“SNOOPERS & SNEAKERS” BOOK COVER

As a middle school student, my daughter, Sarah, would march through the crowded hallways wearing a pair of plastic cat ears and a homemade sign that read, “Don’t bully me! I’m autistic!”

Although it’s hard for her to make friends, my 15-year-old bookworm has found a kindred spirit in Jane, the autistic, feline-lovin’ protagonist in the new kid’s novel “Snoopers & Sneakers.” I got a kick out of it, too!

Written by local authors Cristina Rouvalis and Lydia Wayman, the story is set in Pittsburgh, where sixth-grade Jane forms a friendship with Ashley, a cheerleader recently exiled from the popular crowd. When their favorite teacher is arrested, they team up to clear her name.

Are you experiencing horrible junior high flashbacks yet?

“It’s about representation,” says Wayman, who is on the spectrum. “I didn’t get to see myself in characters a lot. The way my brain works was never reflected back to me.”

The 37-year-old Shaler resident was diagnosed with autism at age 20. Academically, Wayman was way ahead of her peers, but struggled socially in the overstimulating hellscape that is public school.

She was reading before she turned 3, bypassed 11th grade and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in English and nonfiction writing. More than a decade ago, she began blogging about her experiences on the spectrum, finally giving people — including her parents — a glimpse into her world.

Wayman now serves as an autistic advocate, developing content for nonprofits and other organizations.

When Rouvalis, a veteran journalist and frequent contributor to Pittsburgh Magazine and mother of a neurotypical daughter, began writing the novel, she realized she needed an expert source to help her flesh out Jane’s character. She put the word out to the autistic community and received the following email from Wayman:

“I heard you were interested in speaking with a cat-obsessed spectrumite. That would be me! I even have a paw print tattoo on my hand. Lucy, aka the Goose, is my cat and my sidekick. I love cats as only an autistic person can.”

The message not only led to literary collaboration, but a friendship. Don’t you love it when truth is stranger than fiction?

Just as Rouvalis and Wayman formed an instant bond, I felt a connection to the pair when we met for coffee at Ruckus Cafe. I’ve admired Rouvalis’ work for years (plus, it’s always fun to “talk shop” with a fellow journalist!). Wayman openly and honestly answered my personal questions about autism, even when the sputtering sounds of the espresso machine combined with nearby chit chat created a sensory overload.

We calmed our nerves by sharing pictures of our pets.

As the mother of an autistic teen, I know how important it is to surround yourself with empathetic people. Some things Wayman said were hard for me to hear, others were inspiring and gave me hope for Sarah’s future (she wants to work at a candy factory, a bakery or an ice cream shop. All three, if possible.).

“Snoopers & Sneakers” debuts on Jan. 21. Events are being planned for Autism Acceptance Month in April, but in the meantime you can tune into a Facebook Live discussion moderated by “The Skin I’m In” author Sharon Flake on Jan. 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. On Jan. 25 from 2 to 3:30, Rouvalis and Wayman will be at Spark Books in Aspinwall to sign books.

Sarah and I will be there — with cat ears on.

“We aren’t trying to preach, we’re just trying to talk about acceptance,” Rouvalis says. “It’s a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes.”