Special Education Consulting

Children’s behavior and emotional challenges are rarely confined to the home. Frequently, their difficulties are also evident in their school setting, and can greatly impede their educational progress and social development. At some point, special education services may become a necessary and helpful component of a child’s planned curriculum. Still, it is very difficult to hear that your child has been identified as possibly having a learning or behavioral problem that effects their success at school. In addition, interacting with the special education system can be intimidating for many parents: unfamiliar terms such as SST, IEP, 504 Plan, and AB 3632 are often confusing and can heighten anxiety.

I have more than ten years of experience in supporting parents who are facing this challenge for the first time or who may already be engaged in the special education process. In conjunction with psychotherapy, I help parents to understand the impact their child’s issues are having at school. This can involve examining report cards, talking to teachers and school psychologists, and making sense of information or recommendations provided to them by their school. Additionally, I educate and assist parents in navigating through the special education system in order to make decisions that will most benefit their child. This includes:

• Working collaboratively with the school by attending meetings and providing data that will aid in identifying and accessing appropriate educational resources
• Maintaining contact with school staff  to ensure academic and behavioral objectives are being met at school and are consistent with overall treatment goals
• Providing referrals for specialized testing or educational advocacy when necessary

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