(NewsNation) — Detroit rapper 42 Dugg’s 6-year-old son, D’aire, has co-authored a children’s book with his mother that highlights the importance of celebrating and accepting neurodiversity.
D’aire has been nonverbal for most of his young life, and “My Kind of Normal” is based on his real experiences navigating life on the autism spectrum.
The book “follows a joyful little boy named D’aire who experiences the world in his own unique way,” according to the description.
The project also inspired the creation of Beaming Brains, a brand established by D’aire’s mom “to give voice to the brave, bold, and bright minds who experience the world in their own way,” according to the website.
42 Dugg shared his perspective as a first-time parent in a post on Instagram.
“Dealing with autistic children can be such ah challenge for us parents especially first time parents but we have no idea the challenges these children face not being able to fully express themselves,” he said.
About 1 in 31 (3.2%) 8-year-old children have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the U.S., according to recent CDC reports. ASD is almost four times more common in boys than in girls.