: About Me

My passion for writing began early, writing poems about rabbits and illustrating my own stories about ponies and leprochauns. In fourth grade I had a story about undersea recycling published in the hallway of my school. A year later my brother, my sister, my best friend and I wrote a murder mystery screenplay after being delighted by the movie "Clue." To this day, all four of us agree that our script is still very entertaining and definitely showed a lot of potential. In sixth grade I wrote a poem about walking down the hallway at midnight that was published in the school newspaper, and in seventh grade I won an essay contest by describing my global predictions for the year 2000.

I owe a debt of gratitude to a few amazing high school English teachers for dousing my papers in red ink, teaching me the meaning of passive voice, and humbling me in ways for which my amazingly supportive family would never have the heart. I especially thank my senior English teacher for introducing me to the amazing world of poetry analysis which led to winning a $20,000 college scholarship

I attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. It's a small private liberal arts college from which I graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in both psychology and creative writing. Although there were a lot of people who questioned the combination of these majors, I ended up working as a behavior specialist, writing creative behavior plans to assist in the growth, development, and care of developmentally disabled youth.

Most recently, I quit my full time job to become a full-time mom, a part-time freelance behavior specialist, and a part-time writer. I couldn't be happier. I've always dreamed of writing and publishing a novel, and with the amazing opportunities and mental exercise offered through the Helium website, I may yet get my chance.

My passion is ...

Chocolate and a good book

I know too much about ...

Childhood developmental disabilities

My parents always told me ...

I may not like you right now, but I'll always love you.

My childhood ambition ...

To be a gymnast and ballerina, and to write books in my spare time

My favorite memory ...

Visiting my grandparents in Wisconsin, and dipping my hands into 5 gallon buckets of honey and licking them off.

Why I write ...

Because I have to

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

I'm reading the Kite Runner, watching Dan in Real Life, and listening to XM Satellite Radio

My first job ...

Babysitting and doing data entry for a woman who sold dental telescopes

My best moment ...

Hearing my son cry for the first time

My inspiration ...

My parents, my husband, my son, and my two best friends

Parenting & Pregnancy > Special Needs Parenting a child with sensory integration dysfunction

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Imagine a world where the touch of a kitten's fur felt like rubbing your hand on a bed of nails, or the air conditioner left you feeling as if you were in the middle of a hurricane in Alaska. What would it be like if your Mother's hug felt like a thousand feathers tickling you all over? How would you respond if suddenly you couldn't taste or smell any food except the spiciest hot sauces? These sensations are real, and children experiencing over or under sensitivities to everything around them are said to have Sensory Integration Dysfunction, which can naturally result in strange and seemin...

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