KENOSHA — A series of books and short stories written by a Kenosha author is changing the lives of her readers and their families. Parents who once thought certain tasks were impossible are seeing big changes in their kids.
The series is called Positively Prepared. The books are written by Heather McKay. She has been a speech pathologist for about 26 years. She writes primarily short stories that are called 'social stories' or 'social narratives'.
“They are books that are written to prepare children for specific situations, procedures, or events," McKay said.
These stories prepare children for big moments by giving them visual representations of what to expect. Some of these events include going to the dentist, blood tests, entering middle school, talking with friends, expressing emotions, and potty training.
“The visual representation of the story is so important to help prepare these kids, to reduce their anxiety, to increase their positive behavior," McKay said.
She has written about 80 different stories since the early 2000s. In 2021, McKay turned it into a business called Positively Prepared.
Over the past two decades, she has helped dozens of students and their families. One prime example is Leila Burke. You'd never be able to tell now, but the 16-year-old grew up being non-verbal.
“Cause I have autism, and I couldn’t really talk that well at the time," Burke said.
Thanks to McKay and her books all that changed.
"She helped me, like, learn how to interact with my peers and stuff and get better at it," Burke said.
The books and corresponding visuals were presented in a way that Burke could understand.
“So, because her language wasn’t functional at the time, she started to become verbal, and these stories kind of helped bridge that gap in showing her how to communicate with her peers and her teachers in the classroom," McKay said.
For a while, Burke's parents weren't sure what to do. They didn't know if or when their daughter would start speaking.
“We had had a hard time at our home life honestly. People do not believe us now when they see her compared to how she was then. I mean she has grown so much. She has learned a lot. And Heather definitely had a big part in that," Katie Burke, Leila's mom, said.
It’s those success stories that motivate McKay every day.
“This is where I start crying. Just what you said—it’s very touching to see how successful these kids become," McKay said. “I just see these families and parents really struggle with kids on the autism spectrum. If I can make it a little easier by giving them a tool to use at home.”
This is why McKay will keep writing these books and tailoring them specifically to kid's needs. She wants more success stories like Leila's.
“I have not run out of any ideas yet.”
Find her books at positivelypreparedstories.com.
Watch the story to see more Positively Prepared stories...
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