"As humans, many of us live in our own little world. So, it’s completely normal that what might make sense to us, doesn’t always make sense to others. It’s also very hard, and sometimes uncomfortable, to take ourselves out of that world we’ve grown accustomed to. As someone who has lived with autism my whole life, I can attest to the fact that many people don’t understand what it means to be on the spectrum."

~ Alexandra Adlawan
Exceptional Parent Magazine Article

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved reading and drawing, and even as an adult, I still enjoy drawing in my free time. Despite my early interest in literature, I didn’t actually start writing stories until later. Writing in school wasn’t enjoyable for me because the prompts were never about topics I could relate to or knew much about. It wasn’t until I attended Exceptional Minds, an art and animation school in California for autistic young adults, that a spark was ignited within me to pursue writing and illustrating books as a career.

In late 2017, my father challenged me to finish just one of the many story ideas constantly swirling in my head. I had always dreamed of holding a book I had written and illustrated in my hands. Looking back, I realize that challenge was exactly what I needed to take that first step.

Today, I am a published author, and the moment I held my first book in my hands, I felt truly inspired to keep going. Deep down, I knew Wild Imagination: The Adventures of Maddie and Albert™ was just the beginning of many stories to come.

how it all began...