"Nothing ventured, nothing gained"
These four words summarize my basic philosophy of negotiation. You start by asking for what you think, after careful study of options, is best. Then, and only then, is there any room for compromise and negotiation.
Above all, each student must be seen as an individual, and not as their label or diagnosis. The educational plan starts from this beginning.
Because I work directly with the family and do not accept school funds or contract with schools for payments, I advocate for best options, not "appropriate" - as defined by the school alone - or minimal/least common denominator - ones.
Because I am an outside observer in the process, with experience as a parent, teacher, and learner, I can often see solutions that require an "arms length" view to find.
Because my training is highly interdisciplinary, and I try to keep up with research, I may suggest new approaches that have not previously been attempted, including but not limited to checking for possible underlying sensory or medical issues often overlooked in our era of "easy fix".
Above all, each student must be seen as an individual, and not as their label or diagnosis. The educational plan starts from this beginning.
Because I work directly with the family and do not accept school funds or contract with schools for payments, I advocate for best options, not "appropriate" - as defined by the school alone - or minimal/least common denominator - ones.
Because I am an outside observer in the process, with experience as a parent, teacher, and learner, I can often see solutions that require an "arms length" view to find.
Because my training is highly interdisciplinary, and I try to keep up with research, I may suggest new approaches that have not previously been attempted, including but not limited to checking for possible underlying sensory or medical issues often overlooked in our era of "easy fix".
