Hi, my name is Heather! I help families navigate the Exceptional Children (EC) system and support their child’s communication, well-being, and education at home and across settings.
As the daughter of an Occupational Therapist, I learned to respect and appreciate neurodivergent people from a young age.
After completing my degree in Psychology (and Art History!) at UNC Chapel Hill, I began working with the Autistic community as a special needs nanny and a line technician in an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) clinic. I spent three years in the clinical setting, learning about verbal behavior, data collection, family dynamics, and case management.
With equity in mind, I left the private, clinical setting and began supporting the EC community as a public educator. For six years, I worked in public schools in New Orleans and North Carolina in Special Education/EC departments as a paraprofessional and certified teacher. During this time, I worked as a Resource teacher in general education settings as well as a separate-setting lead teacher. I worked with students ranging from Pre-K to 5th grade, specializing in behavior and social-emotional learning for younger students.
My experience guides my understanding of what a child needs both in school and in life. I've learned not only how to work with children, but how to effectively communicate with their families and a variety of professionals. I'm well-versed in the legal requirements of the education system and how to create data-based systems that are easy to administer, analyze, and share with team members and families.
This journey has brought me to my position as the Director of Triangle Education Advocacy, LLC, where I continue to support families with neurodiverse children in the home, community, and as part of their educational team.
"Heather is very knowledgeable of a child's learning needs. She knew exactly how to teach my son within days of meeting him. She was able to decipher exactly what he needed by meeting with him and speaking with me. Together we were able to help my son with tasks, behaviors and developing new habits. I can proudly say that his current development is directly related to her assistance and teaching."
“As a speech-language pathologist, I worked alongside Heather for several years with students with highly complex needs. She is highly knowledgeable in her field and collaborates well with a multidisciplinary team. She utilizes research-based practices in the instruction and assessment of students with disabilities and is adept at data collection and analysis. She is an amazing advocate for her students and for their families and does an amazing job at interpreting special education information in a way that is accessible to families. She is a well-rounded and highly competent teacher, who also strives to build authentic connections with her students and their families.”
“I am a teacher in New Orleans, and had the pleasure of working with Heather. Heather is respectful, kind, experienced, and thorough when collaborating with students, teachers, parents, medical professionals, and school leaders. Heather is able to organize, implement procedures, and service several groups of stakeholders for children with learning challenges. She is a great advocate and resource for her students, parents, and teachers. I miss her dearly!”