Things you may be wondering about…

Education:

• M.S. in School Psychology/B.S. in Psychology

• Graduate coursework in Educational Leadership

Experience:

• CT certified school psychologist and school administrator

• 30+ years experience working in schools in Connecticut and New York 


• Across all populations and disability areas 
ages PreK-21, and settings including day treatment programs, private and magnet schools, urban, suburban and rural districts


Advanced Training
:

• Assessments for IQ, Achievement, Learning & Memory, Attention, Social-Emotional, Autism


• Specialty in Curriculum-Based Assessments & Diagnostic Teaching


• Interventions for Reading, Math, Writing, Executive Functions, Behavior, Social Skills, Daily Living Skills


• Certified Professional Developer for Strategic Instruction Model ( University of Kansas)


• IEP training- leadership and writing SMART goals

• Applied Behavior Analysis and Intervention


• PMT certified


• RTI/SRBI and PBIS interventions


• Adult Learning and Teacher Evaluation


• Crisis Intervention and Grief Support

The process begins with a complimentary phone call during which I listen to an overview of your concerns and I share what I can do to help you and your child. After you provide some records and fill out our intake forms, we will have an intake meeting to create an in-depth plan of how to go forward. I will meet with you first and then as part of my process, I also meet with your child. We will discuss all of this in detail at our intake meeting.

Initially, I meet with parents for 1 ½  to 2 hours after which we schedule a session with your child which lasts about 1- 1 ½ hours. I have an office in Westport, CT and of course, we wear masks and observe all social distancing and safety measures during Covid.  I can also meet with families virtually if needed.  My goal is to be flexible around your schedule and my assistant, Indy handles all of our scheduling. Our goal is to make this process as stress-free and efficient as possible for you and your family.

My rates are competitive with other professionals in my region. Based on my many years of successful experience supporting kids, I know that a problem that is not addressed does not usually go away on its own. The longer you delay dealing with issues, the more those issues can impact outcomes for your child. My experience is that working with me now will likely lead to more successful outcomes both short-term and long-term for your child and ultimately reduce expenses as well.

I totally understand your frustration. I want to ensure that you can continue to enjoy this chapter of life with your child including going to their school for conferences, meetings, and fun events. Because of my background as a school psychologist and educational administrator,  I speak “ school” fluently.  In fact, school teams generally respond positively to me. What I help you do is build a case for the learning opportunities and solutions that are realistic and practical for your child and ensure your child gets what they need.

Always! The sooner we build rapport with your school team and help you understand the terminology and practices that can be confusing and even frustrating, the better results we’ll get. This doesn’t mean we’ll lower our expectations. Rather, it means we’ll approach things with a cool grip on the situation and proposed solutions at the ready. I’ll help you understand what your child truly needs, clinically, emotionally, and educationally. I’ll also help you understand test results and the options available to you considering all the variables of your situation. Together, we’ll create a plan and I’ll help you take action every step of the way.

For certain. I have many years of experience working in schools with students and teachers. From that experience, I have a thorough understanding of how learning actually looks in schools and how students respond to interventions. My knowledge helps you bridge the gap between the formal evaluation and the daily learning needs of your child.

Also, I know what is worth pushing for and what is not because I have spent thousands of hours working with students and watching them learn. I know the things to say and what to avoid saying. I also am an expert in writing and measuring progress on goals as well as the legal nuts and bolts of special education.

There is educational jargon that is generally used in the education world when it comes to coordinating with school teams and I speak that language fluently.

Perhaps I have, but perhaps not (a quick phone call will give us the precise answer). For the past three decades, I have attended more than ten thousand school meetings and worked with many different teams to write solid plans for students. With that experience, there is little I have not seen and my superpower is how I am able to successfully apply my life’s work in finding effective solutions for kids, specific to your child’s strengths and needs.