Parenting and educating a neurodiverse child is akin to buying a ticket with the intention of traveling to London but getting off the plane in Rome.  It is a different destination with a different language, making it a more difficult journey, but both destinations are good. 

You may be at the beginning of your journey, or you are in its midst.  In either event, you are seeking ways to help your child learn and grow. You have come to the right place. I take students from learning to read to reading to learn. I am here to guide and assist as you accompany your child on their journey.  

I began my journey as an educator by teaching one child how to read.  As a criminal defense lawyer, I knew from my clients that oftentimes, the difference between success in life and defeat, came from early and continued competence in school. When Dr. Louise Moats, Ed.D, a nationally recognized authority on how children learn to read, was asked about what drives her to do her work, she stated: “It is the whole realization of the difference between what is and what could be for kid’s lives and seeing first hand, at every level of society, every age group, how reading difficulty affects people for life.” (from phone interviews conducted with Dr. Moats in October and November 2003), found at Dr. Louisa Moats - Teaching Teachers to Teach Reading - Children of the Code. 

My work with my son and subsequent students illustrates why I, like others, have dedicated my professional life to education and advocacy so that as many people as possible can reach their potential in life.  

Lauren’s Professional Path:

I have been an educator for over 20 years. Prior to that time, I was a lawyer, working in the federal court system. After graduating from Northwestern University with an M.A. in Learning Disabilities and with an Illinois Teaching Certificate, as a Learning Behavioral Specialist I (Mild to Moderate, K-12), I established a private practice, providing Chicago area, early elementary through college students with 1:1 academic and remediation support. Areas of focus included: specific subject areas in the humanities and language arts, French and Spanish tutoring, study skills in all subjects, math support through Algebra and Executive Function skills. I love teaching both basic skill acquisition to elementary students as well as the higher level application of these skills along with analytic problem solving to middle, high school and university students. As a lawyer, I wrote extensively and I enjoy sharing with my students the joy of writing and the beauty of expression through the written word. 

I have worked in many educational settings both as a teacher and a Learning Specialist.  I worked at the Schwab Learning Center in the Office of Accessible Education at Stanford University under the brilliant direction of its founding Director, Dr. Joan Bisagno. As a Learning Specialist at the Schwab Center, I had the opportunity to work with undergraduate, graduate and professional school students with learning disabilities as they navigated their way through the rigors of  higher education.  

I also taught in independent school settings: 4th grade students at the Charles Armstrong School in Belmont, California and 8th grade through high school students at Compass High School in San Mateo, California, working with students with language based learning disabilities as well as other socio-emotional and learning challenges, including ADHD, Executive Function difficulties and Autism Spectrum Disorders. I served as a Learning Specialist at Drew School in San Francisco, an independent high school, serving students from 9th through 12th grade.  

A Parent’s Journey:

I understand what it is like to be a parent of a neurodiverse student. I have traveled from birth to graduate school with a neurodiverse child.  My son was first diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7. With his hard work and determination (and lots of persuasion), the dedication and patience of wonderful educational therapists, my own career change and a decision to relocate our family for better educational opportunities, the opportunities provided by special schools and resource programs in public schools, I am proud to say that my son has a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling and a successful therapy practice in Colorado where he now lives.

Through this journey, I discovered that it truly does take a village to nurture and support neurodiverse students. While a school’s resources are important, every year brings new challenges and with it the opportunity for success and defeat. Finding ways to support the whole child, to develop strengths and to use those strengths to bolster weaknesses, to foster a positive self image, resilience amid defeat, and perseverance when the odds are gaining momentum, all contribute to learning success. While Daniel Goleman writes about focus as the hidden driver of success, drive is the key underpinning it all.  Without the drive to learn, there is no engagement and without engagement, there is no learning.  Skill building is the touchstone for ensuring that your student is driven, focussed and engaged in learning, But that is not enough.  Parental knowledge and advocacy, tutoring and remediation, good teachers and schools that care about all learners both academically and emotionally, and academic accommodations are needed to scaffold a neurodiverse student through school. 

After graduating from high school, my son went on to college and graduate school.  Currently living in Colorado, he works as a mental health counselor.  Being dyslexic, his educational journey was long and at times difficult. It got easier the higher he went in his educational journey.  Along the way, he received assistance and support from his mom, private tutors, educational therapists, Disability Services in Higher Education and developed grit, resilience and perseverance– traits that serve through the lifespan.  He now uses these abilities to help his clients navigate challenges of their own.  

Philosophy and Approach:

Kindergarten through twelfth grade are the toughest years for those who do not learn the same or as quickly as their neurotypical peers.  At no other time in their lives are they expected to enter and perform in a space where every day they are reminded of their shortcomings and failures.  Once they finish high school, they will choose a life path that takes advantage of their innate and acquired skills.  This is true whether or not they go on to higher education, vocational training or jobs where they receive in house training.  In school, however, they must perform in every subject everyday no matter how poorly or highly prepared they are to meet expectations. 

People often ask  if I am trained in specific methods for teaching reading, writing and math skills.  The answer is yes, but I don’t rely exclusively on any of them when I work with a student.  No program perfectly meets the needs of an individual.  I create my own materials and bring together materials from many sources to address the specific needs of the students with whom I work.  Moreover, my training taught me to be an analytic problem solver – to assess weaknesses and create materials to target them rather than to blindly apply a prepackaged program that is meant for the “average” child.  

I am a lifelong learner and analytic problem solver who incorporates the latest research and known methods along with students’ interests into my  individualized approach to working with students. My motto is: Build competence in real work and with that comes resilience, grit and perseverance, skills that serve students well throughout the lifespan. 

Educational Background: 

A.B. in French from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

J.D. from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois 

M.A. Learning Disabilities, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois