Author

About My Brother is Kathleen’s first children’s book. The inspiration for the book comes from her childhood, growing up with a sibling with special needs, as well as her many years of experience as a classroom teacher.

“I remember after his accident and a lot of rehabilitation my brother was entering main stream public schools and I felt extremely anxious, fearful and I had a strong instinct to just want to protect him. I saw how some children treated kids with special needs in the public school I went to - they teased and made fun of them and I knew Kevin was headed to the same fate. I wanted the other children to have a chance to get to know my brother and others like him, to recognize them beyond their disabilities, to include them in social events and birthday parties. There wasn’t much effort to include children with special needs in the life of the school and there certainly weren’t any resources for teachers or parents to use to help bridge the gap between fear and understanding. During my time in the classroom many years later I found out these resources still didn’t exist. I wanted to change that.”

Crafted with inspiration from her own family, Kathleen's About My Brother is an invaluable tool for parents and educators. It offers a gentle yet highly engaging approach to initiating conversations with children of all ages about neurodiversity and special needs. Leveraging her expertise as a teacher, Kathleen skillfully navigates readers through a spectrum of emotions, from initial apprehension to genuine empathy and laughter. Through vivid descriptive language, insightful metaphors, and a touch of humor, the book empowers children to understand and embrace individuals with special needs, actively fostering a more inclusive and compassionate community.

Kathleen has many more books on the way! Keep an eye out for her next release.