School Consulting

Relationship Development Intervention™

RDI™ is the most comprehensive and expansive developmental and relationship-based approach to Autism.

The approach is a family systems approach and places the parents, as the guides to their children, at the centre of the work. We as parents already have what it takes to guide our children through this life.

With a little help from science, autistic adults and pro-neurodiversity therapeutic models and therapists, we learn how to adjust our own way of interacting, guiding, teaching, communicating, so we can meet our children where they are at.

We need to adjust our expectations in terms of what learning, communication, and being in this world is ‘supposed’ to look like. Our neurodiverse children and communities are helping us to understand that there are different ways of seeing and being. We respect the human rights and dignity of disabled people.

As your family’s RDI consultant I would guide you on a journey of learning about Autism, neurodiversity and what the most up to date research tells us about the brain and child development.

I will work with you to apply this to your own family and bring you to an understanding of both your and your child’s main obstacles.

Through this process you are considered the expert on your child(ren) and your family and will be empowered to create a better quality of life for the family, and set your child up to be a dynamic thinker in his/her own right, in a way that makes sense to them and doesn’t compromise their true neurodiverse identity.

DIR Floortime™

DIR Floortime™ is a strong relationship based approach where the relationship and emotional connection in the parent-child relationship is central.

I am a basic practitioner of Stanley Greenspan’s DIR (Development – Individual differences – Relationship) Floortime approach.

In this strong relationship based approach the relationship and emotional connection (affect) in the parent-child relationship is central, as we know that children learn through relationships. Finding the emotional connection in the interaction between parents is key, while at the same time really looking at each child’s individual processing differences.

This approach places a significant emphasis on a child’s unique profile through considering things such as their sensory needs and other processing differences that impact a child’s ability to stay regulated in interactions.

It lends itself to multi-disciplinary working, as our kids often have complex challenges and these can’t be ignored for their impact on the bigger picture.

Dr. Stuart Shanker's Self-Reg™

A ground-breaking approach in understanding the impact of stress on children’s and parents’ ability to self-regulate.

Self-Reg™ is based on neuroscientific research and findings and offers a sound approach to helping all children and adults understand their own stressors, the impact they might have and also their own coping/soothing mechanisms to achieve a more regulated and calm state.

It is an approach that really is an ongoing, lifelong process of empowering both parents and kids with knowledge and self-awareness that, when applied, achieves a much calmer and happier state of being. Through the process of practicing the 5-step self-reg method we also benefit from gaining increased empathy for ourselves and others.

As a certified Self-reg practitioner, I will help you become proficient at applying this 5-step Self-reg process to your and your family members’ lives to achieve a more regulated state for all of you. From a calm, focused and alert place, we are capable of learning and connecting, and achieving happiness and fulfillment.

What to Expect

A standard workshop for educational staff consists of 8 hours of teaching, discussion and case specific Q&A. The workshop can be done in one day or in two half day sessions. Workshops are delivered through lectures, videos, and small and large group discussions and these can be managed both in-person or online.

There is an option to do follow up consultations with schools to keep the learning alive and develop educators' capacity to apply the content to students and everyday classroom situations.

Topics Covered

Linking the neurobiology of Autism to everyday life, behaviours and challenges

Changing Lenses: Looking beyond behaviours for deeper understanding.

Relationship and Connection: The key players for engagement and learning

Coregulation: Self-regulation with training wheels

Stress and how it plays out in educational settings

Respectful and Transformational Communication: Ways to facilitate independent thinking, problem-solving, and learning.

Sensory Processing Differences: Practical applications in educational settings.

Reviews on this Workshop:

I highly recommend Tanya’s presentation “Autism – Understanding Through Connection” to any school looking for professional development in this area. Tanya’s expertise in autism and neurodiversity, combined with her passion for helping children succeed, resulted in two informative and productive sessions for my staff. Tanya provided practical solutions and strategies that can be used in classrooms immediately. Her emphasis on the critical importance of connection and compassion for student success are great reminders that most of the time, what works best for students with autism / neurodiversity, is what works best for all students. I know my staff took a lot away from working with Tanya and are looking forward to future opportunities to work with her again.

-Jeff McCallum (Principal)

In-person Educator Training & Consulting

The Frameworks I Use in My Practice

RDI™ is the most comprehensive and expansive developmental and relationship-based approach to Autism.

DIR Floortime™ is a strong relationship based approach where the relationship and emotional connection in the parent-child relationship is central.

A ground-breaking approach in understanding the impact of stress on children’s and parents’ ability to self-regulate.

What to Expect

Topics Covered

Online training programs designed to help parents & teachers

Want to create a safe and inclusive space for neurodivergent students at your school?