Susan Traugh

Susan began her teaching career in the inner-city of Los Angeles, working in both elementary classrooms and as an adjunct professor at Cal State Domiguez Hills in the teacher education department. Since the birth of her three children (all of whom have disabilities) Susan has worked as a volunteer or paid consultant in both her kids' and numerous classroom all over Southern California. In this capacity, Susan has been able to develop and test curriculum for every grade level.

We have always had a soft spot in our hearts for special needs kids--whether those kids have disabilities, language acquisition challenges, or simply think differently than mainstream kids--our goal has been to help them achieve and thrive in a learning environment. To do so, we try to speak their language. Sometimes that's short, sweet, direct language as in Transition 2 Life and Daily Living Skills. Sometimes that's through movement, music and play as in Singing my Sounds.

Learning Magazine's 2007 Teacher's Choice Award for "Mother Goose Brain Boost" Creative Teaching Press. 2010, 2011 Writer's Digest Awards 2009, 2005 North Coast Forum Writing Awards 2015 San Diego Book Awards - Finalist 2021 Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention in Special Needs Awareness--Community Resources/Daily Living Skills 2021 Purple Dragonfly Award--2nd Place YA Novel Phi Cappa Phi Honor Society Teacher's Writing Workshop Fellowship, UCLA, 1985

Master of Arts, Education/Curriculum Development, CSU, Dominguez Hills Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Studies, CSU, Northridge California Clear Teaching Credential, CSU, Northridge

Alone, and with her husband, Steven, Susan has written scores of educational materials over the last twenty-five years. Steven and Susan have three grown children, all of whom have disabilities and who have traveled through the special education system. Susan has followed each child through their educations, developing and testing curricula with each grade as the kids grew. This real world approach has allowed her to create projects that are relevant, realistic and engaging. Susan has written extensively for both trade and educational sources for over twenty years. Her work has appeared in Spirituality & Health, Teachers of Vision, Sasee, Skirt!, San Diego Family Magazine and more. Susan's young adult novel, The Edge of Brilliance, is available on Amazon. The story follows fifteen-year-old Amy's struggles with mental illness and the hero that emerges from that struggle. A teaching guide for the book will be sold on this site. Susan also is a regular blogger on HealthyPlace.com where she talks about parenting mentally ill children.