Expanding the Way We See and Engage Neurodivergent Children in Louisiana

Welcome to my website. I hope you find the information here helpful and if you do, that you will feel comfortable contacting me for any consultation or training needs you may have.  I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and began my career with children struggling with emotional, social and behavioral difficulties in 1998. I recall clearly from early in my career the first young person I encountered who struggled with hyperactivity and impulsiveness.  As hard as he tried, he could not remain seated in a peer group activity while I, in my naïve and limited clinical experience at that time, expressed my frustration to him repeatedly about his lack of attention and constant fidgetiness. The discouraged and desperate look on his face, while he clearly was working hard to please me, is forever etched in my memory.  My career path has brought me to encounter many persons with various struggles including adults with serious and persistent mental illnesses, teenagers caught in cycles of juvenile court involvement, adults with intellectual developmental disorders, and since 2017 intensive engagement with neurodivergent children ages 3 to 12 years including autistic and hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive children. My work focuses on strengthening the significant relationships in a neurodivergent child's life – parent/caregiver, teacher, siblings/peers and therapist - through first seeing and understanding the child's developmental profile including strengths and needs and then engaging and relating to the child with a particular focus on attunement, coregulation and reciprocal communication.  When engaged with this depth of seeing and knowing the child along with affectively rich gestural communication patterns, the child experiences social and emotional growth and development, behavior challenges lessen, and their life becomes more meaningful to them. They are ready to grow and learn!