This is a scenario Los Gatan Nancy Ogaz uses to describe how it feels for a child with Asperger's Syndrome to function in the everyday world. And the Santa Cruz Mountains resident knows of what she speaks, being the mother of an 11-year-old who was diagnosed with the neurological disorder as a small boy.

What began as a story she wrote to help Devon deal with schoolmates who teased or bullied him has, over the course of a year and some months, blossomed into a new paperback, titled Buster and the Amazing Daisy.

"It's such an invisible disability. He looks normal and speaks well, so people assume he's the same as everyone else, but he's not," Ogaz says, explaining how "Aspies" have difficulties understanding nonverbal communication such as body language, tone of voice and facial expressions. They can also be frightened or aggravated by sights, sounds and situations that don't bother non-Aspie children. Some may also develop fixations on certain objects or topics of interest.

On the flip side, she adds, Aspie children are usually very altruistic, loyal, witty and very concerned with what's right. They often have great memories and vocabularies and sometimes great imaginations as well, she says.

Illustrated by Ogaz's friend and fellow Santa Cruz Mountains resident Patricia Shubeck, Buster and the Amazing Daisy tells the story of Daisy White, an elementary schooler with Asperger's Syndrome who turns enemies into friends and difficulties into victories with help from Buster, a classroom rabbit whom Daisy describes as "black and beautiful and very smart."

Asperger's Syndrome is often described as a "mild form of autism," although it varies from individual to individual, according to Ogaz, who has learned about it through reading books, doing Internet research and attending conferences. It was after one such conference, years ago, that she told her son he was "different."

"It was perfect serendipity. I'd told Devon I was going to a conference to learn to be a better mom. When I got home, he ran up and asked, 'Mom! What did you learn?' " Ogaz says, relating how she told Devon she had listened to an intelligent, humorous and interesting speaker who had a condition called Asperger's Syndrome. "Cool! I wish I had Asperger's Syndrome!" was Devon's reply.

"The thing I hear over and over again from parents is the relief their kids feel when they realize why they're different. The more you know about it, the more empowered you can be," explains Ogaz, who says it is critical for parents to be honest with their children.

Something else she feels parents should do is at least consider the fact that certain medications may help their children function better in everyday life, as they do for Devon. "If you had a kid with diabetes or high blood pressure or epilepsy, wouldn't you give them medication? So why is it taboo to talk about giving autistic children medication?"

Of course, she adds, there are many other interventions that help as well, including professional counselors, classroom aides and even nonhuman helpers. Like Daisy, Devon is an animal lover and has informed his parents and younger brother, Cory, that he wants to be a wildlife rehabilitator when he grows up. His love for animals is certainly reciprocated in his home, which includes three dogs, three cats, a cockatiel, parakeets, a fish pond and a half-dozen chickens.

Ogaz says she's discovered that the shared experience of caring for or playing with an animal is a "social bridge" that encourages Aspie children to interact with others, as Buster did for Daisy and the Ogaz pets do for Devon when friends come to visit.

Putting all the facts and figures aside, Ogaz simply says she hopes her book will make a positive difference for Aspie children and the students, friends and teachers who know them. "I'm a mom with a mission," she says.

Ogaz will hold a free mini-seminar, question-and-answer session and book-signing Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. at Borders Books in Los Gatos, 50 University Ave. Her book is also available on www.amazon.com.