consulting services

parent support: consulting

Consulting services are provided for parents seeking information and/or support in regards to behavior and teaching strategies, autism education, identifying neurodivergent-affirming care, treatment plan and/or behavior plan reviews, and more.

Parent-led Implementation:

  • Consultation can be provided to parents who would like to learn to implement various teaching and behavior strategies/principles themselves, with support and feedback by a behavior analyst.

  • In these circumstances, we work collaboratively online to address areas of skill development for your child and how you can select and utilize the best teaching strategies that fit your child’s profile. It’s about learning how your child learns best, what accommodations can/need to be made, and how to work with your child in a collaborative style to support a peaceful home for everyone.

Autism Education:

  • Consultation provided to parents and family members on the autistic experience of life.

  • With information comes understanding and acceptance, which can lead to promoting a more inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive. Topics will include general experiences of most Autistics, such as meltdowns, sensory overwhelm, shutdowns, social differences, communication styles, etc., but will also delve into your child’s specific profile.

Identifying Neurodivergent-affirming Care:

  • There are a lot of options out there in terms of early childhood support, with a lot of varying and contradicting opinions. I have worked in early education and early intervention since 2009, and have seen varying forms of care and teaching across multiple disciplines. I also believe being a neurodivergent analyst gives me a unique perspective to provide a balanced view on the options.

  • See included: “A Few Quick Tips on Selecting Quality Care”

  • In addition, if you have already begun care with a provider but are unsure or having questions that you cannot get answered, I can provide consultation, as well as advocacy in the form of treatment plan and behavior plan reviews to ensure it is in your child’s best interest.

If you have any questions regarding these topics, or if something else is on your mind in regards to early childhood support, please reach out. Consultations can be provided to fit your schedule, and can be done through multiple forms of communication- whatever works best for you.

Contact: mandy@mindfulba.com

A Few Quick Tips on selecting quality care:

If you are seeking care for your young child, the best advice I can provide is research, be proactive, and be especially discerning when selecting care.

  • Follow your intuition and be fearless in advocating for your child. High quality practitioners will see your advocacy and be inspired. Poor quality practitioners will seek to limit your influence and involvement.

  • Quality care will support you and your child with goals that increase your child’s joy and peace, prioritize your child’s autonomy and choices, and only seek behavior decrease if it is warranted, such as with behaviors like aggression or self-injury, or those that limit your child’s access to environments and contexts of which they would like to be included. In addition, any behavior that is to be decreased should be combined with teaching a replacement behavior that helps the child get his/her needs met more effectively.

  • Programs should NEVER target changes in your child’s unique traits (i.e. eye contact, stimming, etc.) simply because they are not considered “normative.” This is harmful, and is the biggest red flag for which to watch.

  • Quality care is always individualized. The practitioners will be understanding, accepting of, and educated on the experiences of varying neurotypes and disabilities, and will take a strength-based, skill building approach.

  • Goals selected for your child should always reflect your decisions and be aimed at building skill repertoires that will lead your child to access more positive experiences in life (as decided by you and your child, not what the practitioner/company or society dictates).

  • Programs should focus on pivotal skills; these are skills that when learned open up access across multiple environments and contexts, such as communication, autonomy/self-determination, coping/emotional regulation, and advocacy to name a few.