My Hidden Difference Makes Me Special

Then it hit her: how would she tell her future kids about this? She worried her children may inherit the disorder or see her going through paralytic episodes.

She realized she needed to find a way to tell them they would be okay too.

She decided to find a way to tell others that her disorder does not define her. She is choosing what kind of person she is.

She reflected on her years of experience working with children and adults with medical and intellectual diagnoses in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She applied her experience of explaining difficult topics in simpler terminology, acknowledging each person's emotions, and providing appropriate, safe, and healthy replacement skills to her stories.

These stories transformed into books. First, a book telling children with invisible disabilities that they were not alone. These reassuring and positive books let children know that it's okay to be different and teaches them it is okay to have emotions. Her books teach healthy and safe options to deal with the struggles that come with having these disorders by giving them the tools to ask for help and reach out to their support system. Throughout the process, her wonderful, playful, and silly service dogs were always by her side. She knew she had to expand her books to educating others on service animals, helping children who are diagnosed with medical disorders, and give a voice to these children (and their adults).

She hopes that her stories help empower people to advocate for themselves and others affected by invisible disorders and disabilities.