Dad hopes to launch first book series which stars an autistic character

David Fox, who originally from Westoe, South Shields, is hoping that the Pop Fantastic books will help to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ADS) and promote more positive attitudes to the condition.

The stories feature David’s 10-year-old son Oliver, who has autism, as the main character.

The 29-year-old former Whitburn Comprehensive pupil said: “Pop Fantastic is a fantasy, based in a world where an autistic child like Oliver can really fit in and fulfil his potential.

“The idea behind the books is to let children like Oliver make sense of the world around them, while also showing their friends and siblings what life is like for them.”

He added: “Like many other children, Oliver was given a diagnosis of autism at a young age, and both myself and my wife, who are continually learning about his condition, are aware that no two ASD children are alike.

“We do know, however, that a great many of them share the same mannerisms and attributes, which means they see and experience our world very differently to us.”

David, a marine engineer, has now launched an online Kickstarter campaign to help create the first Pop Fantastic book.

He is hoping that he can secure the funds to help turn his vision into reality, so that he can share the books with families around the world.

Anyone interested in finding out more or contributing to the project can go to http://tinyurl.com/popfantastic.