Meet the Insight Sprites: The Magical Creatures that Bring the SEA Bridge to Life

by Kat Harhai on October 5, 2021

Educators and learners using the SEA Bridge curriculum will quickly become familiar with the band of characters known as the Insight Sprites. These part-magical, part-humanoid creatures help bring the content in the curriculum to life. Learners will be introduced to spoon theory through a story about Flynn navigating their day at school; they will navigate communication differences by watching Jade and Bodhi have a playdate; and they will use their strengths to solve problems as the Sprites encounter unexpected roadblocks while on a field trip.

The Insight Sprites are one of the many components of the curriculum that make SEA Bridge engaging, relatable, and fun for K-5^th learners.

By and for the neurodivergent community

The Insight Sprites are a product of the “nothing about us without us” mantra that we at Bridges Learning System live by. The characters were created by a team of neurodivergent professionals, led by our talented autistic illustrator, Tess, and voiced by autistic actors. The Insight Sprites were created with and for the neurodivergent community and have been designed to represent the community in all ways.

So let’s meet your kids’ new best friends!

Meet the Insight Sprites

Name: Bohdi

Birthday: December 22^nd

Favorite color: Teal (like tropical water)

Kindred spirit: Border collie (loyal, FAST, likes routine, stares intensely, can be destructive when bored)

Bohdi is in constant motion. They are incredibly fast and can almost always be seen zooming from one location to the next. They speak their mind, and often get into passionate discussions because of it. They are highly sensitive to the moods of others and can sense when feelings have shifted, but don’t always know how to respond to these shifts. They tend to flip flop between constant eye-contact and none, without much in between. They find immense comfort in routine, and lean on their rhythms and rituals, especially in moments of distress.

 

 

Name: Flynn

Birthday: September 27^th

Favorite color: Blue (like their pet bird)

Kindred spirit: Horse (family oriented, free-spirited, hardworking, loves veggies, slightly stubborn)

Flynn is energetic, especially when chatting about their interests. They can talk about root vegetables for hours. Otherwise, Flynn is most likely listening to music in their head or daydreaming. Flynn is a bit stubborn, and dislikes backing down even when they recognize they might be wrong. They are also very kind, and don’t like seeing others upset. They are highly sensitive to sound and are quite musical, having played piano from a young age. They have a pet bird named Sky that accompanies Flynn almost everywhere they go.

 

 

 

Name: Lee

Birthday: January 23^rd

Favorite color: Pale green (glow-in-the-dark color)

Kindred spirit: Turtle (carries its home on its back, which Lee wishes they could do)

Lee is the tallest of all the Sprites, and is a tad clumsy, but is always happy to help retrieve items from a high shelf. Lee is skilled with numbers and can do advanced calculations in their head. They also have a keen memory and know the price and name of every product their family sells. Lee doesn’t tend to outwardly express their emotions, but their wings hum like a hummingbird when they are deep in thought. They enjoy bonsai, eating blueberries, and playing with their friends—though they don’t like playing make-believe. Lee has a pet turtle named Abode.

 

 

Name: Jade

Birthday: May 6^th

Favorite color: Blush pink and bright yellow

Kindred spirit: Bunny (cautious, quiet, sensitive, desires company)

Jade is quiet by nature, but highly observant. They are skilled at finding patterns and find comfort in visual order and symmetry. They are deeply compassionate, thoughtful, and generous, and can often be found bringing treats to school for their classmates. They are a nontraditional speaker who uses an AAC device to communicate and are adept with technology. They are both curious and cautious, and regularly seek out new experiences but take their time while doing so. They often draw in the air when they are thinking. They are sensitive to smell and prefer being outside where the smells tend to be better than those indoors. They strongly dislike the smell of markers and paint, and love the smell of grass, flowers, rain, dirt and anything else that can be found in nature.

 

Name: Mikko

Birthday: February 2nd

Favorite color: Off white (the color of book pages)

Kindred spirit: Songbird (chatty, gentle, clever, likes to nest)

Mikko is a library of information. They are a lexophile who loves to read, expand their vocabulary, experience imaginative stories, and learn random facts. They excel at retaining information and can recall huge amounts of information that they have read, seen, or heard. Mikko isn’t afraid of being wrong, and delights in learning new information. They tend to read new words before they have heard them out loud, and sometimes mispronounce them upon saying them out loud. Mikko finds joy in tailoring facts they’ve heard to their audience—such as sharing a root vegetable fact with Flynn or a building-things fact with Dot. They are highly sensitive to textures, primarily on their arms and feet. Mikko needs alone time to decompress and process their emotions and loves making a cozy space for themselves to sit with their thoughts or absorb a new book.

 

Name: Goldie

Birthday: November 29th

Favorite color: Silver (like moonlight or the lining of clouds)

Kindred spirit: Deer (agile, graceful, clever, quick)

Goldie is highly attuned to movement, both their own and the movements of those around them. They have good rhythm, stellar footwork, and a gift for expression through movement, which make them a talented dancer. They love dramatic weather and enjoy dancing in puddles and during a storm. They are diplomatic, and often take on a mediator role when their classmates are in a heated discussion. They are good at leveraging strengths, both their own and others. They tend to rationalize their emotions, and quash any feelings that aren’t pleasant, until they can’t. They dislike routine and thrive on spontaneity. Goldie moves in any way besides walking: fly, skip, gallop, or dance. Goldie can be reckless and doesn’t always look before they leap.

 

Name: Dot

Birthday: August 24^th

Favorite color: Black (the color of possibility, and all colors)

Kindred spirit: Racoon (clever, mechanical, likes using hands, collector)

Dot is a maker. They are highly creative and are skilled and translating ideas into three dimensional structures. They are fascinated by how things are made and enjoys taking things apart and putting them back together—clocks, keyboards, cell phones…you name it! They usually have a tool in their hand so they can be at the ready to fix or take apart something at a moment’s notice. They are resourceful and like solving problems in creative or unconventional ways using only the resources at hand. They have a keen eye for detail. They are sensitive to light and are calmed by spinning things and watching them fall down. They are genuine and quite transparent about what they think and feel.

 

 

Name: Bridget

Birthday: July 13^th

Favorite color: Rainbow

Kindred spirit: Wolf (operates in a pack, protective, guiding, brave)

Bridget is the Sprites’ educator. She supports the Sprites in building bridges of understanding with one another and the world around them. Bridget is highly adept at seeing different perspectives. Bridget recognizes the challenges that the Sprites face in the world and is motivated to help them learn how to engage with others while being their authentic selves. Bridget is a champion of her students and thrives on the energy and ingenuity of the Sprites.