In my time away from the classroom, I have started drafting a book called Teusday (yes, the spelling is intended!) It’s set in a mainstream secondary school and follows five neurodivergent characters navigating one normal day. It’s about neurodiversity acceptance, finding a tribe, and how a small act of kindness and inclusion can change a persons perspective. I've actually had this story materialising in my mind for a couple of years now, since reading and being inspired by A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicholl with my tutor group when in Y6. The last few months I have actually fleshed it out, opened Google Docs, and got the keys clicking and making steady progress. 

This book belongs to the Tribe. I want your art and your stories to be the "fuel" that makes it fly.

Meet the Tribe

The story of Teusday is told through the eyes of those who see the world differently. Here are the people you will meet. All characters are fictional- letters for now, please see the note below at the bottom of the page.*

The Captains (Main POV Characters)

• Mr. R: An Autistic/ADHD Science teacher. He’s the "ground" for the Tribe, but today his own wires are fraying. He leads several clubs including lunchtime neurodiversity celebration club & chess club afterschool. (Sound familiar?) This Tuesday, He’s facing a high-stakes observation with his Y8 science class and a life-changing, heartbreaking choice to make after the students go home after the end of chess club. 

• H : Year 8. Autistic and proud. She uses the logic of Chess and the rhythm of K-Pop to navigate school life. If there’s a glitch in the Tribe, H is the one who fixes the circuit. She's is the defacto "leader" of the tribe. Super helpful and empathetic to all her peers. Best friends with J. 

• T: Year 7. Autistic/ADHD/PDA/EBSA. He might struggle with a maths worksheet, but he can decode the world through numbers and engine sounds. Obsessed with airplanes. Constantly fidigiting with a rainbow slinky and swaying back and forth as a self calming mechanism. Target for older bullies, but doesn't let it phase him. Very unique. Talented scientist, scruffy handwriting and drawing. Misunderstood and frequently in isolation. 

• F: Year 8. Dyslexic & Torettes (Tics). F loves stories but hates the "dancing words" on the page. His physical tics spike when he’s stressed. After a year of being pushed out of school with EBSA by bullying, a simple cyan reading ruler from Mr. R is about to change his entire world view. Secretly a talented artist- sketches comics in his sketch book throughout the school day. 

• L: Year 9. Undiagnosed and misunderstood. Behind the hood and the "tough guy" act a scene in the isolation room lies a secret that only T’s unique logic can unlock. An unlikely alliance forms. 

The Crew (Supporting Characters)

• J: Year 8. Dyspraxic. Non-Binary (They/Them) H’s best friend and K-Pop ally. They are fiercely loyal but carries a secret that could change everything for H.

• N & B: Year 7. N (Learning Disability) and B (Downs Syndrome) are T’s wingmen in classes along with their TA. They show that leadership isn't about being the loudest, it’s about who you bring along with you and support each other to see new concepts through thier eyes. 

• Miss TW: T's Mum- called in for a meeting lesson 4 on T's behaviour and attendance. She is fighting against the system. 

Now I need your help. I would like this book to be a collaberation of lived experiences.  

🎨 Mission 1: The "Kid-Drew" Art Gallery

I want the artwork in this book to be authentic, drawn by you.

• The Front Cover: Must include the title TEUSDAY and the Neurodiversity Rainbow Infinity Symbol.

• Key Elements: You can choose to include: The shadow of a Boeing 777, T's rainbow slinky, F's cyan reading ruler, H’s headphones, series and parallel circuits, a chess piece, a doodle book, a slice of chocolate cake.

• F’s Scribble Book: F loves to draw. I need little sketches or "doodles" that look like they were drawn in the back of a notebook.

• Celebration Posters: Design the "Neurodiversity Celebration" posters the characters are making in the club.

🎶 Mission 2: K-Pop & The Dance

• The Bands: I need names for three fictional K-Pop bands.

• The Anthems: I need titles and lyrics for three songs:

  1. A song about Refraction (how white light bends and spreads out into the rainbow).

  2. A song about Diversity.

  3. A song about Celebration.

• The Dance: J and H teach T a routine at lunch. I need a written description of these dance moves. Keep in mind T is awkward and moves in his own unique way!

✍️ Mission 3: The Tribes chapters. 

I want to include chapters written by you. These should be in the 3rd person and look back at the characters' pasts & present:

(Note for the Frome Tribe: If you are in Middle School, imagine H&F's experience's in Y5&6 as being like your time in Year 4 back when you had one main classroom and one teacher for most subjects, rather than the different specialist teachers and classrooms you have now!)

The Story of H - 

• Chapter 5: The Static. Write about a time before H found her confidence. This needs to be in upper primary school. When the world felt too loud, too bright, and completely overwhelming. How did she first discover the rhythm of K-Pop, and why did it become her "shield"?

• Chapter 8: The Team. Every hero needs a partner. How did H and J first meet? Write the story of how they realised they saw the world in a similar way and became an inseparable team.

• Chapter 17: The Diagnosis, The Board, The Boss. How did H feel on the day she was finally diagnosed as Autistic? Was it a relief or a shock? In the same chapter, tell us how she discovered Chess. What was it about the logic of the board that finally made sense to her?

The History of F

• Chapters 6, 12 & 19: The Manga Chronicles. We want these to be told in Comic or Manga style.

  • Show F’s struggle in Primary School (Year 5/6). The bullying that led to him refusing to go to school at the start of Year 7.

  • Contrast the "Dancing Words" he sees in school books with the way he gets totally lost in his favourite adventure books at home.

  • The Power Up: Draw a comic featuring the "Tribe of Friends" where F uses his "New Power", the Blue Reading Ruler, to see through the static.

The Story of N & B 

• Chapter 10: The Wingmen. A scene written from the joint perspective of N and B. They are in a lesson (Music/Drama or Food Tech) Show how they support each other in class alongside their TA.

• The Twist: Show the moment T tries to help them, but because the world doesn't understand his logic, T is the one who gets sent to the isolation room for disrupting the lesson.