How to Get Support When Your Child Is Struggling in School
If you’re reading this, there's a good chance school has become… a lot.
Maybe you're getting calls from teachers about missing assignments, impulsive behavior, reading challenges, or classroom struggles you can’t quite decipher. Maybe your child was recently diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disability — or you suspect something’s going on but can’t get clear answers. Or maybe your child has started refusing school, melting down after school, or drowning quietly in a system that doesn’t seem to “get” them.
Maybe you found this post by googling something like “how to help my child at school”. I’ve been there and know exactly how frustrating it is not to know how to help your kid succeed when you know they are smart, capable, and deserve better than discipline systems that don’t work.
And in all of that, you’re probably trying to figure out: What kind of support do I need? What would actually help?
Why I Call Myself a Parent Coach and School Navigator
I use both these terms to describe what I do because “parent coach” alone doesn’t quite fit. And it doesn’t match what most people typically assume a parent coach does. Most people hear “parent coach” and picture behavior charts, bedtime routines, sleep routines, or sticker systems. That’s not my work.
Imagine a Venn diagram of parenting, child development, neurodiversity, and school systems and in the middle, that’s me. My job isn’t to “fix” your child — it’s to help you understand what’s underneath the challenges you're seeing and navigate the school maze in a way that feels doable, not overwhelming
What I really do is help you make sense of both what you’re seeing and the feedback you’re getting from school. Together, we sort through the behaviors, the teacher feedback, the stress signals, and those “I don’t even know where to start” roadblocks.
We look at what your child might really be needing, who at school to loop in, and how to approach those conversations in a way that feels achievable. I help you gather the right information, draft what you want to say, and map out a plan that actually fits you AND your child.
There’s so much parenting noise and scattered, siloed advice out there. My job is to help you cut through it and know what matters most for your unique situation.
In short: I don’t coach your child. I support you. And for families with kids who think, learn, behave, or communicate differently, that support can be the missing piece.
Why Parents Seek Support in the First Place
Parents don’t usually start by looking for someone like me. They turn to tutors, therapists, and pediatricians because it feels like the problem must be in their child. But when those answers don’t quite fit, they often stumble onto my work—through a friend, another parent, or a late-night search for anything that might help.
Parents I work with seek support when they realize they are the ones holding all the pieces. They’re seeing school concerns, home behavior, emotional shifts, and overwhelm — but no one is helping them make sense of how it all fits together.
Most haven’t heard of support like mine before. But once families discover it- whether through another parent or by stumbling across my work online - they realize it fills an important gap. Let me show you what that looks like in real families I’ve worked with.
Real Stories from Real Families
Case Study: “My child has ADHD… now what?”
One parent came to me shortly after their child was diagnosed with ADHD. They were relieved to have a name for what they were seeing, but felt instantly overwhelmed: Who do I talk to at school? What help should we even be asking for? How do I know what’s good, useful information?
Together, we walked step by step through what needed to happen next. We gathered high-quality resources specific to their needs and interests. We mapped out who to contact at school. We drafted the emails together. We identified the kind of support plan that would actually fit their child.
By the time they initiated services at school, they weren’t just hoping it would help. They understood the process and felt sure of their next steps.
Case Study: When school refusal suddenly appears
Another parent found me when their child — who’d had a strong start to the school year — suddenly refused to go. It caught them off guard, and they felt unsure how to respond in a way that would make school seem more manageable.
We spent time unpacking what might be sitting beneath the refusal. Was it anxiety, overwhelm, sensory overload, a mismatch between expectations and support, social issues, or executive function challenge? Then we talked about what observations to gather, who at school to loop in, and how to approach the situation gently, without shame or pressure.
We created a realistic action plan focused on right now, not 10 steps down the road. It was all about the next right step rather than a full overhaul. Sometimes that’s all parents need: a path out of the fog.
What Our Work Together Looks Like
My coaching and navigation framework starts with getting a full picture of what’s happening — the academics, behavior, emotional patterns, school feedback, and anything already known about your child. From there, we look at what might be underneath those challenges, whether it’s lagging skills, stress, or unmet needs. We observe, ask questions, bring in others as needed, and get a bigger picture of what might be beneath the surface.
We identify who at school needs to be part of the conversation and outline what to say. I can help draft or review communication so you feel clear and grounded. I also pull together high-quality resources tailored to your child and help you create a step-by-step plan. If follow-through is hard, I support you with accountability and check-ins, and we adjust the plan as things evolve.
You don’t have to figure all of this out by yourself. And you don’t need to learn everything at once. You just need someone who understands the terrain and can walk it with you.
What You Can Expect in the First Few Sessions
Within the first session or two, we typically clarify what’s been happening, identify goals and priorities, outline next best steps, determine who at school to connect with, draft or review communication together, and pull in resources you can use immediately. Most parents walk away saying they feel lighter, clearer, and more confident — often after just one conversation.
The Most Important Thing I Want You to Know
You are not alone. Your child is not “bad” or “a problem” and you are not “overreacting.” You simply need support that actually understands the intersection of school, behavior, learning, emotions, and family life.
Parent coaching + school navigation gives you tools, perspective, and strategy so school becomes a place where your child can succeed — and where you feel confident navigating whatever comes next.
Ready to explore support for your child and family?
Let’s talk. There’s no pressure — just a conversation to see what support might look like for your unique child and your unique situation.
You don’t have to navigate this alone. We’ll find the way forward together.
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