Helping autistic children with story books

AS a home tutor to children with autism, Valerie Sheehan saw first hand the stress of coping with a diagnosis — for the parent and the child.

So she created Tony, a little turtle with autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting one in 100 children.

Tony is a character in a new series of books, written by the 37-year-old from Carrigaline, Co Cork, for parents and children with the condition.