CONSULTING
Consult with parents, school districts, school building administration and staff, etc.
I was trained as a non-attorney Advocate through The Institute for Special Education Advocacy (ISEA) and Kansas State Department of Education (as an educational surrogate for children in the foster care system).
My Consulting first grew out of grass root parent support groups which I launched and facilitated. Both groups grew to become a self-sustaining entity. The groups provided parents, community entities and school personnel access to not only information and resources I acquired and studied over time, but also resources I brought into the community to educate and partner together. This created a space where the exceptional and gifted educational needs of children could be better met from a team approach.
My work focuses on both individual consultation with families, educators and individuals, as well as with local, state and national entities in the areas of exceptional student education, parent and educator training, inclusive practices, strategic planning and partnership. I work closely with all levels of education from Superintendents, to teaching staff, to families of students. I am skilled in all areas of the IEP process to include evaluations, IEPs, parent participation, collaboration, conflict resolution options, compliance and parental safeguards, to name a few. I enjoy assisting entities, groups and individuals in creative strategic planning, negotiation and conflict resolution to help Bridge the Gap for students in the educational setting. I achieve this through consultation, training and public speaking.
I have been a member of several school district advisory committees for exceptional education, as well as a committee member for general education, policy review and district strategic planning for exceptional/general education. I have also served as a member of the Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee (CSEAC). I continuously engage in professional development opportunities to expand knowledge and remain relevant in the industry.
I am available to consult in person, via telephone/video conferencing.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Negotiation, Parent/School Relations, Leadership, Creative Problem Solving, IEP Processes, Data Collection, Progress Monitoring, Etc.
My Public Speaking and Training grew out of the support groups I developed, in which I presented to parents, community entities, educators and individuals about the importance of exceptional student education. Furthermore, I covered how and why to become educated on the rules and regulations governing the education of students with disabilities. From my parent group interaction, word spread to educational entities, community organizations and other parent groups outside of our groups membership.
I currently receive invitations to speak to educators, leaders and parents alike. Some of the most recent invitations include presentations on exceptional education and the IEP process, support groups, ways to assist/support families and children at school and home, and the importance of parent/leadership involvement and collaboration in the education of children with disabilities.
Areas of public speak include; parent/school relations, IEP process, development of support groups/topics, working for the advancement of inclusion and exceptional education, creative problem solving, data collection, etc. I also develop training in collaboration with an entity that is content specific to an entity's audience and needs.
EF COACHING
Executive Function (EF) Coaching, In-Home support to meet the needs of the student and family
As the parent of children with special needs, I have spent over 25 years educating myself, finding tools, implementing those tools and evaluating what works and doesn't work for my own children. This has allowed me to broaden my knowledge base and deepen my understanding or the needs of children at school and at home.
As an Executive Function Coach I work with students Middle School - College on individualized executive function (EF) skill acquisition using real life situations from school, home, life and work. Coaching is done via video conferencing but can be done in-person at an agreed upon location.
My own path as a parent created an opportunity to share and assist parents in supporting their child. I work with parents and students to find the proper tools and supports to create a more functional and happy environment at Home for the individual and as needed, the family.