When school keeps coming up in the room, this is who to call.
This page is for therapists, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and other clinicians who work with children and see school coming up in the room. Talia Kniznik is an Ontario Certified Teacher and Special Education Specialist. She helps families understand assessments and IEPs, work out what supports a school should be providing, prepare for school meetings, and consider placement options.
Referring is simple. Share the booking link and the family takes a free discovery call, or email Talia with the family's consent and she will follow up. She does not conduct assessments, and she is not a therapist. She works alongside the clinical team, on the school side, and reports back to the referring clinician only with the family's consent.
When to refer
| Refer when | What the consultant can help with |
|---|---|
| School is a significant source of concern | Ongoing academic struggles, school refusal, disengagement, repeated concerns from teachers. |
| Learning needs are unclear | Questions about the learning profile, learning differences, strengths and weaknesses, or whether further assessment may be helpful. |
| A child is struggling despite support | Extra help, tutoring, or classroom strategies have not been enough. |
| ADHD or executive functioning is affecting school | Organization, planning, homework, time management, attention, task initiation, working memory, independence. |
| Parents need help understanding assessments | Reviewing psychoeducational or educational assessments and translating recommendations into practical school supports. |
| Parents need help understanding or reviewing their child's IEP | Understanding what the IEP means, identifying whether goals and accommodations reflect the child's needs, and translating recommendations into practical supports. |
| Parents are unsure what supports the school should provide | Classroom accommodations, modifications, IEP planning, learning strategies, and identifying appropriate supports. |
| School-family communication has become difficult | Preparing for meetings, clarifying concerns, helping parents communicate effectively with teachers or school teams. |
| A school meeting is coming up and parents feel overwhelmed | Preparing questions, identifying priorities, reviewing documentation, understanding the IEP, or participating in a school meeting. |
| There is a major school transition | Starting kindergarten, changing schools, entering middle or secondary school, returning after an absence, moving to a different educational setting, or considering private school. |
| The child's needs and the school environment do not seem to match | The child may be capable but struggling because of classroom structure, workload, teaching approach, environment, or expectations. |
| The family is considering alternative educational options | Exploring whether a different school, program, or educational approach may better fit the child. |
| There is a gap between clinical recommendations and school implementation | Therapy is addressing anxiety, behaviour or self-esteem, but the child continues to struggle because educational needs or recommended supports are not being addressed at school. |
A simple rule
If the question sounds like "How do we help this child emotionally or behaviourally?"
Therapy may be the right starting point.
If the question sounds like "How do we help this child succeed at school?"
Consider an educational consultant.
If it sounds like both, "My child is anxious, overwhelmed and refusing school, and we don't know what supports to ask for or whether their IEP is actually meeting their needs"
Consider a collaborative referral to therapy plus educational consulting.
Strong referral indicators
Consider referring sooner rather than later when you hear:
- “The school doesn't understand my child.”
- “We've had meetings, but nothing changes.”
- “I don't know what the assessment actually means.”
- “I don't really understand my child's IEP.”
- “My child has an IEP, but I don't know if it's actually helping.”
- “The accommodations are written down, but I don't know what they look like in practice.”
- “My child is bright, but they're not keeping up.”
- “Homework takes hours every night.”
- “The teacher keeps saying they aren't trying.”
- “We think they need accommodations, but don't know what to ask for.”
- “We're meeting with the school and I don't know what to say.”
- “We're considering changing schools.”
- “Everyone is working hard, but we're still not seeing progress.”
Bottom line
Educational consultation is not only for children who are failing. It can be helpful whenever there is a mismatch between a child's needs and the way their educational environment is currently supporting them. An educational consultant can also help families better understand their child's IEP and make sure they feel prepared to participate meaningfully in the educational planning process.
How to refer
- Share the booking link with the family. They book a free discovery call themselves at thespecialeducationconsultant.com/book.
- Or email talia@thespecialeducationconsultant.com with the family's consent, and Talia will reach out to them.
- Talia reports back to the referring clinician only with the family's consent. Tell her what you would find useful and she will keep it to that.
- Support is virtual across Ontario and in person in the Greater Toronto Area, for elementary, high school and the transition to post-secondary.
Parents who land here can start with the plain-language version, When to see a special education consultant, or the services page.
