My Services and Approach

PARENT COACHING

Ideologically, my work is centered on acceptance, collaboration, connection, and understanding. This contrasts with medical models which often pathologize differences and promote a deficit-based approach. I offer a unique blend of personal, professional, and academic experience that inspires confident and connected parenting, with a focus on skill building. Along with a compassionate reframing of your biggest concerns and specific strategies to reduce conflict at home, I emphasize that all feelings are welcome but all behaviors are not. My work with parents centers on three areas that are rooted in executive functioning to help you problem-solve tricky situations:

1. Curiosity

Reflexive questioning guides our children to redirect and ultimately self-direct. When we as parents lead with genuine curiosity it can shift the energy of our interactions in a more positive, collaborative way.

2. Future thinking

Picturing outcomes is so important for our children as they develop agency and self-determination. It’s also important for us as parents to consider future goals as we choose what to prioritize at any given moment within our families.

3. Growth mindset

Our brains are constantly learning and growing, and the EF system begins developing at birth and continues to develop until our late-20’s. We can define what success looks like for our family, and celebrate every win.

When we work together, you’ll learn:

  • The root causes of challenges (and the skills necessary to shift those challenges)

  • How to listen so your child feels seen and validated

  • How to set and maintain boundaries and expectations

  • Why executive functioning skills are important for a fulfilling life

  • How to scaffold increasing independence

  • A framework for collaborative problem solving

  • How to establish daily and weekly routines

STUDENT Executive Function SUPPORT

Following dynamic assessment, my model of executive function support uses skill clusters and focuses on individual areas of need. Plans are specifically designed for each student and will include a variety of educational supports.

Elementary Students

Executive function (EF) is often a better predictor of school outcomes than IQ. Beginning in early childhood, there is a strong relationship between executive functioning skills and academic achievement. EF skills begin to develop as early as the first year of life, and as children grow executive function can be seen as their ability to manage impulses, focus attention, and hold information in working memory. Our EF system cues us towards adaptability, emotional regulation, goal setting, hindsight, and flexible thinking.

  • When EF skills are lagging, young children can display distractibility and other behaviors that affect their ability to remember and follow classroom rules, focus attention, learn through listening and watching, navigate friendships, regulate emotions, and behave flexibly when presented with unexpected changes at school.

  • At home, students with EF challenges may struggle to learn and follow routines, or may require multiple prompts and parental support to complete chores and other expected tasks (including homework, gathering equipment for after school activities, and keeping their materials and spaces organized). Some children may rush through their school work, making errors along the way; conversely, some may spend too much time on assignments. Transitions can be tricky. If things don’t always go according to plan, rigid thinking can lead to emotional dysregulation. 

My EF support plans for elementary students include teaching children how to:

  • Control impulses

  • Follow routines

  • Get organized

  • Manage tasks

  • Read the room

  • Think flexibly

Middle and High School Students

Executive function skills play a critical role in academic achievement and social integration; they develop throughout childhood and into our late 20’s. Through the tween and teen years, the skills of cognitive flexibility, pacing, planning and prioritizing are increasingly required for learning. The middle and high school years always include increased expectations for individual responsibility and for managing time and tasks.

  • Students are expected to plan tasks and assignments, begin them on time, and complete them within specific time constraints. They must follow multi-step directions, identify and keep track of materials as they transition between classes and to and from school. They’re expected to record, track, and submit homework assignments with increasing independence while balancing academics with extracurriculars.

  • Daily schedules may include classes alternating with blocks of unstructured time, so students must plan, prioritize and actively initiate to use these unstructured blocks of time effectively. Increasingly complicated assignments can lead to feelings of overwhelm. If one approach to an assignment isn’t working, flexibility is required to shift direction or consider alternative approaches to problem solving. Developing the skill of regular self-monitoring is critical, as it can then lead to self-reflection: recognizing if help is necessary and then learning how and when to seek support. 

  • Teachers may assume that students are entering middle and high school having already learned how to set goals, plan and prioritize tasks, organize time, materials, and information, and how to monitor their own progress. Students may quickly feel incompetent that they haven't yet mastered these skills and are nonetheless expected to be independent. While students may well have the academic ability to succeed, their inability to effectively use EF skills to manage time and tasks, organize materials, and meet the expectations of multiple teachers can impact their academic achievement and self-confidence. 

My EF support plans for middle and high schoolers include teaching students how to:

  • Get organized

  • Improve working memory and note taking

  • Navigate school learning platforms

  • Plan and sense time

  • Prepare for exams

  • Plan tasks (short-term and long-term)

  • Self-advocate

  • Self-monitor and self-reflect

  • Set goals

EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING AND WORKSHOPS

I offer training sessions, workshops, and consultation services designed to inspire, affirm, and deepen understanding. Presentations will be customized to fit the unique needs of each school and classroom environment.

Past topics have included:

  • Bridging Duality: The Journey of Twice Exceptional Students

  • Cultivating a Positive Family Culture Through Boundaries and Discipline

  • Executive Functioning: The Key To Social, Emotional, and Academic Excellence

  • Finding your Family’s True North Through Shared Values

  • Growing with ADHD: Insights and Strategies from Toddlers to Teens

  • Making Gratitude a Family Affair

  • Navigating the Logistics of Modern Summers

  • Sleep Tight, Shine Bright: A Roadmap for Sweeter Rest from Toddlerhood to Adolescence 

  • The Ordinary Magic of Family Meetings

Are you ready?