Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a book that opens the door into the mind and life of a boy with hyperactivity issues. It introduces parent abandonment (leaving him with his grandmother) and students with special needs. The author builds kid friendly humor into the story while at the same time making readers take a real look at a few of the steps Joey and his mother take just so Joey can be mainstreamed again after he harms another student. It took me a minute to realize that I read this book when I was in 4th grade and I’m glad that I had the chance to come back to it as an adult. I see Joey’s behavior a completely different way. I remember thinking that Joey was funny and the kind of kid I would want to be friends with, but now I find myself worried about the same behaviors I thought were so funny before. Reading this book now it is very clear that Joey has a low-incidence disability, deciding if he is on
In the beginning of the book it is very clear that he needs to work on his social skills and peer relationships, which our text book states as being a characteristic of a low-incidence disability “Significant difficulty with social relationships is a defining characteristic of individuals with autism.” (p. 177). This becomes worse for him after he cut of Maria’s nose. Later on in the text we find out that throughout the whole book he has been avoiding eye contact which is listed as another characteristic in our text book,” These students often do not make eye contact with others” (p.177). Even though it is not specifically stated, it is eluded to at the end of the book when Joey mentions his mother is teaching him that he needs to look people in the eye. This can be found on page 153 when Joey thinks, “When she told me that, I stood real still and looked her in the eye like Mom taught me, ‘Are you sure about that?’ I asked.” This is also a great example of his growth in the area of social skills and