What if the world sometimes felt too loud, too bright, too busy—or simply too much?
Meet Callie Cat, a sweet, curious little cat whose brain experiences the world in its own amazing way. Callie notices details others may miss, loves familiar routines, has special interests she could talk about all day, and sometimes needs to move, stim, be quiet, or take a break.
But when sounds are overwhelming, plans suddenly change, words are confusing, or too many things happen at once, Callie's brain and body can become overloaded.
In Callie Cat: When the World Feels Too Loud, children follow Callie as she begins to understand her autistic brain—and discovers that she doesn't need to change who she is. She needs understanding, tools, accommodations, and people who are willing to listen.
Through Callie's story, children learn about sensory differences, stimming, communication differences, routines and transitions, meltdowns, masking, special interests, friendship, self-advocacy, and recognizing what their bodies are telling them.
Most importantly, Callie learns:
Different doesn't mean less.
Needing support isn't something to be ashamed of.
There are many ways to communicate, connect, learn, and be a friend.
And you should never have to hide who you are in order to belong.
Created by Kristi Godwin, LMFT, this gentle, neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic story includes practical activities and resources children and caregivers can use together, including sensory tools, body-awareness activities, a What-I-Need Plan, calming strategies, and parent/caregiver education.
Perfect for autistic children, neurodivergent children, parents, therapists, counselors, teachers, and classrooms, Callie Cat: When the World Feels Too Loud helps children understand themselves with greater compassion while helping the adults who love them learn how to support them without trying to change who they are.
Because Callie doesn't need to become a different cat. She needs the freedom, tools, support, and acceptance to become the very best Callie she can be.
