How do you help your child be successful in school? Annette Hines, host of Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast talks with Jessika Shields, licensed educational psychologist, former teacher, parent of four, owner of a parent mentoring company Stronger Minds, Stronger Youth, and host of Parent Them Successful podcast, about how to utilize your schools best resource, the school psychologist. Inside schools, the educational psychologist plays many roles to support students including educational assessments, one-to-one and group therapy as well as crisis management. Outside of the school, an educational psychologist can provide a clinical diagnosis, offer a neutral voice in an educational assessment, and coach parents on advocating for their child’s needs in school. Listen in on the top three tips Jessika Shields shares with Annette Hines about what parents should do to get the most benefits for their children in working with their in-school psychologist. This episode is full of great information for parents! Please tune in! We would love to hear what you think about our episode. Please leave a comment!

Jessika Shields is an educator and licensed educational psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience in education. Her extensive career has been built upon these two principles – educating and helping others achieve more. As a wife and mother of four, she knows all too well the challenges that come with trying to do what is in the best interest of your child while trying to navigate the roadblocks that sometimes get in the way of their success, and this is why she founded Stronger Minds, Stronger Youth , a go-to resource for parent mentoring and parent education. Jessika has a passion for helping you break down barriers that may be holding your child back from succeeding academically, socially, and emotionally. Even several Southern California school districts have contracted with Jessika to bring her expert advice to their parent populations, but her favorite type of work is the direct work she does with individuals like you!

In addition, she is the host of the  Parent Them Successful podcast where she continues to share a wealth of knowledge to help parents gain a sense of control over their children’s education, growth, and development. Jessika Shields utilizes both her company and podcast to provide parents with support that help them make meaningful connections that empower them to go from guessing about what to actionable steps to take next in finding solutions to problems that arise, and Jessika is your trusted guide that will help you get there. 

Listen to the full episode below or you can find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts!

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As of January 1, 2022, Special Needs Companies, Special Needs Law Group and Special Needs Family Services will all be housed in this new location. They will be working with designers and contractors to create a family-friendly environment that is special needs accessible.  Annette wants to hear from you – what is something you would like to see or something that would make your visit more comfortable when you visit a professional’s office.  Of course, they will focus on ramps and more handicapped parking but are there other items that you would like to see or were maybe lacking in your last visit to a professional’s office? Please reach out HERE and let us know!

For information on other topics, please also check out Special Needs Companies. For legal advice, inspiration, and other resources, visit our blog here. Similarly, you can always listen to previous podcast episodes (and be sure to leave us a review), or download our free eBook here. We are always looking for podcast guests as well so please let us know if you or someone you know, has a special needs or disability topic you would like to speak about – Contact Us!

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Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for more than 20 years. Ms. Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice and podcasts as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to help others within the special needs community.