How One Moment at KFC Reminded Me Why I Wrote “How Does Orange Feel?”

It was the afternoon of election day. We were at Circuit, waiting for our order at KFC, when a boy in line caught my attention.

He was about nine or ten. Blind. Standing with his grandfather.

But what struck me was how he moved.

He kept twisting his head and neck—looping figure eights over and over. It wasn’t subtle. It looked uncomfortable. Maybe even dangerous.

At first, I thought it was the music playing in the background—maybe he was responding to the rhythm. But as I observed him longer (always with compassion, never intrusion), I realized something else.

The movement was constant. Rhythmic, yes—but not triggered by sound.

And then I saw it:
He paused.

Just for a moment.He stopped stimming momentarily when he gently tapped the fingers of one hand on the other.

Later, I noticed it again when they were seated.

He stopped twice to sniff the back of his hand. 

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🧠 My ABA hat came on.

It’s instinct now—after years of experience.
I don’t jump to conclusions, but I do start asking questions.

Could scent be his anchor?
Could a simple sensory cue—something safe, familiar, and calming—interrupt a behavior that might put him at risk?

I thought about interventions.
Maybe a small pouch with rotating safe scents could help.
Maybe giving him a soft-textured fidget would redirect that intense need to move. Maybe simply applying a mild scented lotion on the back of his hand could work. 

Of course, as any good behaviorist will tell you—we don’t treat the behavior until we understand its function.
What’s giving him pleasure?
Is it self-soothing? Overstimulation? A sensory loop?

I don’t know.
But what I do know is this:

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🧡 Every child is telling us something.

Even when they can’t speak.
Even when they move in ways we don’t understand.

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And in that moment, I thought about Maya.
The blind character in my new book, How Does Orange Feel?

In the story, Maya asks her sighted friend, Mira, to describe what orange feels like.
Mira says it's warm and happy. It feels like a hug you didn't expect. 

Then Maya asks about other colors throughout the seasons.
And so begins their journey—a friendship built on imagination, empathy, and finding ways to feel what others see.

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✨ I wrote this book to help children connect.

Not just to color.
But to each other.

Whether your child is neurodivergent, highly sensitive, visually impaired, or simply full of questions—
this story is for them.
It’s for all of us who are learning how to describe the world with more than just our eyes.

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You can grab a copy of How Does Orange Feel? on:
🛒 Shopee
🌐 Gumroad
📚 Teachers Pay Teachers
(search “Learn with Teacher E”)

Let’s raise children who don’t just see the world—
but feel it with kindness, creativity, and connection.

—
💛 Teacher E
Mom, educator, author, and forever student of childhood