How Stephanie Can Help
Individualized Support. Because no two paths are the same.
Every student comes with their own set of goals, needs, interests and strengths, and this means that the support they need will be unique to them too. The services listed below represent the broad areas in which Stephanie works with students and their families, but because every student is unique, they don’t represent every possible starting point or journey forward.
Every starting point is different.
Sometimes a family knows exactly what help they need, while others just know that something isn’t working, and that they need help to figure out what it is, and how to move forward. If you don’t see your particular situation reflected below, please reach out. A conversation is often the best place to start.
Boarding School Placement
Finding a school where your student can thrive.
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For a student who learns differently, finding the right boarding school can feel challenging. Academic fit is important, but so is the learning environment itself, the amount of support available, the school community and culture, and the readiness of your child to live away from home. Stephanie will help your family look beyond the raw data - the rankings and the reputations, and help you find a school that fits your student.
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The process begins with an initial consultation where Stephanie works to understand what you are seeking to achieve while developing an initial understanding of your student. She will talk with you about your student’s individual needs, their strengths, interests and goals, as well as your hopes and fears in engaging in this process.
Next, Stephanie reviews the pertinent documentation to formulate an understanding of your student on paper. An initial family meeting will focus on deepening her knowledge of your child while educating you on the types of options to consider.
After the initial consultation, Stephanie will work with your child to explore the options, increase their self-awareness and understanding of the proposed options while working through her scaffolded curriculum to guide them through the process one step at a time.
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Stephanie brings more than 20 years of experience working with neurodivergent students, students with learning differences, and their families, as well as an understanding of and relationship with schools.
Her role is not to produce lists of schools, it is to help families understand why a particular school environment may work for their student and to provide experienced, objective, and honest guidance as they navigate the application process.
Support may include:
Initial student and family consultation
Review of educational records and learning profile
Identification of strengths, needs, interests, accomplishments, and academic and social goals
Recommending best fit environments for the student
Providing guidance on the visit, interview and application process
Advocating for the student at the schools
Monitoring the progress and appraising the Parent
Exploring what comes next.
Post-Secondary Planning
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For some students, the path after high school seems certain. But for others, deciding what to do next can come with a daunting set of questions.
Is college the right next step? What level of support is needed? Are they ready to live independently? What will happen to existing accommodations and support they had in high school? Are they able to advocate for themselves in a college setting? Would a different kind of post secondary program be a better fit?
Stephanie works with students and their parents to answer these questions and to explore other options that may not seem obvious initially. The aim is to build a post-secondary plan that is unique to the needs of the individual student.
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The process begins with an initial consultation where Stephanie works to understand what you are seeking to achieve while developing an initial understanding of your student. She will talk with you to gauge your student’s individual needs, as well as their strengths, interests and goals, and your hopes and fears in engaging in this process.
Next, Stephanie reviews the pertinent documentation to formulate an understanding of your student on paper. An initial family meeting will focus on deepening her knowledge of your child further while educating you on the types of options to consider.
After the initial consultation, Stephanie will work with your child to explore the options, increase their self-awareness and understanding of the proposed options while working through her scaffolded curriculum to guide them through the process one step at a time.
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With more than two decades of experience working with neurodivergent students, students with learning differences, and their families, Stephanie brings both deep knowledge of the post-secondary system and trusted professional relationships across schools, colleges and programs.
She provides expertise families need, while working collaboratively with the student throughout the process. She establishes structure, helps create goals, and monitors progress helping to make sense of what can otherwise feel like an overwhelming task
Importantly, Stephanie also helps families understand what support can look like after high school within the various options available, what colleges and programs can and cannot provide, and what will therefore be a better fit for the student.
Support may include:
Guidance in coursework choices, summer planning, testing guidance, tutoring recommendations, and learning profile building
College visit preparation and guidance
An academic assessment identifying student’s goals and a strengths based analysis
Creation of personalized detailed college lists
A comprehensive search, finding the “best fit” school for your student
Creation of a custom, detailed, comprehensive timeline that begins with a college search and includes a final review of each application
Application assistance by consultant for all applications
Student coaching session on what to expect during a college or program visit and how to interview with confidence, passion and purpose
Essay brainstorming and editing
Resume building guidance
Motivation coaching to keep you on task for school visits, interview scheduling, and admissions acceptance
Education on the differences between high school and college, guidance on whether or not a support program is needed and what can be expected (and not) of these programs
Comprehensive Support Program application guidance and feedback
Accommodations request guidance
Email support
Helping schools build stronger support for students with learning differences.
School Advisory
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There is a growing need within schools to serve neurodivergent students and those with learning differences, but determining what effective support looks like in practice can be difficult.
Stephanie works in an advisory capacity with secondary schools to help deepen understanding of their neurodivergent students, develop programs, expand existing support systems, recommend professional development opportunities, and consider how they can better support these students not only through the program but in the community as a whole.
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School advisory work begins by understanding the school itself - the students and existing resources as well as institutional priorities, challenges and goals.
From there Stephanie will provide recommendations and support through in person and virtual meetings
Rather than bringing in a template or pre-existing model, Stephanie works collaboratively with administrators, teachers and student support teams to discover what is already working, and where improvements can and should be made.
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Stephanie brings a unique perspective to this work. Before becoming an independent educational consultant, Stephanie was a founder, leadership member and teacher at a leading private prep school where she also served as a 1-1 instructional support teacher, classroom teacher and the Director of College Placement and Transition Planning.
Stephanie therefore has first hand experience creating and implementing programs and curriculum to support the unique needs of students and their families as well as the realities facing the schools who support them. Her work combines practical school experience with two decades of specialist knowledge of neurodivergent learners and those with different educational needs.
Advisory support may include:
Developing a deep understanding of the school community, culture, vision, and goals
A review of existing learning support program
Interviewing school administrators, teachers, support program personnel and students
Classroom and extracurricular and residential program observations
Program development and implementation
Support with communicating the scope, process and goals of the program to students, parents and important stakeholders
Ready to start a conversation?