Specializing in
Asperger Syndrome • Autism • ADHD • Learning Difficulties

~ Life Skillls Coaching
and Behavioral Education Services

Who contacts me for my Services?

Click to see packages and fees.

Parents and Caregivers
Our options for working together:

• Private Sessions: can be one-to-one or a parent couple. We work on a behavior change program plan customized to your situation. (These sessions are by-phone or by special arrangement may be in person.)
• Groups by phone: You receive education and customized coaching and together we create an individualized behavior change program.
• Email exchange: To troubleshoot the micro skills in your existing strategies or to design improvements for a more effective behavior change plan.

Individual Client
one to one, in community, program or job settings.

Mental Health Professionals, Educators, Psychiatrists, and Occupational Therapists
• My services and program will compliment your work. We will coordinate services to help your client with the finer details and sub skills of successful behavior change.

Classroom Teachers
• Assessment and training for group behavior that sets up the classroom environment for happy cooperative learning and socially appropriate interaction.
• Social problem solving in the classroom, peer to peer support programming.

SERVICE PACKAGES

By Month Coaching Package

Private or Group Includes:

• 1.5 hr. private intake session (by phone or in person)

• 3 sessions per month  by phone or in person

• Unlimited e-mail and / or Instant messenger for ASAP brainstorming or in the moment support.

• Specific circumstance coaching for action plan feedback and modification.

• Updates with parent /guardian (subject to signed permission where applicable in consideration of confidentiality issues with adult clients)

• Support material, resources.

Fees per month (These sessions are by-phone or by special arrangement may be in person.)
$500.00 Private (parents couples or caregivers or family considered one private client)
$185.00 Group (maximum six individuals or parent couples)

Single Session Rate: $110.00

Specific Skill Coaching - by Email

• We volley a set of email exchanges that create a particular skill set, a program modification, strategies or feedback that refines your existing plan.
Includes:
             • Intake form to describe your situation
             • Resources, support material where applicable

Email Exchanges ( about 6 to 8 volleys)
$75.00 per skill set - First time special $49.00

Home / At Your Site Visit

• In Home and Workplace Assessment
• Customized behavioral education, coaching program plan, includes follow-up coaching by-phone and e-mail
• By Phone Coaching To Follow

Fee by Individual Arrangement, travel arrangement for out of state.

Collection and review of background information*: $225.00 one time fee.
From:
• School: exceptional student / IEP reports and academic data.
• Supporting professionals: psychologist, medication psychiatrist, rehab therapist.
• Others: interacting with client in various settings, as recommended by client or   parent/guardian.
*subject to signed releases for exchange of information where appropriate

*Scholarship rates  please inquire

** For clients referred through courts or professional guardians, customary fees established by county are acceptable.

Payment Schedule
Program package fees payable at beginning of each client month.
Individual Session fees payable upon receipt of service.
Payment Method
Credit card or electronic debit from your bank account through Paypal.
Paper checks accepted.
Payment plans available.

 

This is a coaching, consulting and education service and is not intended to take the place of psychotherapy, where advised and appropriate.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How does coaching work by phone?

It is surprisingly effective. I have clients in many places. The phone method helps people focus in on precisely what we are doing together as well as being very convenient for my clients. You can be at your computer, hands free, when we are using interactive activities, visuals and games that help learning, which I may email to you ahead of our session.

Of course, for my special needs clients and those with whom I spend time coaching out in the community, we do arrange to meet personally. Kids and teens I work with, especially like my by-phone model that I call Headset Coaching.  This is especially effective when I work with my groups, who become like a family, though they may be scattered from coast to coast and beyond.

What is the difference between coaching and therapy?

Coaching gets into action immediately, orienting around the present and future. Coaching questions are how and what questions like "How will you know this strategy is working?" and "What will be involved in accomplishing this goal?" Rarely do we use why questions. In coaching and education, we awaken skills, design strategies and get you moving, accomplishing and feeling better step by step immediately. Coaching is not a substitute for therapy where it may be advised. I encourage my clients to consult with appropriate mental health professionals for therapy or medication concerns. I work with other professionals to coordinate our services and help our client keep progressing.

How do you know what will work with the uniquely challenging behaviors of my loved one, if I dont live close enough for you to meet him or her?

One of my service options is traveling to meet, observe, make assessments and then plan a program which we then continue working on by phone, as I coach you through the steps of implementation. However traveling to meet you is not typically necessary. I have not yet met a client who does not have talents, strengths, interests, or skills that cannot be awakened to brighten up their lives. I teach you and your challenging loved ones strategies to live fully. See top of my services page for different ways we can work together.

What is an education and coaching model?

I will teach you the Art of Behavior Change and we will explore which of its eight ingredients apply to your needs and situation. We will create a behavior change program and I will coach you to successfully implement this plan. As we go through the steps, we will be actively working on:

- Action plans: a plan we design together, based on my Art of Behavior Change 8 ingredients.
- Strategies: the techniques you use to get the significant change you are looking for.
- Feedback: constructive and practical guidance to help you move towards the results you are looking for.
- Support: listening, understanding and brainstorming ways to make change the easiest process possible. I am an advocate for your success!
- Program modification: adjusting, tweaking or modifying what you are already doing to get better results in shaping behaviors of your challenging loved one.
- Monitoring: help you keep track of progress and anything else going on that needs to be handled.
- Self-Monitoring: methods to help your challenging loved one to progressively take over the job of keeping track independently of his or her behavior change.

What happens when we are trying to implement our behavior program in places such as schools, day programs or group homes?

I can help you to set up strategies that help behavior change to become generalized to those other settings. Or we can work with teachers or staff members to create new strategies that work in those different environments. I can also help by advocating with you and for you in the schools and programs where you want to see new behaviors encouraged.

What happens if my challenging loved one is in a different city from me?

I work often with parents and guardians who are in a different city from their child, who may be at college or a work program. Your loved one may be at a special residence or a boarding school or living on their own. In some cases, we set up a communication system that keeps you in informed so you know what is happening.

How do you help educators?

I assist teachers and administrators in the following areas related:

1. Social and cooperative learning skills: Classroom teachers are usually in the classroom because they love kids and want to make a difference in their futures. But teachers are quickly worn down by social problems or exceptional student behaviors that get in the way of moving forward with their academic curricula. Social skills is not on the standard curriculum in most schools and when students become challenging loved ones good teachers become frustrated and burnt out. My Art of Behavior Change program is built on solid principles of classroom control and happy cooperative learning environments.

2. Exceptional Student Education: Mainstream classroom teachers are often baffled about how to best work with special needs or exceptional students in their mainstream classrooms. We work together to explore how to make inclusion successful for both teacher and student, looking at models of social problem solving and cooperative learning.

3. Self-Contained Exceptional Student Classrooms and Special Education Resource Teachers: Special education teachers need the very specific, micro-steps that open exceptional students to their best learning. We work together to determine how to support both the students and the mainstream classroom teacher.

See my About Ellen page for stories in the classroom and education settings.

Who is a challenging loved one, anyway?

Someone who is having a great deal of difficulty moving forward in their life, usually struggling with social skills or life skills that are very hard for them to catch on to. They have strengths, talents and skills that are not being tapped to live well and fully. It does not matter if you do or do not know what your loved ones strengths are when we start working together. Often you know but just cannot verbalize it. I help you figure that out and then we get to work!

Your challenging loved one may be someone who just seems to struggle more than the average person - someone who is often labeled with words like 'oppositional' or 'disorganized' or 'hyper-sensitive' or 'has no social skills.' They may have an official diagnosis such as Asperger Syndrome or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or simply a quirkiness that seems to be a constant obstacle for him or her. However, what is important is the behavior we see and what specific and personalized steps are needed to make lasting and dramatic change.

 

 

Specializing in ~
Asperger Syndrome • Autism • ADHD • Learning Difficulties