Consultation Services for Schools, Colleges, Universities and Educational Programs:
United States and International
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Evaluation of Existing Services
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Expansion and Refinement of Student Support Services
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Guest Lectures (students and/or faculty)
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Staff Training and Mentorship
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Specialized Curriculum & Program Design
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Consultation on Specific Students for Goal Setting, Educational and Transition Planning and Implementation
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Follow-up on-site, Skype or Phone Consultation for ongoing support and refinement as needed
Popular Education-Based Training, Workshops & Seminars include:
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Understanding and Capitalizing on the Relationship Between Regulation and Executive Function
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Executive Function: What Is It and How Do I Teach It? Modifying Environments and Supporting Students in Becoming More Self-Managing, Collaborative and Confident
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Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders (tailored for staff or students)
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Neurodevelopmental Constructs of Learning (Social, Emotional, Language, Higher Order Thinking, etc.)
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Building Neurodevelopmental Profiles and Using them to track student progress, design goals and inform Transition planning
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Educating and Working with Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
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Transition to Adulthood & Independence
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Strengthening Regulation, Resiliency & Motivation
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Roadblocks and Sandtraps to learning for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
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Identity, Disability & Sexuality
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Self-Advocacy
A comprehensive list of lecture, workshop and training topics can be found on Elana’s Workshops & Training page Elana hold extensive expertise in working collaboratively and successfully with educational institutions both in the United States and Internationally. Her goal is to assist faculty, staff, students and entire organizations in providing optimal services that equip young adults on the Autism Spectrum with the tools, insight and skills they need in order to:
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widen their capacity to make learning meaningful and be able to apply it successfully both in school and in their lives
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creatively and effectively capitalize on their strengths, interests and passions to enliven learning and expand their capacity for generating independence, life and career goals.
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use strategies for mediating and minimizing the negative impact deficits, disabilities, and challenges have on their experience, success and future endeavors.
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increase their levels of self-awareness, social interaction, self-advocacy, selfregulation and resiliency
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expand options for social, recreational, continuing education and work or career experiences
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create a life that enables them to reach as much independence and selfdetermination as is possible given their inherent challenges and limitations
Elana conceptualizes her educational consulting work as a process: moving through the vital stages that are necessary for healthy development both on an individual and institutional level. Some clients wish to engage Elana in the entire process, whereas others elect to begin at the stage of development that best matches their needs. Regardless of the starting point, Elana designs her approach to meet the specific program, staff and student needs of each client she serves. Below is a breakdown of the various phases where Elana can enter into the consultation process, with some guiding questions to help her clients better identify their needs and the areas where breakdowns or roadblocks in services occur.
Assessment
Guiding question #1:
How well is my organization meeting the needs of of the ASD individuals we serve
from both a programmic and an individual services standpoint?
Guiding Question #2
How effective and innovative are our transition, career development and student
support services for young adults on the autism spectrum?
Enhancement
Guiding question #1:
What refinements and improvements can be made to our current program, staff development, curriculum, and individual service structure to increase the effectiveness of our approach with students on the Autism Spectrum?
Guiding Question #2:
Has our school or program identified specific challenges that repeatedly arise, create difficulty and reduce our effectiveness in working with ASD students either individually or on a big picture level?
Development
Guiding Question #1:
Would an outside consultant with fresh perspective and ASD expertise help us to expand how we conceptualize ASD students, increase our staff’s overall expertise and revolutionize our approach to instruction and individual and group service options in ways we cannot achieve internally?
Guiding Question #2:
Does Elana’s specific areas of expertise illuminate areas of improvement, gaps in staff training, or unmet student needs that can be addressed through specific and targeted training and support.
Professional Education
Guiding Question #1:
Are there domains of additional training, expertise and insight that would be of benefit to staff and faculty so they feel more prepared and confident in meeting the specialized needs of ASD students?
Guiding Question #2:
Is there ongoing tension or difficulty experienced by staff and faculty in balancing the individual needs, accommodations and increased level of support required for your ASD student population vs. meeting the needs of the student population as a whole?
Student Education
Guiding Question #1:
Would it be of benefit to our ASD students to bring in an outside professional to speak with them about and demystify Autism Spectrum Disorders and the ways it impacts learning?
Guiding Question #2:
Does your school or staff need training and guidance on how to offer continuing education, student groups and campus activities specifically designed for the social, emotional and regulatory needs of ASD students.
Ongoing Support
Elana is available for ongoing support, consultation and mentorship once a consulting relationship has been developed. The extent and modality of the support will depend on each client’s specific needs and goals. Depending on the need and logistics, Elana can return for more on-site follow-up work or support staff remotely via phone or Skype sessions.
