Exploring Nora's journey: A visual guide for puberty, menses
what is this book about?
Discussing puberty, bodily changes, menses, and hygiene can be challenging for parents. When addressing these topics with teens with neurodivergences, the conversation can become even more complex. This book provides parents with a valuable tool to introduce these subjects to their daughters, normalize puberty and menses, help girls understand the changes they are experiencing, and emphasize the importance of self-care.
This project addresses a longstanding need among teens and their parents, navigating the challenges of puberty and menstruation.
Our Story
Nora, our inspiring protagonist, shares her personal experiences navigating puberty while being on the autism spectrum. Her story offers valuable insights and encouragement for both parents and girls, making the journey through puberty a little less daunting.
The book also includes an information section for parents, a statement from a parent with 3 daughters on the autism spectrum, and additional resources.
Exploring Nora's journey:
This is a visual guide to puberty, menstruation, and self-care for neurodiverse girls. We use captivating illustrations to effectively convey Nora's story, ensuring that everyone can understand this normal physiological process.
Where to Purchase? The Lulu Bookstore and Amazon
Amazon
The book on Amazon is exactly the same as the book on LuLu, just smaller due to amazon publishing guidelines.
Book size- 8.25 x 6.0
My Podcast
PARENTING SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINE
My Podcast
Parenting Special Needs Magazine
About the Authors
Susan I. Kaufman, DO, FACOG
“I wanted to write this book for a very long time and I am so happy to share it with you!”
Dr. Susan I. Kaufman attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency in Ob/Gyn at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Dr. Kaufman has practiced Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (PAG) along with adult gynecology for her entire career, bringing PAG to South Jersey in 1990. For her first job, she worked for the US
Public Health Service/Indian Health Service Branch. She served the Navajo and Hopi Peoples at the IHS Hospital in Tuba City, Arizona. Upon returning to the east coast, she worked at the Osborn Clinic,
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (now Virtua OLOL) for one year before joining the full-time faculty of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Cooper Hospital (now Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/
Cooper Hospital). She worked as an academic clinician for 13 years.
In 2002, she established her own private practice – the Center for Specialized Gynecology, which later became part of Advocare. Dr. Kaufman recently embarked on a new path. She has joined the Virtua Medical Group, Virtua Health, where she continues her passion for teaching pediatric and adolescent gynecology to gynecology residents.
Dr. Kaufman has also played a significant role in professional organizations. She is a past President of the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia and remains an active Council member. A dedicated educator and speaker, she has lectured extensively on both pediatric/adolescent and adult gynecology, mentored countless residents and medical students, and contributed significantly to NASPAG (North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology), where she has served as Treasurer, Board Member, and Committee Member.
Throughout her career, Dr. Kaufman has been honored to care for multiple generations of women, from young girls to adults. She feels deeply grateful for the opportunity to have made a lasting impact on the lives of so many wonderful patients.
About the Authors
Jessica Sophie Chang Horoschak, DO
Dr. Jessica Sophie Chang Horoschak attended Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
in New Jersey and is now an obstetrics and gynecology resident physician in California. She mentors underrepresented minorities in medicine, advocates for trauma survivors, and promotes trauma-informed care. Passionate about social and reproductive health care, she strives for equitable gynecological care for all young women. This is Dr. Horoschak’s first children’s book, and she has found immense joy in this process and plans to continue writing children’s books throughout her career. In her free time, Dr. Horoschak enjoys spending time with her cats, reading stories, making ceramics, and surfing on the coasts of California and New England. Dr. Horoschak intends to practice obstetrics and gynecology in underserved communities, focusing on care for neurodivergent young women and ensuring that all patients feel safe and respected.
Our Illustrator
Haley McDevitt
Haley McDevitt is an artist, graphic facilitator, and visual storyteller based in Philadelphia, PA. Her artistic practice began at a young age and continued as a lifelong journey exploring sense-making through painting, illustration, and visual note-taking. She graduated with a BFA in Studio Art with a
concentration in Painting, Minor in Art History, and Certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2018. While working at Easthampton City Arts in 2019, she was introduced to the world of graphic facilitation through the Easthampton Futures Project. Since then, she has been diving into her work as a visual practitioner exploring deep listening and ways to make complex ideas more accessible through graphic recording and illustration. Haley believes organizing thoughts and their relationships to one another to create shared understanding and amplify the message in a structured visual outcome is important, exciting, and necessary work relevant to projects of all shapes and sizes.
She has illustrated books for audiences of all ages.. You can find out more about Haley's work at www.haleymcdevitt.com.
Nora and her Body
Navigating Puberty with Neurodiversity
Nora and her Body is a book that equips parents with a tool to introduce and normalize puberty and menstruation for girls with neurodivergences. Through Nora's personal journey, the book helps girls understand the changes they are experiencing and emphasizes the importance of self-care.