There are days when my boys celebrate their uniqueness, and there are days when they yearn for ‘normalcy’. My books serve as a reminder to me on these tumultuous days, encouraging them to embrace their unique brain wiring.
But my books are not just for neurodiverse children or their parents. They are windows into our world for neurotypical children. By introducing them to the joys and challenges of neurodiversity, these stories foster empathy and understanding. They create a dialogue about our differences and similarities. Because, as much as I can shape my children’s perception of themselves, it’s equally important that their environment reflects the same acceptance and appreciation for diversity.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
For neurodiverse children, it is essential they perceive their unique cognitive patterns as a source of pride, not a deficiency. Their distinctive perspective is not a flaw but a strength, capable of incredible insights. The onus lies on me, as their mother, to instill this belief.
When I sought educational tools, I naturally gravitated towards storytelling, specifically picture books. However, the scarcity of books featuring neurodiverse characters was disheartening. I was searching for stories that reflected my children’s world; where characters used headphones, enjoyed the rhythmic motion of fidget toys, and found solace in structured routines—books that would validate their reality and emphasize that their differences were perfectly ordinary. The challenge was finding such resources, a task I was determined to undertake.
So even though I knew nothing about writing/illustrating or publishing books, I took a chance and went for it.
My books, the “Super Fun Day Books” series presents motivational social narratives aimed at guiding young neurodivergent children through problem-solving and resilience-building scenarios. The books feature vivid yet straightforward illustrations to maintain the child’s engagement with the narrative. To accommodate readers with dyslexia, the text is set in a font designed for ease of reading. Enhancing accessibility further, the series is also available in audiobook format and translated into Spanish, catering to diverse learning preferences and language needs.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three pivotal attributes that influenced my path are a strong inclination towards risk-taking, given the uncertainty of success in publishing books; a profound drive to serve others, as my mission isn’t financial gain—after all, one doesn’t write children’s books to get rich; and admittedly, a touch of audacity, diving into a profession about which I initially knew very little. Without any formal background in writing or art, I believed in my ability to create books—and so I embarked on that journey.
For those aspiring to authorship or any new venture, I echo the spirit of Nike’s slogan: “Just Do It”. The act of trying is a leap into the unknown, and while failure may occur, it is part of the process. It’s the attempt that counts; without it, the outcome will always never happen.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Embarking on a career as an author and illustrator, I initially pictured a reclusive existence akin to that of J.D. Salinger. I imagined quietly releasing my work into the world without fanfare. This naïve view quickly shattered when I realized that my role wasn’t limited to creating books; I was also marketing my own image. As someone who leans towards introversion, the prospect of engaging with social media, radio, and podcasts was daunting.
My insights on neurodiversity, based purely on personal experience rather than academic study, became a subject of public interest. Being neurodiverse myself and parenting neurodiverse children provides me with an authentic, albeit limited, perspective. Facing the harshness of social media, where I am sometimes asked for medical or psychological advice, was an unanticipated aspect of authorship. Learning to navigate these platforms, including how to report sensitive content like suicidal posts, was a sobering experience.
Despite these challenges, I maintain a strong Instagram presence and guest on podcasts, sharing my experiences to promote a positive dialogue on neurodiversity. My commitment to disseminating my message to the families and schools that might benefit from it surpasses the discomfort of stepping beyond my comfort zone.
Contact Info:
- Website: sivanhong.com
- Instagram: @sivan_hong_author
- Facebook: sivanhongauthor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivan-hong-author/
