Biography

Norfolk State University - English

Autistic Children’s Book Author of Too Sticky! | English Professor at Norfolk State University
Jen
Malia, Ph.D.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
TOO STICKY!: SENSORY ISSUES WITH AUTISM (Albert Whitman, April 2020) is her debut children's picture book about a girl who has to overcome her fear of sticky hands to participate in a slime experiment. The main character is based on her own and her daughter’s experiences living with autism and sensory issues.

She knew doctors were wrong when they said her daughter had just a language delay. She spent hundreds of hours looking for answers. She came across research on the gender differences with autism that helped her daughter get the right diagnosis. She realized that not only was her daughter autistic — she was, too. She was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in her late 30s, on the same day as her daughter. Her son was also diagnosed with ASD a year later.

You can read about her experiences as an autistic woman and mom in her essays for The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Catapult, Glamour, Self, and Woman’s Day, among others. She's represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary Agency. She's also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

She earned her PhD in English and MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Southern California. She’s Associate Professor of English at Norfolk State University. During her four years as an American expat in the United Arab Emirates, she worked as a writing professor at the American University of Sharjah. Her oldest daughter was born in Dubai.

She’s a world traveler who’s been to 20 countries around the globe. As a contributing author of Knocked Up Abroad Again, she wrote about hiking Petra with her husband and her then 6-month-old daughter strapped to her in a baby carrier.

As a Taekwondo black belt, she trains with her two daughters. She also explores the beaches and hiking trails around Virginia Beach with her family.

Possible Matching Profiles

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• Jennifer Malia Aguiar (-10% Match)
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  University Of Hawaii At Hilo - University Of Hawaii At Hilo
  
  
• Jennifer Malia (70% Match)
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  Norfolk State University - Norfolk State University