Iona University Student Illustrates Autism Awareness Children's Book

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. & BRONXVILLE, N.Y. — Iona University occupational therapy student Jessica Rogers ’21MBA, ’23MS illustrated a newly released children’s book, “The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow,” promoting inclusion and raising autism awareness. Rogers worked alongside her uncle and author of the book, Ron Italiano, to create a heartfelt and meaningful story that explores the relationship between a young boy and his dog, while highlighting experiences related to autism.

The inspiration behind “Choppy Wow Wow” stems from Italiano’s two sons, who are on the autism spectrum. Every night, Italiano would tell them a bedtime story about the adventures of a unique dog named Choppy Wow Wow. Soon, his older son, who struggled with communication at the time, acquired language skills as he would describe his day through Choppy Wow Wow’s eyes.

“What began as a fictional bedtime story, turned into a form of communication between a father and his son,” said Rogers, who started working on the book in August 2020. “Once the idea was sparked, my uncle asked if I would be interested in illustrating because he knew I loved to draw and what my future career goals were.”

Upon graduating in December 2023, Rogers hopes to work with children with neurological, social and behavioral disorders. Through Iona’s occupational therapy program, she learned that incorporating innovative learning tactics, exposing children to various types of media and finding time to encourage social interaction and mental stimulation can improve the health and wellbeing of people with neurological disabilities. She believes that simply reading “Choppy Wow Wow” for 10 minutes before bed can be the start of a rewarding journey for all kids and families.

“Diverse representation in television, media and books provides a sense of inclusivity among underrepresented or misrepresented populations,” Rogers said. “With that in mind, I strived to create characters that would represent people with disabilities and their families. My hope is that the unique characters we created can resonate with just one unique child.”

“The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow” is the first installment of a series that Italiano and Rogers plan to create, with future books highlighting different scenarios and situations that people with autism experience.

Rogers plans to donate her portion of the proceeds from the book to Autism Speaks, a nonprofit autism awareness organization, and the Forum School, a private school for students with disabilities in New Jersey.

Click here to purchase or learn more about “The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow.”