'My Friend Rain': Son inspires Thibodaux author to publish children's book about autism

Jul. 13—When Sylnita Livas-Bougere's son Rain was diagnosed with autism in 2014, she set out to bring awareness to his condition.

"We teach children from 4 to 8 the foundations of English, mathematics and things of that nature," the Thibodaux resident said. "My goal is to teach them the foundation of social responsibility."

As a result, the illustrated children's book "My Friend Rain" was published July 1. The author held a signing Sunday at Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt in Thibodaux.

The book, inspired by Livas-Bougere's 9-year-old son, is told from the point of view of a little boy named Evan. It explains why some of their friends and classmates may behave or interact differently.

"We need to teach them at an early age that, hey, these are our friends," Livas-Bourgere said. "They may be a little bit different, but by the time they reach adolescence and adulthood, it's just part of the norm."

About one in 54 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism, and boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with the condition than girls, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Livas-Bougere, a teacher and special-needs advocate who has been writing since she was 13 and penned articles for several publications including The Daily Comet, began working on "My Friend Rain" following an encounter with a neighbor's child in 2017.

"One day Rain was playing in his own front yard and a neighbor's grandchild was playing across the street," she said. "She looked terrified because Rain was stimming. I noticed that none of her adult family members explained that she shouldn't be afraid or why Rain was different. It dawned on me. They didn't understand or know how to. 'My Friend Rain' explains to children, and maybe adults, how our peers that live with autism can still be great assets to our lives."

Though the pandemic upended a lot of businesses and schools, Livas-Bougere said 2020 was a blessing in disguise for her because it allowed the time to finish her book.

"This book has actually been in the works for four years," she said. "With COVID, I was forced to sit down and focus. My intent was to solely bring awareness. The outpouring of support from the community has been amazing, and I'm very thankful for this opportunity."

Livas-Bougere said "My Friend Rain" is the first in a planned series. The second installment, "My Friend Rain's First Day of School," is set to be published early next year.

The author said she hopes her son's story will inspire others to learn more about autism.

"I don't think Rain knows he's as big of a star as he is," she said. "Honestly, I always told him the world would know his name, but I just didn't know that this was going to be the path."

To buy a copy of "My Friend Rain" or to learn more about the book, visit Livas-Bougere's page at Amazon.com.

— Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.

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