Jeanette Minniti
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Mary Yoakum
Author and Speaker on Turner Syndrome and Nonverbal Learning Disorder
I'm Just Me: A Life with Turner Syndrome & Nonverbal Learning Disorder by Mary Yoakum
One in every 2500 girls are born with Turner Syndrome. Many of them also have nonverbal learning disorder. How do you connect with people and live your best life if you are one of them? Mary Yoakum knows what it is like from personal experience, and I’m Just Me is filled with information, personal experiences, advice, and a little humor that speak to both the challenges and gifts that come with these conditions. If you are a girl or woman with Turner Syndrome and nonverbal learning disorder or the parent of one, this is an honest, warm, compassionate, and helpful look at connecting with others and living your best life. As Mary would put it, “We have challenges, but with patience and love we get there—wherever we want to go.”
Winner 2023 Parenting & Family Gold CIPA EVVY Award & Silver Award in Health
Published by: Yoakum Enterprises
Genres: Self-help, Health, Education
Ebook ISBN: 979-8-9865820-1-6
Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9865820-0-9
Paperback Trim: 5" x 7" - 116 pages
Available at a discount to wholesalers through Ingram. Or inquire with Yoakum Enterprises below to purchase multiple copies at a discount for your next book club.
"I’m Just Me is a beautiful culmination of Mary’s experiences and knowledge regarding Turner Syndrome. Her desire to guide parents is a testament to her
inherent kindness."
–LAURA MAUGEL, mom of a TS child
"Your book is very positive and informative. I can relate to the life experiences you wrote about, and your book has not only helped give me a better understanding of why I had such difficulties in elementary school, it has given me the knowledge needed to ponder the fact that I wasn’t alone in dealing with this situation. Thank you for being willing to share this information with others."
–RITA, Golden Butterfly (60+ Group)
Join the author Mary Yoakum in the video below as she navigates her personal journey with Turner's syndrome. She candidly shares her experiences and strategies for dealing with the challenges of non-verbal learning disorder. Through her insightful narrative, Mary offers hope and practical advice to those on similar paths.
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Mary Yoakum knows a little about Turner Syndrome and nonverbal learning disorder because she has lived her life with these conditions and has made a study of them. Through her personal experience, she has learned a few lessons she would like to share with others. Mary is now retired from working at Denver International Airport and lives with her two cats, Otis and Sally, in Denver, Colorado. She enjoys going to museums, attending church, and volunteering at the library.
Foreword
I WAS FIRST APPROACHED by Mary pre-pandemic about her desire to document her development and life to inform and educate other girls and women with Turner Syndrome (TS) and nonverbal learning disorder (NLD). We met to discuss the progress on the book at several national conferences and connected numerous times over the telephone and video meetings regarding the content, sequence, and scope of the book. Mary’s hard work over the past few years has resulted in a book that lets the reader experience the day-to-day triumphs and hardships of a woman with TS and NLD. We get a glimpse of how women with TS perceive themselves and how others in the neurotypical community perceive them.
Mary demonstrates a deep understanding of TS and NLD with meaningful examples, and she puts into everyday terms what many clinicians and researchers like me theorize. Each chapter deals with a specific topic pertinent to most women and girls with TS and NLD in an understanding, supportive, and even humorous way. Lessons are summarized at the end of each chapter.
Mary gives parents ideas on how to respond to their daughters with TS and how to address the struggles within the family and in the community. This book tackles difficult subjects like bullying, meltdowns, and social, educational, and vocational challenges. She also makes suggestions for parents about how to navigate the educational maze by advocating for their child.
Mary’s book speaks to each of us personally and teaches those with TS how to develop their own internal rudder (one of Mary’s unique concepts) and how the rest of us need to let them take control of the rudder.
To the girls and women with TS, as Mary would say, take control. Stop floating down the river aimlessly and start steering your life in the direction you desire.
–DR. DEAN MOONEY
July 2022