CONNECTICUT – As the parent of two children with autism, Susan Vanriel-Smith empathizes with people in similar situations. She has shown that compassion by writing two books. The second of these was released in May.
Picture Day With Nicholas is a 38-page publication with color illustrations looking at the challenges children on the autism spectrum face when taking photographs.
Vanriel-Smith, who was born in Westmoreland parish, Jamaica, lives in Connecticut. She told South Florida Caribbean News that personal experience influenced the theme of her ‘Picture Day’. It is distributed by her Gifted One Publishing company.
“This story was based on my experience with picture-taking in general, not just at school. The school situation helped me to provide a learning situation for my readers,” she said. “My hope is that someone will take away something meaningful, whether it’s the idea of a way to handle a child that may feel similar in a situation such as this.”
According to reframingautism.org, “For many autistic individuals, taking pictures causes intense discomfort due to sensory overload from camera flashes, anxiety over unnatural posing, and the social pressure of forced smiling.”
A registered polysomnographer (sleep technician), Vanriel-Smith is among millions of parents caring for autistic children in the United States. In 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in 31 children in the country are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by their eighth birthday. That data is based on an analysis of medical records from 2022. It shows a significant increase in autism over the past 20 years.
Different But Special, Susan Vanriel-Smith’s first book, was released in 2023.
Get a copy of “Picture Day With Nicholas”
🖊️ SIGNED copy:
https://giftedoneprinces.com/products/picture-day-with-nicholas
🛒 Amazon:
https://a.co/d/09ihuTas
📖 Available through IngramSpark:
https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=8WvAjphr6jJrAB7YXMH9WW0lBCnZ0Kin6vUymyVtgNx
It is also available at Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Walmart, and more!
