Kara, the inspiration, is labeled with epilepsy and developmentally delayed with severe autism.

This beautiful girl is also non-verbal, showing little to no response to sign language or the PECs system. We communicate mainly by hand leading and hand-over-hand instruction. At 8 years of age she is charted at an eighteen-month old cognitive level, but she certainly can still maintain the passion and strength of an 8 year old!

As a working mother to this passionate little girl, I found it imperative to have a workbook that told me about Kara's day since I didn't get the opportunity to hear it directly from her teacher. I needed very specific questions answered to help her transition for the remainder of the day. The standard 3-ring notebook was her traveling companion, but most of the time I didn't get all the information I needed, in turn breaking down the communication between her teachers and I.

Being a seasoned mother and having a background in graphic design, I had the tools I needed to create Kara's Communication Workbook. The feedback from Kara's teachers and colleagues had been so overwhelmingly positive we decided to publish it! With the help of the Colorado Department of Education and other community resources, we were able to come up with the most general questions, keeping ease of use in mind, to help a general population of families with special needs children and their schools to maintain positive communication.

I feel that sharing and receiving this information on a regular basis has been so invaluable for me as a parent, as well as a great tool for her daycare providers to continue transitions. We feel so strongly about it, our mission is to continue our research with families and professionals to develop more workbooks based on individual special needs.

From my heart to yours,

Julie,

Kara's Mother