Abbey Butcher: Special Education Advocate

From the time I entered my first classroom as a paraprofessional, I've been fascinated by behavior and helping kids get the support they need to be successful at school. But my real passion for understanding behavior came when my own child began having significant behavior challenges and none of the strategies I had learned thus far were working! The day I picked up Ross Greene's "The Explosive Child" and realized that somebody out there finally understood my child was the day I began diving into looking at behavior through a brain-based and whole child lens. I never looked back! It only took a minute for me to realize that recognize that the very same strategies that were supporting my child at home, were also effective at helping my students to be more regulated and engaged at school. The more I learned, the more I applied, the more successes my students had. At that time, these were not common approaches to addressing behavior in classrooms and I encountered resistance more than I did support. It was incredibly frustrating to continue to watch students be suspended rather than supported because the administrator didn't understand their behavior was a stress-response. Or for a child to lose their recess because they'd been asked to sit longer than they were capable of. This was when I learned just how powerful parent input was within the IEP/504 process and realized that I would be able to better support kids if I could teach their families what I had learned about behavior, how the school system worked, and share effective strategies of behavioral support. I've been where you are; daily phone calls home, other's thinking my child was a "bad kid" because of their behavior, and the constant worry about how my child's school day would impact my ability to get through a full workday without needing to leave early because of a behavioral episode. It's exhausting! It doesn't have to be that way. I started my IEP coaching business because I know that supporting parents just like you who are just hoping that people will see their child for who they are and not the behaviors they exhibit will bring you peace of mind when you send your child to school. I've helped multiple families across several states reduce phone calls home from school, decrease suspensions, and walk away from the IEP table with a behavior plan that truly meets their child's needs. I want to help you too!

https://www.abbeybutcher.com