.png){kind=logo}
My Approach
Nobody struggles in isolation.
Support begins with getting to know the person: their life story, their strengths, interests, ways of communicating and relating to others and the world around them; their sensory and learning profile; their health; their routines and rituals; and what matters to them.
We all evolve within systems — family, school, organizations and cultures — and it’s within these systems that difficulties make sense. I look at how a person’s needs interact with the physical and social environments around them. This means understanding what triggers distress and dysregulation, and how the responses of those around them can unintentionally reinforce the very behaviors they may be labelled challenging.
Communication differences, sensory needs, emotional regulation, executive functioning, past experiences and health needs all interact with the demands and relationships around a person. There is rarely a single explanation. My approach is therefore bifocal: understanding the person and identifying what needs to change in their environments and relationships. This is grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming understanding of autistic and ADHD people, and of the many ways people experience and make sense of the world.
From this understanding, we identify goals that matter to the person — and, for children and young people, to their families too — with the aim of improving wellbeing and quality of life. These might relate to regulation, communication, relationships, independence, learning or family life. Together, we develop a practical support plan to work towards them.
I think of the support we build as scaffolding. Sometimes this means developing skills with the person, giving them tools to do more of what they care about. Sometimes it means adapting environments and systems, helping parents, teachers and support teams understand the person better and creating the conditions for trust, relational safety and joy in connecting. Usually, it means both.
Lasting positive change depends on building capacity on both sides: developing the skills the person needs, while helping the people and systems around them support them more effectively. Good support is practical, respectful, and sustainable, so it can hold without me. It should help the person use their strengths and live a life that feels meaningful to them, while making life more manageable for the people who love and support them.
I work collaboratively with children, young people and adults, alongside their families and the professionals and teams around them. The goals belong to the person and are developed with them
What working together may look like
-
Listen and be curious. A free 15-minute call, then a one-hour consultation, to understand the person, the difficulties and what matters most.
-
Listen, be curious and assess. Before any support begins, I assess what is happening. I review existing reports, talk with the people involved, such as family members, carers, school staff and other professionals, and where it helps I observe in person, at home, at school or in the community, or through video.
-
Analyze, discuss and plan. I write up what I’ve found: what is happening, what contributes to it, and how the environment and relationships interplay. We talk it through, and I propose the support scaffolding that builds capacity in the person and in their environments, as a behavior support plan, a skills development plan, or both.
-
Coach, tracking, and review. Coach the people around the person so the plan works in everyday life; track progress and review to see what is working and what needs adjusting.
