Parents and Children

Laurie Simons, MA, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who specializes in helping parents who are raising children with challenging behaviors and special needs.   She has completed Provider Certification Training in Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) SM, a research-based approach that durably solves the underlying problems that lead to unwanted behaviors.

Laurie is the co-founder of Family Interplay Education, and has over 30 years experience helping parents, teachers and therapists to cope effectively with children's challenging behavior.   She has provided teacher and parent training regarding behavior problems and learning disabilities in both Canada and the United States.   She works with teachers, parents and families who are raising challenging children, including children with special needs such as Sensory Integration Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, and Attachment Disorder. She has written and developed training materials, videos, books and manuals for schools, hospitals and other agencies.  Laurie was foster parent to a special needs child before raising two sons with her husband, Terry Sterrenberg. 

Laurie works with parents and families to:

•  Enhance and improve parent-child and sibling relationships

•  Increase confidence in parenting effectiveness

•  Understand and address challenging behaviors that are not responding to traditional behavior management approaches

•  Assist children who have difficulty with transitions, or who are anxious, inflexible, aggressive or explosive.

•  Implement adjustments in the home environment to ease difficulties that occur during morning or bedtime routines, meal times, chores, homework, or sibling interactions

•  Increase children’s ability to respect boundaries, make polite requests, follow directions, cope with disappointment, take into account others’ points of view, and solve problems with solutions that work for everyone.

Parents are encouraged to participate in counseling sessions with their children, because parents are considered to be the key element of successful interventions.   Home visits and school observations or meetings may also be scheduled.

Click here for contact information to schedule an appointment.

Taking No for an Answer and other Skills Children Need This 128 page book written by Laurie Simons introduces twelve basic skills that prevent or squelch common family problems. It outlines more than 50 games to help you and your children have fun while learning to change negative family behavior.The games are presented in an easy to follow, recipe format with engaging illustrations. Taking “No” for an Answer . . . helps you prevent common family problems before they happen or stop them if interaction is out of hand. Either way, you and your children will have fun! Order at Parenting Press