Coaching and Support
One of the biggest gaps in service for most families is direct support from a professional with specialized knowledge for the parent or caregivers. Parents are humans too, and there is SO much that goes in to processing, understanding, supporting, and accepting children who have unexpected needs or an unfamiliar diagnosis. There is a very specific form of grief that can accompany the change in expectations you have or had for your child, this is common, natural, and healthy to process and understand. Identifying Autism in children often stirs up questions in parents who relate to some of the traits they see in their children, which can be shocking, jarring, and liberating.
Parent/Family coaching or support sessions may include both tangible skills and strategies to utilize for yourself and for/with your children, emotional support related the autism/neurodiversity discovery experience, a safe space to learn more about Autism/Neurodiversity in general, and support for understanding neurodivergent traits in adults, teens, or children.
Topics and Questions Frequently Discussed in Sessions
Are you a parent wondering if your child (of any age) is Autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent?
Would you like to better understand what its like to be Autistic/ADHD from the lens of an Autistic/ADHD adult?
Would you like support to understand the medical diagnostic process or educational eligibility process?
Would you like support understanding or advocating during the IFSP or IEP process?
Are you a parent trying to understand and accept a new discovery of Autism or otherwise neurodivergent diagnosis or the complex emotions that accompany such discoveries?
Do you feel like no other adults in your life understand you or your family as you adjust to accommodate your child?
After going through the diagnostic process and therapies, have you started questioning your own neurodivergence?
What is Neurodiversity and what does it mean to be Neurodiversity affirming?
Understanding a strengths based perspective versus deficit based perspective, understanding the DSM criteria.
Understanding different vocabulary and concepts supported by the Autistic/ADHD community, such as identity first language vs person first language, etc.
Understanding common Autistic traits such as alexithymia, hyperlexia, differences in interoception, strong sense of justice, sensory processing, etc.
How do I talk to my child or my teenager about Autism/ADHD?
These are just SOME of the topics we have experience with and LOVE to support.
Who would my provider be?
Allison Vaccaro is an Autistic/ADHD adult who is also a licensed Speech Language Pathologist with 6+ years of experience coaching and supporting autistic humans of all ages and their families or caregivers.
To learn more about Allison, see their staff profile or check out the Speech Therapy page!
How does it work?
Sessions can be held virtually via video call or phone call.
Sessions can be held in person at Spectra without your child present, unless the child’s presence is relevant to what we are discussing/targeting that session.
In general, it is very important to us to avoid having discussions about children in front of them, unless they are participating of course.
Sessions can be booked for any adult in the child’s life, sessions may be attended by one parent/caregiver or multiple parents/caregivers. Ideally no more than 3 adults per session unless otherwise approved/discussed with the provider.
This is an independent stand alone service at Spectra, you or your child do not need to be enrolled in any specific programs here, or any at all for that matter!
Sessions can be scheduled as a one time meeting, weekly, every other week, or monthly.
Price: 75$ a session, private pay. We hope to be able to accept insurance for coaching/support sessions in the future but are not able to bill insurance at this time. For questions about private pay billing contact Maxine, Maxine@SpectraPDX.com. For questions about insurance, contact Jen, billing@SpectraPDX.com.