Jennifer Feldman Consulting and Tutoring

Just began my journey as a special education advocate and started my online training. I think it's important to start from a large knowledge base and not just assume that because I've been there, I know what I'm talking about. If I'm going to tell my students that learning should be life-long, what better way to demonstrate that than to become a learner myself.

Here's looking forward to the future!

Looks like we'll be back soon with some exciting new developments! Stay tuned!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my page. Although it am no longer working in educational therapy, I use this platform to share my views on education. I've noticed that as I share my opinions in my personal profile I often get more views here. I suppose it's folks who want to know more about me. So allow myself to reintroduce myself

I am a white Jewish settler who is neurodivergent and q***r. I currently live on San Gabriellino/Tongva lands. I exist between those identities and acknowledge that most of my identities give me great privilege. I use that privilege to advocate for groups and people who have less than I do.

Shoot me a message or respond in the comments and I would be happy to answer your questions about my views and the page.

This is why we need to think about where we put our money and activist dollars; Autism Speaks does not help actually autistic people individuals and their families.

This is important for parents of nonspeaking children to read and process. 👇👇👇

This week, I advocated in front of Virginia House of Delegates for my nonspeaking child, his peers, and their teachers. I didn't realize I would be going up agains Autism Speaks and Council of Autism Service Providers - CASP. 🤔

HB 1047 was a MODEST but meaningful bill that would protect nonspeaking students in Virginia by ensuring that -

1) a student's need for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) wouldn't be used as a reason to segregate that student,

2) school staff would receive training to support their student BEFORE school starts,

3) IQ test results wouldn't be used to deny access to AAC.

These are basic protections already put in place by IDEA, but they don't happen. 💯

This is why the bill was brought forth... because nonspeaking students are segregated at an alarming rate and many aren't even offered AAC.

When I went to speak in favor of this very modest bill, I was joined by several others, including Virginia Education Association, because our teachers WANT training to support their nonspeaking students!

After we spoke, Autism Speaks and CASP (a lobbyist for ABA companies) gave nearly identical testimonies about their "concerns for the bill's language." 🤬 I will put links in the comments.

Anyway, the bill is dead now and won't be voted on this year. 💔

So before you "light it up blue" this April, just remember that Autism Speaks advocated AGAINST protections for my son, his nonspeaking peers, and their teachers in Virginia this week.

And be sure to keep this disgustingly wealthy company in mind as you navigate the IEP process, and as you fight for services and inclusion. 😒

💜 ~ Meghan

This, to me, is the heart of educational therapy and the goal of what we provide.

Maybe I’ve spent one too many hours recently dealing with schools and therapists who want to continue implementing inappropriate and ineffective “behavior plans” for kids…and I’m feeling a little feisty about it.⁣
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If you aren’t focusing first and foremost on building safe trusting relationships with children who are struggling (or any child for that matter)-you’re doing it wrong. Full stop. You’re missing the necessary ingredient to help kids develop the skills needed for better behavior.⁣
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Adult-Child relationships are literally the foundation of all cognitive, communication, social, emotional, and behavioral development. Children form the neural connections they need for skill development in all of these areas through their relationships with others. ⁣
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We can thank psychologists and educators like Dr. Alan Fogel (Developing Through Relationships), Dr. Alan Sroufe (Emotional Development), Dr. Dan Seigel (The Developing Mind), Dr. Barbara Rogoff (Apprenticeship in Thinking), Dr. Peter Hobson (The Cradle of Thought), and many others for showing how the development of thinking, communication, emotional and behavioral regulation happens via relationship with caregivers. ⁣
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And we can thank people in the realm of behavioral neuroscience, like Dr. Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Theory), for helping us understand the physiological components of emotional/behavioral regulation.⁣
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There’s no question that relationship is at the heart of everything with kids. But when a child is having challenges (especially in the realm of emotions/behavior), relationships are often not what people look to as the primary “intervention”. Instead, they focus on tallying, giving stickers, time-outs, detention, calling parents, restraint, and many more strategies that are misguided at best-and damaging at worst.⁣
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When a child exhibits concerning behaviors, start with developing or strengthening caring, trusting, safe relationships with at least one adult in that environment. That’s not just the “nice” thing to do-it’s the right and only thing to do if you really want to improve a child’s development and behavior.⁣
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Leave a ❤️ if you agree, and feel free to share your thoughts.⁣

This is a wonderful article discussing the concept of accommodation vs coddling. As an educational therapist I always have to be mindful of the goals and how to support my students with their own growth and development. It's kind of like walking on a tightrope.

Are You Accommodating or Coddling Your Autistic Child? Where is the line between accommodating and coddling our Autistic children? As parents, we need to advocate for our kids, but also challenge them, and that balance can be really tricky!

Autism Awareness Month

As an allistic (non-autistic) person working with autistic students and their families, I have learned the importance of listening to the voices of the people we claim to support and represent.

Autism Awareness month should not be about trying to change or cure autistic people. Autism awareness month needs to be about shedding light on the full range of neurodiversity and how we as allistics can work to make the world more hospitable for those who do not always fit comfortably into it. We also need to develop systems of education, therapy and family support that uplift autistic voices.

That starts by listening.

Typically when parents come for an educational therapy evaluation they are looking to have their questions answered. They are looking to fix a problem. They are looking for help, but sometimes they get so caught up in a “diagnosis” and the fear that comes with it that their child will never be “normal” that they end up causing harm instead of healing. As a new mother, I’ve had to dampen my own fears about “normal” when it comes to my own little girl. Sometimes it takes letting go of your “ideal child” and seeing the child for who they really are.

That starts by listening.

Many times, you can find out a great deal about how to help a child by cuing into their needs and trying to listen. What are you trying to communicate to me? Do you need a break? Are you becoming dysregulated because I’m putting too much pressure on you? Did I say that too fast? What do you need from me?

Now, not all students are going to be able to answer those questions and as it was pointed to me recently, asking for help can be a huge task in and of itself. So as a therapist, I need to be attuned to my autistic students’ sensory needs and profiles so that I do not cause more harm or at the very least make learning more difficult. I’ve had students who needed to work in a low-lit room. I’ve had students who need to take frequent breaks or move around in their zoom sessions in order to do their best work. I allow it, because I understand that sometimes what I feel would be best, does not always work for my clients.

When we listen to autistic voices, and neurodiverse voices in general, what we as allistic parents and therapists can realize is that we need to reshape our world so that all people can belong and thrive in it. We need to be aware of access needs, we need to be aware that not all students can sit in their chairs for eight hours a day and be successful learners. As an educational therapist, I feel a strong pull towards advocacy because I see the ways in which the world does not allow for my students to thrive. For Autism awareness month, I choose to be a voice for Autistic kids and adults.

And that starts by listening.

Now that schools are closed and student learning is moving online, we understand how hard it can be to help your child navigate this new school environment. As an educational therapist, I want to offer my support during these challenging times. I am offering the following:

-Help with online homework, tests and quizzes
-Help and support for students who struggle to navigate the online environment
-Help setting up academic enrichment activities for your home
-Help creating routines and daily schedules to build executive function
-Social-Emotional support for students who feel lost in the online classroom

Please let me know if you would like an online consultation and I would be happy to help.

A mother of a student shared this with me. I want my own little girl to be an includer and not a bully. As someone who has been hurt by mean girls I think this is a wonderful way to go.

Raising girls who are “includers” instead of “mean girls” (Part 1 of 2) I remember walking into the cafeteria of my new school and it was like someone punched me in the stomach. I was in sixth grade. My family had just moved from Virginia to Ohio. At firs…