Consultation and Advocacy
A legal advocate (a lawyer) helps when you have issues related to the legal system. An education advocate helps when you have issues related to the education system. As your advocate, I know the ‘system’, know what your child is entitled to, know how to make your case, know how to speak to the ‘establishment’, and I know how to be on your side. My knowledge and experience, combined with your love and your drive to get the best for your child, will lead to the best outcomes possible.
My involvement can be as simple as getting a quick sense of your story and helping you to draft an email, request, or complaint; or, it can be as involved as detailed case review, attending meetings with you, writing all correspondence, and walking you through a full board appeal (to get to the Minister of Education, if necessary).
Fees are $280 per hour, with time allotted to various tasks discussed in advance. Please contact me to discuss how to get the most out of the resources that you can make available.
I also provide customized professional learning opportunities for individuals, groups and whole school staff. A typical professional learning session is developed by contacting Sara for an initial no-charge consultation. Once an agreement is reached about content, format and fees (e.g. typically $1,400 for a half-day session; $2,800 for a full day - including all planning meetings, planning, provision and debriefing), then Sara will dive deeply into exactly what is needed and will plan / suggest an agenda for final approval. Please use the contact form, or just email sara@sarapeden.ca to discuss the provision of professional learning.
Parents often request consultation services for the school which their child attends. This consultation can be to discuss assessment, intervention that has already taken place, program planning, and/or progress monitoring. Consultation is billed at the same rate as other consultation, advocacy, assessment and program planning services ($280/hour).
Consultation to individuals can be in person, via Zoom call or in writing, as required.
Intervention
Sorry - there is currently no space (or waitlisting) except for beginning readers (ages 5-7).
Intervention is ‘tutoring’ based on what is known scientifically about how children learn to read and the psychological processes required for literacy. Not all reading difficulties are dyslexia or other reading disorders.
Some children require only a boost in the foundations of reading (e.g. phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency). Others will require longer term and/or more intensive intervention.
Intervention services are billed at half the rate of advocacy, assessment and consultation services ($140/session). There is an additional charge for the initial session.
Assessment
Children with significant reading difficulties may require a complete psycho-educational assessment for diagnostic and program planning purposes. A comprehensive assessment will include a range of evaluations, suitable to the exact nature of the challenges the child is experiencing. An assessment plan will be worked out in advance. A report will be provided. The cost of the report is bundled into the cost of the complete assessment.
Screening assessments may also be conducted at significantly lower cost with the intention to provide evidence of literacy function, and a recommendation to other service providers (e.g. schools/social services) as to whether a comprehensive assessment is or is no required, for diagnostic purposes.
Assessments are done in person with time and cost varying depending on the extent of the testing and report writing required. The hourly rate is $280, with most assessments ‘capped’ at 10 billable hours ($2,800).