Who and what is emu education?
Welcome to the Emu Education- Parent and Behaviour Support blog! Thanks for joining me and I'm excited to introduce myself and the company that my partner and I have started to coach caregivers and support children to learn and grow.
So, who am I and why Emu Education?
Well, I’m not just going to give you my professional history because I (and you) are more than that!
So here we go…
I’m a rock climber at heart and this is my ‘meditation’. I love lots of other outdoor
activities such as skiing, mountain biking, hiking and the occasional scuba dive. Being outside sharing experiences with my partner and friends, traveling, listening to music, playing djembe and dancing all help to “fill my cup”.
Along with this, I get the rest of my cup filled with the work that I do. I love working with children, sharing the knowledge I already have and continuing my own learning. You’ll see my passion revealed when I
end up explaining to a friend why tantrums occur as we sit on the chair lift on a ski day, or when I talk about social skills tips halfway up a cliff face!
My connection with people with a disability began in the late 90’s when I started volunteering. I seemed to naturally build connections with children who had been diagnosed with autism and this led me to do degrees in Disability Studies, Early Childhood Education and more recently a Masters in Education- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
I find that working with children and their families gives me a great amount of energy. I love creating the connections with the children and figuring out what works for them, using evidence-based decisions. I am so inspired by the wonderful potential that every child has to learn, and the fact that we just need to find what works for them. As a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), I know that my own behaviour continues because it is being reinforced, and this is what happens when I work with children and their families. I am hugely reinforced by seeing the gains that are made even when they are so small (such as new speech sounds or pee in the potty) that other people think they are insignificant. No! They are huge for that individual. My desire to provide parent and caregiver training to show them that more can be done to help their child thrive, is the reason why I keep coming back to this field of work.
One of my favourite quotes since I was a teenager is “Never get too busy making a living that you forget to make a life”. I feel strongly about this quote, not because I don’t want to work or support families and caregivers out here, but because balance is so crucial. In fact, I believe that the more you know your limits and find equilibrium within yourself, the more energy you can give to others. While I am very passionate about the work I do, I am also aware that there are times when everyone (including me) has to re-fuel and give back to themself.
Anyway, back to my career… over the years I have grown my skillset and experience working as a teacher and behaviour therapist. For many years I have worked in management positions leading, training and supervising teams of therapists while still working directly with clients.
My love for adventure and the mountains has led me to live and work in many places across Australia, Europe and now Canada, where I call home.
So, that leads me to Emu Education. My partner and I have started this business to share the love and knowledge to help children reach their full potential. We chose the Emu (the Australian bird that doesn’t fly) as it has a connection to my roots (I am originally Australian). I also find the Emu a hilarious animal that makes me laugh when I see it run! It’s goofy, funny and quirky - characteristics that I like to embrace in myself, in work and in life in general.
Now that you know more about me, I'm excited to share that Emu Education will offer FREE introductory behaviour workshops in Canmore, Banff and online in February 2023!
Emu Education offers a broad range of services to increase positive behaviours, decrease negative behaviours and teach children the skills they need to be successful and autonomous individuals!
If you are interested in a 30 minutes free consultation, send us a message via the website www.emued.com or by email at info@emued.com.
I look forward to sharing knowledge and working together in the local and broader community!
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