Educational Advocacy & Consulting

All neurotypes, while not equally common, are equally normal. -- Fletcher-Watson

* * *

Neurodivergent learners can flourish with the implementation of individualized accommodations and adaptations that prioritize dignity and capacity.

Research is showing what many of us have known for years: neurodivergent people are exceptional individuals with so much to contribute when we are supported and celebrated instead of being forced to conform to neurotypical standards. 

The neurodiversity movement is expanding understanding of neurodivergence beyond deficit-focused conceptualizations and is arguably part of the broader social phenomena of decolonisation, social justice work, and is a 21st century expansion on other liberation movements. 

Today, neurodevelopmental challenges such as autism, ADHD, giftedness, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia, for instance, are increasingly regarded under the umbrella of a diversity of minds on a neuro-continuum of functioning. Executive functioning and socio-communication challenges, sensory sensitivity, and learning challenges are frequently, and understandably, expressed behaviourally, particularly in school-based settings. Neurodivergent related challenges are often amplified internally as overwhelm and anxiety, or externally as school avoidance and refusal -- all of which undermines confidence, self-esteem, mental health, and overall functioning. 

As a BC Autism Funding Service Provider, my fees are eligible for funding coverage. 

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder; spontaneous delight, 

or any experiences that reveals the human spirit. -- e.e. Cummings

* * *

Let me partner with your family for advocacy and support throughout your child’s educational journey. 

What child doesn't want to succeed in school? Why is there such a disparity between the child you know and the child that the school sees? How is it that your talented, curious, insightful child no longer wants to go to school or engage with school-based learning? Are you seeing your child's love of learning dim, when once it shone bright?

The truth is that parents and school-based teams want learners to succeed. However, sometimes, for a variety of reasons, communication between teachers, administrators, learning resource teachers, parents, and learners can break down or stagnate. At times, parents' concern at seeing their child struggle makes communication and collaboration with a school-based team tricky. 

I can collaborate with you and a school-based team to set clear goals, identify resources, and expand the circle of care that supports you and your child. 

Often simple reframings can open up new possibilities for more effective and neurodivergent-affirming accommodations that make a huge difference in the day-to-day lives of children and youth.

We need acceptance, not cure. -- Devon Price

* * *

School-based observations are a useful way to gather important insights that can be translated into actionable goals and strategies to help a child experience greater agency, success, and sense of belonging in the school environment.

Struggling learners often interpret, interact with, and experience the world in unique ways. As an experienced educator and counsellor, my school-based observations can provide insights into some of the academic and social barriers that may impede adaptive functioning and school-based success. 

School-based observations offer insight into the nature, frequency, and duration of a variety of learning, social, and behavioural challenges, including recognizing antecedents and outcomes, as well as coping attempts and successes. Close attention captures information about a child's academic and interpersonal skills and activity, including avoidance, signs of anxiety, difficulty understanding directions, capacity to sustain focus and/or self-regulate, as well as patterns of positive or negative reinforcement. 

Importantly, an observation illuminates a child's strengths, so that strategies can be implemented that draw on the skills and capacities that are the strongest. 

The information I collect during an observation expands understanding of strengths and challenges, and can translate into recommendations about different ways of scaffolding academic, social, and sensory development that safeguards dignity and self-esteem. This might mean making the curriculum more accessible through the use of visual, verbal, physical, or digital supports. Observations may also identify whether sensory breaks or movement breaks will help a child manage and recruit their internal resources, thus expanding functional capacity and adaptability.

School-based observations can also provide information critical to an effective and truly individualized "Individual Educational Plan", as well as offering psychologists and physicians detailed information relevant to accurate psycho-educational assessment/diagnosis and recommendations.

We are co-creators of insight, healing, and emancipation. -- DeValve

* * *

While I do not conduct psycho-educational assessments, when working with complex kiddos, I do review historical and current assessments, reports, IEPs, and other documentation in an effort to simplify and prioritize challenges and goals for parents and school-based teams. This ensures that I have a comprehensive understanding of the individual, their strengths, and challenges, and also offers insight into the ways in which I can support parents - many of whom understandably experience feelings of overwhelm, burn out, frustration, and/or grief when they watch a child struggle to shine.

Summaries of Psycho-Educational Reports

Psych-Ed assessments produce comprehensive documents that average 40-50 pages in length. They contain data, statistics, descriptions, recommendations, and resources that address an individual's reasoning and problem-solving skills, attention span, working memory, language and spatial abilities, visual-motor integration and a broad range of executive functions, including planning, organization, and self-regulation - across domains. These documents contain important information - and they can be daunting for parents and educators.

Let me help you integrate and utilize this information.

I prepare summaries of psycho-educational reports that succinctly and clearly:

•  highlight assessment findings 

• clarify an individual's areas of strength and challenge

• outline the most important recommendations, strategies, and resources provided by the assessing psychologist

A summary can function as a "quick-look portrait of a learner" for teachers, school-base teams, and care providers and be employed as an actionable document in Individualized Educational Plans (IEP).