We made the decision for our services, including Coaching, to be all virtual for at least the 2020-2021 academic year. With all the uncertainty your child and family has already faced and will likely continue to experience, we wanted one variable in your life to remain the same regardless of any future public health decisions. Additionally, being a virtual service allows us to be the most accessible in terms of both location of student and scheduling.
COVID-19 and Successful School Transitions
Successful School Transitions was envisioned before the Covid 19 pandemic. We know that many students who struggled with school anxiety and avoidance without the pressures of this pandemic will continue to do so. We also recognize that the unique demands and stressors during the pandemic place school children at an increased risk for anxiety, insomnia, frustration and concentration problems, which may result in greater learning difficulties, school anxiety, school avoidance and school refusal. Layered on top of this, some of your children’s worries, fears and frustrations may be appropriate and rational, while their behaviors and responses to these are not serving them best.
When relevant, we will look at factors related to the pandemic, such as:
Exposure to infection
Physical distancing and related loss of friends
Boredom with activities
Disrupted home routines
Changes in sleep
Missing out on events and enjoyed activities
General frustrations with school and family
Changing family dynamics and relocations
More specific to school we will assess for:
Small and great shifts in your child’s learning routine
New organizational, time management and independence demands of remote school
Changes in school staff and teachers
Shifts in learning format and in hands-on learning opportunities
Limited social opportunities during structured learning and unstructured times
Computer fatigue
We also examine how your child responds to these changes, as well as their general tolerance for uncertainty.
Flexibility amidst ongoing uncertainty & change:
In our assessment and plan for your family we take everything into account and make sure that the proposed supports are individualized and take into consideration your nuanced and potentially evolving reality. We will support you and your family whether learning is in-person, virtual, both, or changes mid-plan.