Nancy F. Goodfellow

Nancy F. Goodfellow always dreamed of being a writer, but it wasn’t until her first child was born with Down syndrome that she understood her true calling. Since then, she has committed to advocating for individuals with disabilities and encouraging inclusion in all areas of life. After spending a decade presenting to adults about common misconceptions of Down syndrome, Nancy realized the most important presentations were the ones she gave to children. In the past few years, Nancy has presented to thousands of students about all disabilities and differences. She teaches children that the more they understand, the more they will accept.

Nancy was inspired to write her upper middle grade novel, SPECIAL, to explore how friendships with disabled peers change as kids mature and the intellectual gap widens. Her goal has always been to encourage a typically-developing reader to look at a peer with special needs differently. If one true friendship with a child with Down syndrome, or any other intellectual disability, is inspired by her story, then she will have succeeded.

When not writing or presenting, Nancy spends her time with her husband and three children in a suburb outside of Chicago. She loves to travel, especially internationally, and is so excited that her children are old enough to keep up with her crazy itineraries and unusually fast walking pace.