School Related Services
Many children’s issues come up at school, especially issues related to learning and social difficulties.
I offer to work with the school to understand what these difficulties might be, and I help parents communicate with school staff to establish a plan for an environment that supports learning and addresses emotional obstacles.
School Observation
A picture is worth 1000 words and there is nothing quite like a direct observation to understand what is going on for a child in the school environment.
With parents and school permission, I arrange a school visit to watch the child in class and recess. See my Authorization to Exchange Information form.
Letters Requesting Assessment
Many parents are not familiar with their rights regarding evaluation of potential learning differences and what accommodations can be offered.
I help parents by drafting a letter to the school justifying the need for an educational assessment. I educate parents about what services they are entitled to.
In cases where the school doesn’t provide these services, I refer to colleagues I know and trust: educational therapists, school advocates, and psychologists who conduct full assessment to identify processing issues and any emotional barriers to learning.
IEP/SST Meeting, Behavior Plan
With parents and school permission, I attend school meetings where behavior plans are discussed, so that I can understand and support these plans in my individual work with the child. With parent permission, I share with school staff my findings and what solutions have been effective in my work with the child.
Given my assessment of the child, I can share with parents what learning environment I believe is a good fit (including home schooling/independent study pros and cons).
In some cases, I’ve helped parents identify when the school was not a good fit and helped provide recommendations and supportive documents for application to another school.
School Related Services Which Are NOT Provided
Extended absence excuse and emotional support service referral must be signed by a medical doctor or psychologist with a doctorate degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.).
I can provide a note stating the child was absent from school due to a session with me, but I’m not qualified to excuse a child from attending school, or prescribe an emotional support animal.
How Does Confidentiality Work with This Age?
For children and adolescents to feel comfortable revealing private information, they need a safe place to communicate about anything they'd like, without fear of that information leaving the room. Yet parents can feel left out and worried when they are told nothing about what happens in the room.
What I say to parents is this: without breaking confidentiality, I will tell you the general theme of what we are working on, and I will encourage the child to share with you challenges and solutions we’ve come up with. I ask young children and teens what they are willing to share with the parents and address worries about sharing any particular information. I might try to mitigate worries, but ultimately I respect the child’s decision.
Booking Guidelines
How do I begin?
You can schedule a 15-minute phone consultation using the self-booking calendar.
Why can’t I schedule a full session, only a phone call?
Existing clients can schedule any type of session during available hours. Prospective clients can only schedule a free 15-minute consult call. Before scheduling a first full session, I want to make sure that I am the right therapist for you. A good fit between client and the type of issues the therapist can treat is crucial to the success of treatment.
Also, during consult, I will address medical insurance. If I cannot address your therapy needs or if I do not take your insurance, I will try to find a referral for you.