I'm
Andrea
I help solution-oriented parents of autistic children gain the confidence and inner strength to navigate challenges, promote extraordinary growth, and connect more deeply with their children
Hi! I'm
Andrea
I help parents of autistic children gain parenting skills and confidence to tackle and prevent challenging behavior, promote extraordinary growth, and connect more deeply with their children
Working Mom
Life was going according to plan. I was a mom of two young children, while excelling in my career as a lawyer in New York City. I was wiped out all the time, but what working mom isn’t? My son never slept – no joke. He was diagnosed with Autism at age two, but I was still determined to be a superstar at both work and parenting. From the outside, everything looked rosy, but in reality, it was time for me to face a hard truth. As my career blossomed, my son was failing to progress, having more outbursts, and withdrawing from interaction. Everyday experiences were taxing and it felt so unfair that I was trying so hard to help him and at the same time fearful that I was failing him. I needed help.
Adjusting the Vision
We took him to different therapists who offered different kinds of “interventions,” but we saw little evidence of progress. We enrolled him in a wonderful school, but again, we could not say that he was developing meaningful skills in any area. We needed bold new solutions, so I undertook the unthinkable. I left my 19-year career and created a homeschool team. Our new goal was to help him progress by prioritizing relationship and building trust – by learning, understanding and following his needs and motivations instead of forcing our agenda on him.
4 Steps to End Power Struggles, Boost Communication and Collaboration, and Help Your Autistic Child Make Rapid Progress
Power Suits to Sweats
Progress was slow at first, and by slow, I mean he rarely interacted with us for more than a few seconds at a time. Tempting as it was to try to force him to do stuff, I knew that we had plenty of history to show us that wouldn’t work. I needed an abundance of patience and faith.
When I wasn't on the floor trying to connect with him, I studied different forms of therapy and participated in trainings and certification programs whenever and wherever I could. The more I read and consumed, the more I realized that there are some common principles and best practices that can help parents better understand and support their autistic children. Little by little Matthew started to interact. He had fewer outbursts and fewer periods of withdrawal. Little by little, he began to utter word approximations and then actual words.
The New Vision
After eight years of learning at home, Matthew was ready to enter school. I had just spent eight years studying autism with the intensity of a Wall St. lawyer and I did not want all that I discovered and developed to help my son be lost. I knew that there were so many parents struggling, and I knew that I had a system that could help families thrive. I returned to school and earned my Masters in Education (MSEd.) so that I could most effectively share my knowledge to help parents get swift results without years of trial and error.
Expanding Impact
During grad school, I developed and refined the education and coaching model we use at Autism Parent Solutions. Since then, we have helped hundreds of parents gain the skills and confidence to quit using ineffective strategies that prolong negative interactions and unwanted behavior. We have helped them reverse the downward spiral where their child’s behavior leads to tremendous parenting stress, and their parenting stress increases their child’s challenging behavior. We have helped them overcome parent burnout which not only helps their autistic child, but also improves the family environment, health and daily lifestyle.
Encouraging Optimism
Today, my son is a joyful, loving and trusting young man. People often ask me “what is his special skill” as if all autistic people have them. He actually does. His special skill is that people fall in love with him instantly and deeply – which is a great skill to have when you still need help and guidance. My daughter is the most loving, thoughtful young woman who is was a special education teacher and is now pursuing a PhD in Psychology.
And I get to help other parents experience parenting their autistic child with renewed confidence, joy and fulfillment. Sometimes when you get thrown off your original path, you weather the storms and arrive somewhere better. I know I did.
Your program has not only given me new skills and tools , but has helped me change my mindset in so many ways. Here is an example.
I always thought I had to keep expectations of my son low to not frustrate myself. The Program taught me that I can both keep expectations high (so that I continue believe in and push for progress) and also be happy with whatever progress my son makes. Loving and accepting your child exactly as they are AND wanting more for them are not conflicting ideas. And I've just fell like someone was slapping my face and waking me up to a better reality, where I can help my child be who he can be, without fear. Combining these new ideas with all of the clear strategies and tools that I know how to USE has already made big improvements in our lives and I feel so optimistic about the future.
Neilson D.
Brazil
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