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Vickie Ewell - Ray Ewell

Vickie Ewell is a full-time freelance writer, blogger and Topic Editor for the Autism/Asperger’s Section here at Suite 101. She writes autism articles for the Autism Section at HealthMango.com and does various web writing projects for different clients. Her blogs focus on low-carb weight loss, celiac disease, gluten-free casein-free diets, corn-free diets and creative writing.

Work Experience

Vickie has over nine years of professional experience working with autistic individuals and others with developmental challenges in a supervisory and teaching capacity at various sheltered workshops, independent-living programs and home environments. She helped design, write and implement several workshop programs to test, evaluate, teach and rehabilitate very low-functioning individuals with special needs. She also taught high-functioning young adults self-care like banking, home maintenance, and work responsibilities and tasks.

Rehabilitation home-care services involved observation and written evaluations, detailed daily reports (including medical and psychiatric appointments) and assessments, legal reports, dispensing of medication and implementation of individualized life skills programs.

As a Food Service Manager and cook for several local boys’ homes, Vickie used her large family, frugal Southern California upbringing, tight-budget living raising four sons, and chef coaching from a retired, professional cook to set up, organize and run the kitchen. With extensive experience in So-Cal, Cal-Mex, Tex-Mex and Latin American cuisines, and self-taught in Oriental and Italian cooking, she was instrumental in creating menus and recipe adaption for large-group cooking and baking. She also handled online food ordering or grocery shopping, and taught the boys to cook, clean and run a kitchen.

Other types of experience include data entry, a parks and recreation leader for youth of various ages, assorted word processing jobs and typing. Vickie has also held several Cub Scout leader positions, and worked with youth and adults in workshop, teaching and mentoring capacities.

Writing Background

Vickie began her writing career by dabbling in fiction writing as a child, and poetry throughout her teens. As a young adult, she took a “How to Get Published” class from the Parks and Recreation Department, taught by fiction author Dick Barrett, who encouraged her to publish her work. She was involved in several fiction writing groups where many writers used her proofreading and editing skills to help them improve their writing. She also took a writing class in college.

When she discovered that she preferred non-fiction writing, Vickie began writing, proofreading and light editing for several newsletters. She also became involved in proofreading, editing and typing company policy and procedure’s manuals as well as various projects for schools and private clients.

One of those projects was a recipe book for large-crowd cooking that included detailed instructions and cooking tips to make the job easier. Vickie also wrote a simplified cookbook easy enough for teenage boys to follow. Before leaving the last boys’ home, she wrote a policy and procedure’s kitchen manual that included menus and menu ideas, recipes, detailed schedules and miscellaneous advice.

After being diagnosed with celiac disease in early 2010, Vickie joined Suite 101 and became a full-time freelance writer. Within 6 months, she was promoted to Feature Writer of the Autism/Asperger’s Section and recently became a Topic Editor.

Health Expertise

Due to the destructive nature of celiac disease when not caught soon enough, Vickie has extensive knowledge and hands-on experience in many health problems. In addition to gluten intolerance, she has vestibular dysfunction (vertigo), sensory processing disorder, multiple chemical sensitivity, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, pre-diabetes and more. She has extensively researched the characteristics, symptoms and treatment of each issue, and has thoroughly investigated the role that whole foods nutrition, organics, chemical toxins and heavy metals play in sickness, health and healing. She uses this knowledge, as well as personal experience, to inform all of her articles.

Vickie has also thoroughly studied gluten-free, casein-free foods and recipes, is currently studying corn-free living, and enjoys the self-experimentation required to convert her old, trusty recipes into dishes and baked goods that are gluten free, casein free, and corn free. She also enjoys creating new recipes and working with new ideas. In addition, she has also been involved in several weight-loss diets and has done extensive research into the biology, weight loss and nutritional aspects attached to each plan. To date, Vickie has lost over 100 pounds.

Vickie Ewell’s Editor’s Choice Awards:

Mother's Day Ideas: Do Something Nice for an Autistic Child's Mom

Living With Autism and Self-Stimulating Behavior Called Stimming

Dr. Andrew Wakefield Speaks on Brian Deer, Autism, and Vaccines

How to Choose Gluten-free Fragrance-free Conditioner for Hair

Vickie Ewell’s Personal Blogs:

Kickin' Carb Clutter: a combination of low-carb articles and personal essays, low-carb recipes, and diet tips. It was picked up by the Wellsphere Community website for republishing in their Healthy Eating Community section. That republishing is on-going.

Life After Low Carb: a blog devoted to moving beyond a low carb diet to a more balanced eating style.

Gluten Free Journey to Health: deals with all facets of celiac disease and gluten intolerance; articles range from basic information to personal essays, problem solving, gluten free recipes, and dealing with the life changes celiac disease brings.

A Freelance Writer’s Life: this blog was created to share Vickie's experiences with professional writing.

A Few of Vickie Ewell's Additional Articles (Outside Suite 101)

Toilet Training for Autistic Children

Toys for Autistic Children

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for Autism

Additional articles can be found in the Autism Section at Health Mango

• You can also follow Vickie on Twitter
• Visit Vickie's Facebook Fan Page
• Contact Vickie by email at Lavender.Rose27@yahoo.com
• Or connect with Vickie Ewell at Google+