Hi, I’m Amy. I’m a mom, educator, learning strategist, and the founder of Exceptionally Engaged.
I am an education & learning strategist, not a tutor.
My life’s work has focused on meeting the needs of individuals by developing a deep understanding of the human behind a screen and then designing meaningful experiences that are accessible for them. At first, this was about software. It was witnessing the great divide between my neurodivergent son’s needs and his available educational experiences that opened my eyes to the necessity for innovation in education.
I intensely studied sensory and learning differences, social-emotional and mental health, and gifted learning strategies to create a school-of-one for my son. I earned a doctorate in cognitive diversity and a certificate in twice-exceptional education while being mentored by the leaders that defined 2e. I now support other families looking to embrace alternative approaches to education be that homeschool, unschool, de-school, private, or public in the pursuit of the positive learning experiences necessary to serve their children.
I have a deep understanding of how neurodivergent individuals learn, the importance of physical and emotional regulation, and a passion for helping others recognize the wonder that these students bring to our education system. I help parents, students, and educators embrace strategies for learning that build engagement and allow the child to love learning once again.
I am a neurodivergent parent, parenting neurodivergence.
As a gifted, sensitive, and anxious child raised in the rural south, my needs were not accommodated. Outside of my relationship with my own mother who understood me in a way that no one else could, I masked. I excelled academically and found my way into a successful career, meaningful relationships, and parenthood. As an adult, I’ve embraced my neurodivergence and processed the struggles my lack of support caused earlier in life.
I live the parenting neurodivergence lifestyle every day. It is unlike anything I could have anticipated and it is unlike anything my friends or family experience. I have researched parenting strategies, experimented with new approaches, and created some of my own. I apply my skills in observing human needs to parenting, I observe and analyze then embrace the iterative trial and error nature of finding the approach that works for today.
I also accept that tomorrow will be different. The gift of time is one of the most powerful in our toolbox as we embrace the diverse paths of the asynchronously developing children we love. I help parents to see challenges from a new perspective and to look at the whole child across environments. I bring strategies to exhausted parents so that they can rest in their free time rather than spend it researching for themselves. I offer reassurance that this journey is challenging as well as a gift we can choose treasure each day.
I am an entrepreneur serving the neurodivergent community.
I created Exceptionally Engaged to fill the gap that I encountered while walking the complex journey of parenting a neurodivergent child. Despite living in a city that has advanced medical care and three major universities, I heard repeatedly “Your son is a mystery.” I felt his pain as school after school asked him to leave. I struggled to assemble a care team that could truly serve him. I realized for years that I could not leave his side, I was his regulation. I felt the isolation of being on this journey that was so different from that of my friends.
Exceptionally Engaged is a technology-forward company focused on breaking geographical barriers to bring true twice-exceptional and neurodivergent expertise to those that need it. We also provide opportunities for more of the experts in the field to find their ideal clients. The truth is, the 2e experts struggle to find work just like you struggle to find them. I’m connecting the dots, bringing the experts and their clients together for mentorships, education planning, and parenting support. You can expect to see these additional faces in our parent groups, as available mentors, and available to partner with parents in the future.
My hope is that Exceptionally Engaged is only the beginning of opportunities designed to serve families raising neurodivergent kids.
Amy has taken a huge burden off my shoulders as I feel my son has someone else in his corner that truly understands him and is able to advocate for him and with him so it is not always just his “mom” doing the advocating. But, the best part is that she brought the light back into my son’s eyes as he feels valued and heard in his passionate areas of pursuit
- Parent of neurodivergent high school student
Arrange a free consultation call to see how I can help you.
Recent Publications
- NAGC 2e Special Issue January 2024
- GHF Journey
- DEI Newsletter at SaaS Tech Giant (confidential)
- ProQuest Dissertation
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