About Bonnie Landau

Why I do this work.

When my older son was 6, a UCLA-trained neuropsychologist told us he would never be cognitively normal and we should save for group home care for when he became an adult. He is now in 10^th grade, an honor student, and creatively gifted. He is expected to go to college and grow up to live a full life. The changes I’ve seen in him inspired me to help other parents to help their kids as well.

My most valuable experience is that I have been a special education mom for over 11 years, and I have found ways to help my children thrive despite the school and despite their diagnoses. I have two children with IEPs, and I have been their advocate every single step of the way. I have also worked as a school counseling intern and an educational therapist in schools, providing counseling services to students with IEPs.

I’ve lost count of the number of SSTs, 504s and IEPs I have attended. In our old district we had to fight really hard to get help for my older son. We ended up hiring a lawyer, which in many ways was more stressful than working with the school. In our new district, they have been amazing at offering services to help both our children.

The new district’s approached allowed me to focus on how I could help my children outside of school so they could overcome their difficulties.

My goal: To help you help your child!

#1: I can help get support in school as a Special Education Advocate.
I can help you figure out what your child needs and how to get it. From helping plan the IEP, to attending IEP meetings and even communicating with the school directly. The schools can be very difficult about providing everything a student requires, so having somebody with experience can help optimize the plan.

#2: I can support you as a Special Needs Parenting Coach
I know how hard it can be to parent a child with learning difficulties. I can coach you through this process, helping you find solutions that work in the moment while making plans for lasting changes.

#3: I can help you get to the root of the developmental and learning difficulties.
While most believe that once diagnosed the brain wiring never changes, I have seen over and over how the right approach can dramatically improve learning difficulties. Just because your child has a specific diagnosis doesn’t mean he/she is stuck with those symptoms for his/her entire life. I can help you ascertain the best steps to take to help your child outside of school so they can excel and thrive.

Publications

In addition to my experience in the school systems, I am the author of the Special Ed Mom Survival Guide: How to prevail in the special education process and discover life-long strategies for you and your child. I am also co-author of a book on auditory processing disorder (Same Journey, Different Paths: Stories of Auditory Processing Disorder), and creator of Grounded for Life, a pack of 52 exercises for grounding.

Education:

• Masters in Educational Counseling with a concentration in school and family-based counseling, University of La Verne,
• Masters in Spiritual Psychology, University of Santa Monica
• Bachelor of Architecture, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Professional Associations:
        

Credentials & Certifications:

• PPS Credential in School Counseling
• Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)
• Wrightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy Training
• Structure of Intellect (SOI) assessor
• Irlen Syndrome screener
• Retained Primary Reflex screener
• Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children® (MMTIC®) assessor