I have been a pediatric registered nurse for over 30 years and presently I am an assistant nursing professor. I am also a mom of three children, one of whom has autism-my daughter Katherine. Between being a mom with a daughter with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and working as a pediatric nurse with children with multiple healthcare issues, I noticed a huge gap in communication for patients with communication needs and autism in healthcare. I, too, was experiencing this myself when I took my child with ASD to healthcare visits. It was difficult to not only prepare her for various medical visits but also to get her through the actual visit. The resources were scarce, so I made my DIY books using pictures and minimal language. This worked very well for Katherine because this is how she understood language best through visual pictures. I continued to write multiple stories for my daughter to help guide her through these medical experiences for many years with successful outcomes. I still do today. I shared my books with some friends with children and young adults with ASD. They had successful outcomes as well. This is where my idea to create these books began. I thought if they helped Katherine and some of our friends with ASD, perhaps they could help others as well.

My passion for education, empowerment, and advocacy is strong. I have had the privilege of educating registered nurses at the Children’s Hospital of UPMC about ways to communicate with children with autism in a healthcare setting. I have presented my work at a national pediatric conference and have done various presentations for healthcare professionals and others to increase their knowledge base regarding caring for those on the autism spectrum in a healthcare setting.

My mission is to empower the person with autism spectrum disorder to feel less fearful, less anxious, and better prepared for their healthcare experience through visual education. My goal is also to make a much-improved connection between the patient with ASD and their healthcare provider.

I am committed to bringing health education to those with unique learning and communication needs via my visual tools and books. I am equally committed to educating healthcare professionals on how to care for those with ASD in a clinical setting personally with my educational consultations.

The Author…

The Illustrator…

Madeline Hess is an artist and writer based in the Northside of Pittsburgh. By day, she's an electrical engineer and lighting designer for many medical facilities. She is thrilled to be working on this accessibility-focused project and looks forward to more like it in the future.

Maddie has been a dream to work with on this project. She is open-minded, creative, patient, and kind. She understands the need for these types of books and was such a wonderful advocate for this project from the start. She made my innovative idea come to life through the characters and specific details in the books. I am so grateful for her beautiful mind and her gift of creativity.