Iona University Student Illustrates Children’s Book, Raises Autism Awareness

Jessica Rogers ’21MBA,’23MS illustrated “The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow,” a children’s book about a child with autism and his helper dog

April 13, 2023

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. & BRONXVILLE, N.Y. — Iona University occupational therapy student Jessica Rogers ’21MBA, ’23MS illustrated a newly released children’s book, “The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow,” promoting inclusion and raising autism awareness. Rogers worked alongside her uncle and author of the book, Ron Italiano, to create a heartfelt and meaningful story that explores the relationship between a young boy and his dog, while highlighting experiences related to autism.

The inspiration behind “Choppy Wow Wow” stems from Italiano’s two sons, who are on the autism spectrum. Every night, Italiano would tell them a bedtime story about the adventures of a unique dog named Choppy Wow Wow. Soon, his older son, who struggled with communication at the time, acquired language skills as he would describe his day through Choppy Wow Wow’s eyes.

“What began as a fictional bedtime story, turned into a form of communication between a father and his son,” said Rogers, who started working on the book in August 2020. “Once the idea was sparked, my uncle asked if I would be interested in illustrating because he knew I loved to draw and what my future career goals were.”

Upon graduating in December 2023, Rogers hopes to work with children with neurological, social and behavioral disorders. Through Iona’s occupational therapy program, she learned that incorporating innovative learning tactics, exposing children to various types of media and finding time to encourage social interaction and mental stimulation can improve the health and wellbeing of people with neurological disabilities. She believes that simply reading “Choppy Wow Wow” for 10 minutes before bed can be the start of a rewarding journey for all kids and families.

“Diverse representation in television, media and books provides a sense of inclusivity among underrepresented or misrepresented populations,” Rogers said. “With that in mind, I strived to create characters that would represent people with disabilities and their families. My hope is that the unique characters we created can resonate with just one unique child.”

“The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow” is the first installment of a series that Italiano and Rogers plan to create, with future books highlighting different scenarios and situations that people with autism experience.

Rogers plans to donate her portion of the proceeds from the book to Autism Speaks, a nonprofit autism awareness organization, and the Forum School, a private school for students with disabilities in New Jersey. 

Click here to purchase or learn more about “The Special Adventures of Choppy Wow Wow.”

ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2024 national list of “The Best 389 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.