Living in Houston, Judy has been speaking to students, community groups and teachers for over 10 years. She pursues every opportunity to speak to audiences of all ages about people with disabilities that you cannot see. Her goal is to raise awareness and educate people across the country about Autism, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, anxiety and Attention Deficit Disorder.

It is clear that her compassion comes from the heart and she truly wants to make a difference about the perception people have about those with hidden disabilities. People who are different than the rest of us should not be thought of as less than equal. Everyone has something to offer and each person’s life has purpose and meaning.

Speaking to students in middle school and beyond, she sends a message of how important it is to accept your peers even though they might be different. We all want to be accepted and kids with special needs are no different than the rest of us. At a time when bullying is at an extreme high, she stresses the importance of standing up for others when they are being picked on and teased. One of her children, the target of bullies – she relays stories of how difficult life can be for him when you never know when he’ll be a target again.

Reaching out to community groups, she explains what life is like raising children with disabilities you can’t see. We all make judgments when we see someone out in public acting up. They look just fine. Judy explains that not everything is as it appears to be. Educating people that they don’t know the whole story and don’t realize there are difficulties within that person causing them to having difficulty coping, this is the message she wants to convey.

Teachers find her information of tremendous benefit because it helps them to answer questions about kids they’ve had in their own classes. It helps them put the missing pieces of the puzzle together. As children with mild special needs are included in mainstream classes, Judy works to help teachers in their efforts to fully integrate the class into a cohesive group.

Judy travels around the country to share her message of hope, compassion and awareness.