Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take before our child is able to control their impulses / make and sustain friendships / regulate their emotions?
Training and re-training a brain is a lifelong endeavour. And all children are different - coming to us with different strengths, and different areas of need. So the answer to this question is: it depends.
Some things that influence the rate at which brains can be trained to do something new (creation of new neural circuitry):
* age of child at start of intervention. Generally, younger children learn / adapt more quickly.
* frequency of training / practice sessions. Generally, the more you practice something, the faster you learn it.
* child's motivation. Generally, a child who feels safe and comfortable learns more quickly than a child who is anxious and stressed.
We control the factors we can. We make sure children are comfortable and feel safe during learning sessions. Our Lead Educator helps parents practice skills with their children by providing comprehensive debriefs after each session and providing families with ways (e.g., games they can play, videos they can watch together, routines they can try) to reinforce the necessary learning at home.
Committed families that practice just 15 minutes a day and attend classes regularly once a week can expect to see a more regulated child who is better at inhibiting impulses in a matter of a few months.
Do you only serve children who have been officially diagnosed?
Diagnoses can sometimes help us understand what's going on in a child's brain, and some diagnoses can sometimes point us to communities, strategies, and resources that can help. But a
diagnosis is never sufficient to help a child.
What comes after the diagnosis? This is where Tiny Ripples Learning comes in. We help children learn and practice the skills in which they are lagging, whether due to a diagnosed condition or brain difference or due to their unique developmental trajectory.
We help all children who need help, whether they have been diagnosed or not.
If your child is having a hard time at school, e.g., teachers are reporting behavioural challenges or emotional regulation issues, they are having trouble making and sustaining friends, they are coming home routinely exhausted, they are having a hard time before school - engaging in school avoidance and refusal - chances are, they need help.
We are here to see what skills they need and try our best to help them learn and grow those skills.
Can we use Insurance / Extended Health Benefits to pay for your services?
Unfortunately, because our Lead Educator is a qualified teacher and not a licensed therapist, doctor, or counsellor, you are unlikely to be able to claim our learning sessions with your Extended Health Insurance plan.
How many times a week should we plan to attend?
Once per week sessions are usual - they provide enough contact between the educator and the child to build a new skill and enough time to practice before extending the learning again. However, every child is different, and some may require more frequent sessions while others require less frequent contact.
The specifics of the learning plan we recommend for your family and your child will be shared with you at the outset of our journey together, and you will be able to choose the frequency as suits your schedule and priorities.
Are you qualified to work with children with special education needs / diagnoses?
I have taught children with various diagnoses over the last 15 years in the classroom setting and I have worked with twice as many children without formalized diagnoses who nonetheless benefited from being taught to emotionally regulate, inhibit their impulses, and how to interact with one another in prosocial ways.
I am experienced with working with children with various diagnoses and I am also trained to do so.
My undergraduate studies focused on Exceptionalities in Learning, which included Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Autism, Deafness, Low Vision, Physical Disability, as well as Giftedness and more broadly, neurodivergence. I have also completed Additional Qualifications in Special Education.
Why should we trust Little Ripples Learning instead of a different provider?
Every child needs to be seen and understood as the unique person they are. Their talents, difficulties, past hurts, and story are all significant to how they move through the world. What separates me from other service providers is that I truly care about the children I work with.
I have always been dedicated to forming relationships with children, and helping them see the best in themselves, so that they can find their way in the world.
Chances are, I have worked with many students over the years who faced challenges similar to the ones your child is experiencing, and I have helped them navigate.
Having been a classroom teacher and mentored tens of classroom teachers over the years,
I am also uniquely in touch with the challenges faced by educators in an under-resourced system.
I understand where a classroom teacher's limits are, what they may or may not yet know about your learner, how much time they are able to give each individual student (very little), and how much capacity they have at the end of a long day to debrief with parents (very little). This isn't because educators don't care, but because the system just isn't set up for this.
My expertise allows me to see the bigger picture that is your child much faster than a classroom teacher can.
I can perform diagnostic tests to discover your child's reading level, writing level, and maths level in a matter of sessions
because I am only working with one student. Furthermore, through conversations with you and your child, I can gain a fulsome picture about your child's potential skills and knowledge gaps much more efficiently than a classroom teacher who, due to the sheer number of students they serve, is waiting for behaviours to arise before misunderstandings or skills gaps get flagged.
Because I am only responsible for your one child during sessions,
I can go deeper into the learning with your child in a way that simply cannot be replicated in a larger classroom environment.
I am here to help bridge the service gap between what your child and your family needs and what the education system is able to provide. I have the experience and expertise to help your child, I have the time to help you understand your child, and
I have the knowledge to help you understand how to navigate the public school system and special education supports, if need be, effectively.
This separates me from almost every other provider on the market. I hope you will choose to work with me and allow me the privilege of being a caring adult in your child's life and a support to the rest of your family.
Ready to get started?
Have more questions or ready to take the next step? Contact us today to learn how Tiny Ripples Learning can support your child's unique learning journey.
