helpmealison.com
testimonials
I was one of the moms in the Twins Club group you came to a few months ago. You helped me tremendously. I was actually amazed at some of the awful behavioral challenges that some of the Moms were bringing up. I was extremely impressed with your practical advice that seemed to not only do the job, but come from the child's perspective. It's easy to give strict advice but your advice was a very kind yet firm approach; and I REALLY liked everything you said. You seemed to get at the "why", what the kids were thinking, and your advice considered both them and the parents. I'm sure you helped all of us in the room in different ways.
I've read a lot of parenting and discipline books (back when I had only two babies); and also have watched about 850 episodes of super nanny. So I thought I'd know just what to do to keep my kids in line in their toddler years. But unfortunately things with one of my twins were not going well at bedtime. After sleeping through the night for years, after a vacation long ago where we slept in the same hotel room, she came out of her bed in the middle of the night. Every single night for months and months I was an exhausted mess; how I got through the day at the office I don't know. She would kick me in my bed all night long; and if I took her back to hers she'd be back in mine an hour later. The very night of our meeting I took a stand. I followed your advice to a tee; used the word "Rule", marched her back to bed with her arm instead of carrying/kissing her, and threatened to use a gate. It was an exhausting night. But the next night she didn't get out once. Two nights later she got out of bed once; where I marched her back again. That was it. She didn't get out of bed; and after only one or two nights of real sleep I became human again; and my big ugly bags that were threatening to be permanent are back in check.
So I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to our meeting to help us all. I think you could have been there for 5 hours getting grilled by all the Moms. Please feel free to share this note. Again, I cannot thank you enough for coming that day!
Stephanie
Coral Springs, FL
I've read a lot of parenting and discipline books (back when I had only two babies); and also have watched about 850 episodes of super nanny. So I thought I'd know just what to do to keep my kids in line in their toddler years. But unfortunately things with one of my twins were not going well at bedtime. After sleeping through the night for years, after a vacation long ago where we slept in the same hotel room, she came out of her bed in the middle of the night. Every single night for months and months I was an exhausted mess; how I got through the day at the office I don't know. She would kick me in my bed all night long; and if I took her back to hers she'd be back in mine an hour later. The very night of our meeting I took a stand. I followed your advice to a tee; used the word "Rule", marched her back to bed with her arm instead of carrying/kissing her, and threatened to use a gate. It was an exhausting night. But the next night she didn't get out once. Two nights later she got out of bed once; where I marched her back again. That was it. She didn't get out of bed; and after only one or two nights of real sleep I became human again; and my big ugly bags that were threatening to be permanent are back in check.
So I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to our meeting to help us all. I think you could have been there for 5 hours getting grilled by all the Moms. Please feel free to share this note. Again, I cannot thank you enough for coming that day!
Stephanie
Coral Springs, FL
*****************************************
I’m sitting at my desk feeling so darn lucky. Words
simply cannot express my gratitude to you for all you
do for us parents. I personally love my sessions with
you; I walk away feeling so reassured and so filled
with love. You are incredibly supportive and comforting.
The ideas you give me take the stresses out of
parenting and help to smooth out the kinks. There is
no right way to "parenting"; there is no one book that
tells you how to do it, so having YOU at our finger tips
is a priceless resource with endless benefits.
I also love the very sweet things you said about my
Addy. It melts my heart to hear the little details that
we take for granted. After we parted ways, I got a
chance to see my Addy in action for a few minutes.
Oh how I love being this little girls Momma.
Much Love,
Julie Kreeger
Weston, FL
I’m sitting at my desk feeling so darn lucky. Words
simply cannot express my gratitude to you for all you
do for us parents. I personally love my sessions with
you; I walk away feeling so reassured and so filled
with love. You are incredibly supportive and comforting.
The ideas you give me take the stresses out of
parenting and help to smooth out the kinks. There is
no right way to "parenting"; there is no one book that
tells you how to do it, so having YOU at our finger tips
is a priceless resource with endless benefits.
I also love the very sweet things you said about my
Addy. It melts my heart to hear the little details that
we take for granted. After we parted ways, I got a
chance to see my Addy in action for a few minutes.
Oh how I love being this little girls Momma.
Much Love,
Julie Kreeger
Weston, FL
My children were driving me crazy! I have a five year old who was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and a typical
child who is 8 years old. It's very difficult in general but very often my 5 year old wasn't accepted by others and play
dates were difficult. Having my 8 year old daugher in dance made those days difficult because I would have to take him
with me to her lessons and sitting in the waiting room was very hard. I called Alison to help me and she came up with
so many different strategies to make our lives run more smoothly. She also pointed out how many of the behaviors that
I thought were Asperger related were simply behavior problems. Since my daugher was so easy to raise and and didn't
really have many behavior problems, I thought all of my sons behavior problems were related to Asperger's. I had a
very hard time seeing the difference and of course I felt sorry for him that he had to go through all of this in his life so I
think that I let him get away with so many things that he shouldn't have. I don't know what to say other than Alison was
a miracle in our family's life. She helped us see the differences, find solutions and learn how to help our son and not
feel so angry with him due to our own frustration and lack of skills. She is an angel.
Sophie
Boca Raton, FL
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"I first met Alison eight years ago after she
-Berggren, JD
Davie, FL
**************************************
"Alison was the first person to identify developmental delays in my son, who was
subsequently diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome several months later.
Her astute observations and knowledge of early childhood development set the ball
rolling for my son to receive many of the early interventions that have
been key to his successful progress.Alison Astair is a smart, experienced and a
friendly professional. While she is an expert in her field, she maintains a warm
and friendly attitude that serves her well in forming lasting bonds with both her
clients and her colleagues. She is consistently available with an open ear,
a positive outlook and very useful advice. She has been an advocate for my children
to be placed in the appropriate classrooms well as a guide to community resources.
In truth, my children's early childhood educational experiences would not
nearly have been as positive had it not been for Ms. Astair. Our family is
eternally grateful for her involvement, and we hope other families are as lucky
as ours has been to benefit from her diligence and expertise."
Michele Lallouz Fisher, MD
Cooper City, FL
"Alison was the first person to identify developmental delays in my son, who was
subsequently diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome several months later.
Her astute observations and knowledge of early childhood development set the ball
rolling for my son to receive many of the early interventions that have
been key to his successful progress.Alison Astair is a smart, experienced and a
friendly professional. While she is an expert in her field, she maintains a warm
and friendly attitude that serves her well in forming lasting bonds with both her
clients and her colleagues. She is consistently available with an open ear,
a positive outlook and very useful advice. She has been an advocate for my children
to be placed in the appropriate classrooms well as a guide to community resources.
In truth, my children's early childhood educational experiences would not
nearly have been as positive had it not been for Ms. Astair. Our family is
eternally grateful for her involvement, and we hope other families are as lucky
as ours has been to benefit from her diligence and expertise."
Michele Lallouz Fisher, MD
Cooper City, FL
**********************************************
"We are so appreciative of everything
that Alison did to help our five year old
son, Jack, last year. Her patience,
wisdom, and caring nature were so
instrumental on aiding us in the
decision whether to promote Jack
to Kindergarten or to retain him in
Pre-K. Alison had such a special way
of listening and sharing her words of
expertise with us as parents. We ended
up sending Jack to Kindergarten after
Alison observed him for many months
in the classroom, and offering us advice.
We don't know how we would have
made this decision without all of her help.
Anyone who truly needs some unbiased
parenting advice should contact Alison!"
Stacey and Eric Leventhal
=====================================================================================
I first met Alison after she had observed my son in a Toddler class. My husband and I had concerns over possible Developmental Delays but as he was our first child we were unsure if there was cause for concern.
Alison met with us and spoke with us honestly and openly and led us in the right direction and recommended a course of action for further evaluation and treatment which proved to be successful. Today our son is thriving in fifth grade with no signs of delay in any area. Thanks to Alison and her insights and recommendations for early intervention our son is socially, emotionally and physically on par with his peers.
I now have the opportunity to teach at the school where my son went to school and I feel confident that Alison will be there to catch any of my students who might require the same support. It is critical for every school to have someone as gifted and compassion as Alison.
Bonnie Berggren JD
Davie, FL
"We are so appreciative of everything
that Alison did to help our five year old
son, Jack, last year. Her patience,
wisdom, and caring nature were so
instrumental on aiding us in the
decision whether to promote Jack
to Kindergarten or to retain him in
Pre-K. Alison had such a special way
of listening and sharing her words of
expertise with us as parents. We ended
up sending Jack to Kindergarten after
Alison observed him for many months
in the classroom, and offering us advice.
We don't know how we would have
made this decision without all of her help.
Anyone who truly needs some unbiased
parenting advice should contact Alison!"
Stacey and Eric Leventhal
=====================================================================================
I first met Alison after she had observed my son in a Toddler class. My husband and I had concerns over possible Developmental Delays but as he was our first child we were unsure if there was cause for concern.
Alison met with us and spoke with us honestly and openly and led us in the right direction and recommended a course of action for further evaluation and treatment which proved to be successful. Today our son is thriving in fifth grade with no signs of delay in any area. Thanks to Alison and her insights and recommendations for early intervention our son is socially, emotionally and physically on par with his peers.
I now have the opportunity to teach at the school where my son went to school and I feel confident that Alison will be there to catch any of my students who might require the same support. It is critical for every school to have someone as gifted and compassion as Alison.
Bonnie Berggren JD
Davie, FL
*******************************************
"I first met Alison Astair at my two year
old son's Pre-school (Temple Dor Dorim
ECC) when I was pregnant with twins.
She regularly observed his class and
helped the teachers address behavioral
issues.
My son's teacher assured me that
Alison could help me with the behavioral
issues he was having at school
and at home. She also helped us
trouble shoot to prepare him for the
birth of his baby brothers.
After the birth of my twins, my son
began acting out even more. We
wanted to be consistent with the school
so we set up home visits to address the
issues that we, as parents, were having.
After only a few weeks, the tips and
techniques she imparted on us helped
change his behavior and make our home
and his classroom more pleasant for
everyone. Play dates were no longer
stressful for us since he now plays very
well with other children.
Alison is a pleasure to work with and
truly an invaluable resource to us. She
is always happy to answer questions
and address issues that come up.
She helps take the frustration and
guess work out of child rearing and
related issues.
As the children grew, I'd find myself
asking Alison to come back to our
home for a "check up" to help with
new issues we were having. She gave
us fun and clever tips to make our
morning and evening routines run
more smoothly.
Now play time, dinner time, bath time
and bedtime are more fun and less
stressful for everyone."
Robin Scala
formerly Weston, FL
"I first met Alison Astair at my two year
old son's Pre-school (Temple Dor Dorim
ECC) when I was pregnant with twins.
She regularly observed his class and
helped the teachers address behavioral
issues.
My son's teacher assured me that
Alison could help me with the behavioral
issues he was having at school
and at home. She also helped us
trouble shoot to prepare him for the
birth of his baby brothers.
After the birth of my twins, my son
began acting out even more. We
wanted to be consistent with the school
so we set up home visits to address the
issues that we, as parents, were having.
After only a few weeks, the tips and
techniques she imparted on us helped
change his behavior and make our home
and his classroom more pleasant for
everyone. Play dates were no longer
stressful for us since he now plays very
well with other children.
Alison is a pleasure to work with and
truly an invaluable resource to us. She
is always happy to answer questions
and address issues that come up.
She helps take the frustration and
guess work out of child rearing and
related issues.
As the children grew, I'd find myself
asking Alison to come back to our
home for a "check up" to help with
new issues we were having. She gave
us fun and clever tips to make our
morning and evening routines run
more smoothly.
Now play time, dinner time, bath time
and bedtime are more fun and less
stressful for everyone."
Robin Scala
formerly Weston, FL
******************************************
"Alison was unbelievably helpful when
we had behavioral issues with both our
son and daughter. She conducted
thorough evaluations and provided
honest and insightful feedback. Her
recommendations ranged from simple
common sense (which we sometimes
lose as parents!) to out-of-the-box
ideas that could be easily implemented.
It is obvious that Alison not only has
the experience, but the compassion
to help parents and children through
difficult and trying times."
Kelly Tepper
Weston, FL
"Alison was unbelievably helpful when
we had behavioral issues with both our
son and daughter. She conducted
thorough evaluations and provided
honest and insightful feedback. Her
recommendations ranged from simple
common sense (which we sometimes
lose as parents!) to out-of-the-box
ideas that could be easily implemented.
It is obvious that Alison not only has
the experience, but the compassion
to help parents and children through
difficult and trying times."
Kelly Tepper
Weston, FL
***************************************
Whether it's a quick list of clever tips
or a complete overhaul of how you
operate your household, Alison has
wonderful recommendations tailored
to each individual's needs. She is such
a warm and positive person who makes
you feel welcome and comfortable
expressing your concerns. It feels more
like you're speaking with a friend rather
than consulting a behavioral specialist.
I have shared so much of what Alison
has taught me with my friends who
have similar issues. Her insights, tips
and recommendations have really
helped so many of us.
It's amazing how incorporating
Alison's tips and techniques into
our everyday routine has helped
bring order to what was previously
chaos.
Alison is such a wonderful listener.
She does such a great job observing
and listening to a situation and
gives great tips to help us get back
on track.
She has changed how my husband
and I "react" which has truly helped
us to think smarter and address
our child's behavior issues and our
daily routines in a whole new way."
B. Cohn
Parkland, FL
*****************************************
My husband and I are very "different"
parents! Of course we both love our
children, but have seemingly
opposite views on what we're
"supposed to do!" We have tried so
many different techniques that I felt
that we were confusing our kids even
more! If one thing didn't work, we'd
go onto the next idea.
We were getting calls from the
school about our child's aggressive
behavior and knew we needed to do
something. What really got the ball
rolling was when I overheard another
mother talking about how "mean"
my son was! I knew that my husband
and I couldn't go on this way any
longer because our 3 year old's behavior
was out of control. And to top it off,
he was getting a "bad reputation"
at such a young age! It wouldn't be
long before he wouldn't be invited
to parties anymore and no one would
want play dates with him.
Once people knew that I was seeking
help, I heard the name Alison Astair
come up over and over! I took
a deep breath, made time and called
her. She told me that my home would
change in a few weeks and that I'd
have some control over my life again!
She was right. I followed everything
she asked me to do and what a
change! And one of the other great
things is that my husband and I are
now on the same page!"
Michelle W.
Coral Springs, FL
Whether it's a quick list of clever tips
or a complete overhaul of how you
operate your household, Alison has
wonderful recommendations tailored
to each individual's needs. She is such
a warm and positive person who makes
you feel welcome and comfortable
expressing your concerns. It feels more
like you're speaking with a friend rather
than consulting a behavioral specialist.
I have shared so much of what Alison
has taught me with my friends who
have similar issues. Her insights, tips
and recommendations have really
helped so many of us.
It's amazing how incorporating
Alison's tips and techniques into
our everyday routine has helped
bring order to what was previously
chaos.
Alison is such a wonderful listener.
She does such a great job observing
and listening to a situation and
gives great tips to help us get back
on track.
She has changed how my husband
and I "react" which has truly helped
us to think smarter and address
our child's behavior issues and our
daily routines in a whole new way."
B. Cohn
Parkland, FL
*****************************************
My husband and I are very "different"
parents! Of course we both love our
children, but have seemingly
opposite views on what we're
"supposed to do!" We have tried so
many different techniques that I felt
that we were confusing our kids even
more! If one thing didn't work, we'd
go onto the next idea.
We were getting calls from the
school about our child's aggressive
behavior and knew we needed to do
something. What really got the ball
rolling was when I overheard another
mother talking about how "mean"
my son was! I knew that my husband
and I couldn't go on this way any
longer because our 3 year old's behavior
was out of control. And to top it off,
he was getting a "bad reputation"
at such a young age! It wouldn't be
long before he wouldn't be invited
to parties anymore and no one would
want play dates with him.
Once people knew that I was seeking
help, I heard the name Alison Astair
come up over and over! I took
a deep breath, made time and called
her. She told me that my home would
change in a few weeks and that I'd
have some control over my life again!
She was right. I followed everything
she asked me to do and what a
change! And one of the other great
things is that my husband and I are
now on the same page!"
Michelle W.
Coral Springs, FL