Meet Shana
Shana Burke is the creative heart behind Shana Burke Creative Advocacy, where compassion and storytelling meet advocacy. She’s a mom to wonderful neurodivergent children, a Certified Special Education Advocate, and a former Paraeducator who believes that connection and understanding can transform classrooms.
How It All Began
It started during an IEP meeting for her son in kindergarten. His teacher, Mrs. Puga, mentioned that his speech disorder - linked to his epilepsy made it hard for classmates to understand him.
That moment took Shana back to third grade, when she’d returned to school after a diabetic coma. Her teacher and mom worked together to help her classmates understand her diagnosis - not with pity, but with kindness.
With that same spirit, Shana and Mrs. Puga created a presentation to help her son’s classmates learn about epilepsy in a gentle, age-appropriate way. The Anita Kaufmann Foundation (Purple Day Everyday) even sent bookmarks and resources to share.
A Turning Point: One Simple Story
A year later, after her son’s focal seizure diagnosis, Shana wanted a story that would explain epilepsy in a way children could understand. When she couldn’t find one, she turned inspiration into action — writing her own story.
That’s how Friends with Seizures was born - a teacher-approved story, coloring book, and classroom presentation that has since helped families and educators open meaningful conversations about seizures.
It also carries special significance for Shana’s family. Her husband - a career first responder - was the first to recognize the subtle sign of absence seizures, moments that even Shana initially mistook for daydreaming. His awareness and quick insight led to an early diagnosis that changed everything.
Bridging Gaps in Understanding
In her years as a paraeducator, Shana saw firsthand that most neurotypical students want to connect with their neurodivergent peers — they just don’t always know how.
Her creative solution? Social stories and resources that make inclusion easier, friendlier, and more natural. Today, she writes and designs materials that help children understand neurological differences like epilepsy, autism, ADHD, and functional neurological disorders, each one built around empathy and belonging.
Living the Mission
Shana’s work is shaped by her own lived experience with ADHD, which sometimes makes daily life feel like climbing Everest in flip-flops. Her favorite reminder - “Inattention is not laziness” - keeps her grounded and motivates her to create tools that meet kids where they are.
Supporting Educators & Families
Beyond her creative storytelling, Shana also offers virtual assistance services for educational, community, family and children advocacy organizations. With more than 20 years of administrative, educational, and executive support experience, she helps mission‑driven teams stay organized, focused, and ready to make a difference.
The Heart of It All
Whether she’s writing a new social story, designing inclusive classroom materials, or supporting an advocacy team behind the scenes, Shana Burke leads with empathy, creativity, and lived understanding.
