Emma Pivato
Emma Pivato’s mystery novels in the Claire Burke series are an extension of her advocacy work promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities into mainstream society.
In 2021, Emma published her major work, '...and along came Alexis'. It is a description of the life and lifestyle of her daughter, Alexis. Emma describes the challenges they have faced together, their successes and their failures, and both the upsides and the downsides as they went along.
Emma's current project is a specialized cookbook, entitled Gourmet Puree: What to do if you can’t chew. Like many other people with various conditions Alexis has great difficulty chewing and swallowing and her food must be specially prepared.
Emma did not start out as a writer. Her university training was in psychology, philosophy and education and she had been hoping for an academic career. But when her younger daughter was born with profound physical, cognitive, and sensory limitations Emma’s plans changed. Since that time, 45 years ago, she has focused on developing programs, products and literature that could assist Alexis and others facing similar challenges.