Do you feel like parenting books and websites were written by people who don’t get your kid?
Do you join parent groups and listen to podcasts, but you feel like you need a next step to actually get all your ideas into play?
Do you feel like you have tried everything and life is still a whirlwind?
That’s where I come in. I have been there, and you don't have to do it alone. I am ready to dig into your challenges with you - without judgment - because I get it. Raising differently-abled kids requires different parenting skills - kid-by-kid, day-by-day.
Because unless you have parented a kid who is different - you can’t totally understand.
How can I help?
Together, we plan out exactly how you
want me to help you. And I will.
Working together, we can come up with strategies to make your daily life easier (bedtime, mornings, mealtimes, homework), so you can focus on long term strategies and challenges. Or just give yourself a little extra time to take care of yourself.
Help create a 3 month, 6 month, 12 month plan for when your child is first diagnosed with a disability. Spend time talking through your priorities, and together come up with small, actionable goals around therapies, healthcare, school, and home goals.
Navigate challenges with schools and IEPs. What are the best ways to work with your child's teacher and the district? How do you effectively advocate for your child? Let's work together to come up with plans to ensure your child is thriving and learning.
Fight the tech battles (ipads, video games, phones) - we are all making mistakes here - for ourselves and our kids. Consider this the place where you leave your guilt behind, and we chip away at this battle we all face.
Share resources and do research for you to reach your goals (community connection, school support, local therapists and doctors and more). If you are feeling overwhelmed and stuck, let me start to carry some of your load for you to get you going on your own.
Work through challenging behaviors together to come up with strategies to support you and your child in the hardest moments. My goal is to make sure you have the strategies, skills and confidence to support your unique child.
Don't know where you want to start? Don't stress. We come up with a plan together.
Testimonials
“I am so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Kathy; she is truly amazing. As a mom of two boys, one of whom has ADHD and faces classroom challenges, I often felt completely overwhelmed. Kathy helped me recognize my strengths as a parent, showed me how to lean into them, and identified where a few small changes could make the biggest difference. I finished our sessions feeling confident and better able to navigate parenting challenges. It has been an invaluable experience!”
-R.M., Montclair, NJ
"Kathy's knowledge, ideas and resources were very helpful to us finding ways around some challenging moments."
-S.S., East Hanover, NJ
"Kathy helped me navigate all of the district and professional assessments we needed to go through for my son. She helped me understand what each item was, the purpose and how to interpret the outcomes. She provided guidance on additional questions to ask and information to make sure I received. She made an incredibly confusing, complex, and stressful process easy to navigate and feel manageable. I would have been lost without her and never would have received the services we needed."
-K.M., Montclair, NJ
“I’ve learned to take a moment each day and look at the “positives”. Everything won’t be perfect with my son but there is always a “win” big or small. I enjoyed having a conversation with someone who really understands the stress of not having a neurotypical child.”
-K.C., Montclair, NJ
“It was amazing to really understand how a lot of the issues we experience are very common for parents with special needs children.”
-G.S., East Hanover, NJ
"I met Kathy after having just learned of my son’s autism diagnosis and was processing what it meant for him, us, and life in general. I was so lucky to have met Kathy when I did. She’s been a tremendous resource and source of strength. She’s helped me to feel the feelings -- including feeling confident in my own decisions and abilities."
-A.K., Montclair, NJ