What is an Educational Consultant?

Given the chance to relive their teenage years, most adults would pass on the opportunity to go back in time.

For teens, the day can start out as the best day they’ve ever had and can turn into the worst day in recorded history, all before lunch. The ubiquity of social media adds another layer to the already difficult job of being a teenager, and trying to help your child navigate these challenges can be a frustrating, exhausting experience.

Reaching out to experts for help, such as an educational consultant like Karen Mabie at The School Solution, can make the difference for the whole family between merely surviving the teen years and thriving. To read one parent’s account of the stress related to raising a teenager, follow this link from NPR.

What Is An Educational Consultant?

Parents of struggling teenagers may need the help of an educational consultant without knowing exactly what this type of expert does. The primary goal of educational consultants is to help families. They do this by getting to know your child and finding the best school for each child’s needs. For example, Karen Mabie visits 60 to 80 schools and programs every year to get a feel for the environment and to better match her clients with a place that fits. While Karen knows these schools well, she works on behalf of and advocates for families; she is not paid by educational institutions.

The process of working with an educational consultant is straightforward. First, an educational consultant starts with an evaluation to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses and takes a full academic, treatment and family history of your teenager. The consultant will then schedule an introductory meeting or phone call to define and focus your search and to learn more about your child’s physical, social and emotional goals. Finally, the consultant will create a timeline for the placement process based on you and your child’s needs.

At The School Solution, we perform a thorough review of all records, including teachers’ interviews and therapists who can help us understand each child’s strengths and weaknesses. Because we visit so many schools and programs, we can match each child with a school or program that works best for him or her.

Who Does An Educational Consultant Help?

An educational consultant is a fantastic resource for any family who needs some guidance to find the right school or program for their child. From boarding schools to wilderness programs to addiction treatment centers, The School Solution will work to find a place where your child can learn the skills he or she needs to thrive.

Karen Mabie works with teenagers who have a broad variety of challenges and needs such as students with:

• ADD
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• depression
• anxiety
• learning disabilities
• eating disorders

For example, a student with language-based, social-emotional and other learning differences and disabilities may feel at home at a boarding school with systems in place to support their learning profile while another student may want the small class size and structure a traditional boarding school offers.

For students struggling with addiction or who require dedicated therapy, families can consult with the experts at The School Solution to find the therapeutic school, treatment center or even wilderness program that can meet struggling teens’ specific needs. Learn more about the process of working with an educational consultant and to know what questions to ask, follow this link.

Being a parent means years of on-the-job training for the most important job there is, and it often feels like your job is never done; however, you don’t have to do this job alone. Why not reach out to Karen Mabie to get help? Working with this experienced educational consultant can make the difference between counting the days until your teen grows up and actually enjoying the teens years, maybe for the first time.