I’m a feature film development executive turned author and a passionate advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities.
My writing is an extension of my Before Times career developing talking animal movies, and also a few ridiculous disaster movies. My fiction features authentic disability representation, with a focus on middle grade fiction infused with wit, adventure, heart, and most likely a goat that snuck in somewhere goats don’t belong. My nonfiction focuses on the practicalities of parenting, adulting, and figuring out things that no one really knows how to do, but that we all need to know how to do, starting with Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child.
My advocacy draws upon over a decade of experience accessing the supports necessary for children with disabilities to succeed, including my own (incredibly handsome) kiddo, who has multiple disabilities. Additionally, I regularly advocate for children with a diverse range of disabilities, with a focus on teaching advocacy skills to parents so that they may teach their children to become self-advocates. I serve on committees for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Canine Companions, and have lobbied in favor of pro-disability legislation, with a focus on equity in education. I have been old off the record that: “The IEP team likes you, but they’re all afraid of you,” which I take as a sign that I’m doing something right.
Advocacy and storytelling are also the focus of my speaking engagements and workshops, where I dive into the realities of being a parent caregiver, the practicalities of navigating all the systems needed to support our disabled children, and how to authentically tell the story that only you can tell. I am a regular speaker for groups such as Diversability, We Are Brave Together, California State University Northridge, and Teach for LA,.
In addition, I have worked as a cooking teacher, a barista in a Barnes and Noble, and as Wendy. (Yes, as in the restaurants. And, yes, once I did in fact win a celebrity cow milking contest in that role.) I grew up just outside of Columbus, Ohio (which kind of explains the cow milking thing) and graduated from DePaul University in Chicago. In my free time, I make sloths out of paper mache, create epic Halloween costumes, appear on game shows, and contemplate joining the circus.
If the authorities are seeking me, they’d best scour Los Angeles and interrogate my dashing husband, my mischievous children, our trusty canine, and the thing that lurks beneath the bed.
I aim to use my powers for good. Also for evil on occasion.
Welcome to my world.
