When Might You Need My Services:
Getting a call from the school because your child is struggling academically, behaviorally, socially, and/or emotionally can feel overwhelming and scary. When this happens, parents are often asked to attend multiple meetings to discuss their child's strengths and areas of need in order to create an action plan. The number of school personnel in these meetings and the acronyms and jargon that may be used by staff can sound like a completely different language. Maybe the teacher is recommending that your child be retained (repeat a grade), or that an assessment be done to see if your child is eligible for special education services, and you are having difficulty making sense of it all, but need to make a decision. Or maybe your child already has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and is not making progress on his or her goals, and you feel that more appropriate goals, modifications and accommodations, or services are needed. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unheard; I am here to listen and support you in navigating all of the complexities of your specific situation.
Other concerns your child may be experiencing that call for my services:
Academic struggles in reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, etc.
Difficulties in the areas of articulations, expressive, receptive, and pragmatics language (the social rules and conventions that govern how we use language in different situations)
Attention difficulties and hyperactivity
Challenges with organization, time management, and work completion
School avoidance or refusal
Anxiety and depression
Difficulties regulating emotions
Difficulties getting along with classmates and/or school staff
What Sets Me Apart:
Having worked in public education, leading IEP team meetings as both a school psychologist and special education administrator for two decades, I can anticipate how the District team thinks and will likely respond to requests. I have worked with numerous parents, advocates, attorneys, and school teams on the most complex cases and together we have found solutions that worked. Throughout my career I have learned that remaining professional, positive, collaborative, and non-adversarial yields the best outcomes for students when difficult decisions are being made on their behalf.
I am a one woman team that provides you with dedicated one on one support. I take on only a handful of clients at a time so that I can provide the focus it takes to commit to being your consultant and advocate. This also means quicker response times when you need me.
Important Note: I am not an attorney and do NOT offer legal advice. If I feel that your situation requires an attorney I will advise you of this. I stay current on special education laws that impact the work I do with students and families.
My Process:
When you contact me, I will have you complete a short form prior to scheduling a complimentary 15 minute video consultation with you. After our initial consultation, I will send you an individualized service proposal based on the information that you provided me. This service proposal could include any of the following:
-Interviewing you and other caregivers to understand your child's current situation, needs, and the desired outcomes.
-Reviewing current documents and evaluations.
-Observing your child in the classroom and/or other necessary settings.
-Interviewing school staff.
-Drafting friendly and collaborative written communications for you using my inside knowledge of how districts work.
-School meeting preparation sessions
-After meeting strategy sessions to debrief and plan next steps.
-Providing feedback/revising current plans (ex: Section 504 plans, Individual Education Programs, Behavior Support Plans, etc.).
-Attending school meetings with you. Such meetings might include Multi Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS), Student Success Team (SST), Section 504, or Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.
Service Areas:
Even if you live outside of my immediate service areas in Napa and Sonoma counties, I may still be able to work with you depending on your needs so please feel free to contact me.