One of the first things Bryan wanted to do was make a Trust List - a list of people he felt safe talking to. Using the worksheet in the book, he spent a lot of time figuring out the people in his life who cared about him, and that he felt safe around. He ended up choosing his dad and me, his brother and our family friend Annette. Then he wrote their names down on the worksheet.
I should tell you a little about the book. It has 11 chapters written in plain-language. It has full-colour illustrations and it's printed on thick paper, bound with a sturdy spiral binding. It is easy for self-advocates to flip through the sections because they're marked with tabs. The sections are about values, trust and sexuality, being around other people, bodies, relationships, intimacy, and even more mature material like sexual health, fertility, safety and abuse.
As well as worksheets, each section has a learning checklist to help readers remember what they have learned.
Remember how I told you Bryan's teachers didn't want to include him in the classes on puberty because they didn't have resources, and didn't think he needed it? Well, I've made an appointment to meet with the school to show them the book. I'll tell you how it goes!
