MARY KLOVANCE
Consulting & Public Speaking
MA, BEd, BA
Registered Clinical Counsellor
ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP)
ADHD-Certified Educator (ADHD-CE)
She/Her
Mary is the owner and clinical director of The Neurodiversity Family Centre and specializes in parenting support and supporting teens with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and addiction issues.
Mary has lived experience as a person with ADHD, is the daughter of an Autistic parent and is a parent herself.
Mary believes challenging behaviours are the symptom of the problem and works with her clients to identify unmet needs, lagging skills and unsolved problems and uses the Collaborative Problem Solving approach (CPS Model) to reduce or eliminate them.
Mary has worked for over 10 years as a school counsellor and for over five years with youth-at-risk for Victoria's Youth Empowerment Society at the teen drop in centre, youth Detox and youth shelter. Mary's goal is to educate youth and the adults who care for them about Neurodiversity Affirming practices and sharing the lived experience of a Neurodivergent person. She uses a strength-based approach in her practice to highlight the gifts of every individual while helping them achieve their definition of success.
CONSULTING
$175 (Including GST)
Mary can provide consulting services on the following topics:
Working with youth who struggle with addiction issues
Working with youth who struggle with aspects of their ADHD
Neurodiversity Affirming Care
Supporting Educators who work with neurodivergent students
Supporting Counsellors who work with neurodivergent persons
SPECIALIZED WORKSHOPS
Prices based on project scope
Mary can both create and facilitate specialized workshops on the following topics:
ADHD
Neurodiversity Affirming Care
Neurodiversity
Teaching Neurodiverse Youth
Parenting youth with addiction issues and/or ADHD
Supporting ND youth within a care setting (ECE, Group Home, Social work, etc.)
Parenting youth with challenging behaviours
Please contact for additional ideas
PREVIOUS PROJECTS
Online Public Speaking Event
Interview discussing how parents can support their child with ADHD.
Online Public Presentation
An online workshop created for the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and a guest focusing on parenting youth with ADHD.
Podcast Interview
In this episode:
Why the relationship with your child is the most important part of the whole process of labeling and diagnosing a neurodivergence.
Understanding the “Oppositional defiant disorder” (need for control and autonomy)
Mary’s favorite modalities to help understand and soothe what’s going on with your child
Advice on where you can find the best research tools for better understanding neurodivergence in children and adults
How our dopamine levels have a big impact on the way we see the world
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA LAW DEPARTMENT EVENT
Public Speaking Event for Staff & Students
Overview of Neurodiversity and Neurodiversity Affirming Education. Providing information about different types of Neurodiversities, how to differentiate teaching to support each type and open discussion about student's experiences.
Sonderly - Geneva Centre for Autism Online Course
The neurodiversity movement is successfully shifting perceptions of deficit-based stereotypes, but what exactly does neurodiversity mean? Presenter Mary Klovance discusses Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Giftedness and details the ways these differences overlap and intersect in children, youth and adults.
Explore this important topic to find out more about neurodiverse individuals and ways to support inclusion and acceptance.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the term neurodiversity
Describe qualities of neurodiversity
Identify different types of neurodiversity
Explain methods to support neurodiversity in various environments
We interact with neurodiverse individuals in all aspects of our lives – at school, at home, and in the workplace. This presentation will help you better understand what it means to be neuro-affirming and how to apply this important concept in all your interactions.
BECOMING A SUPER CO-REGULATOR & CREATING NEURODIVERSITY AFFIRMING SUPPORT PLANS
Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Workshop
Outline:
1. Introduction to myself and course
2. Introduction to neurodiversity & Neurodiversity Affirming Care
3. Becoming Super Co-Regulators: Information on how to co-regulate (works with ALL children!) in order to encourage self-regulation
4. Small Group Activity: Provide an outline of a potential Student Support Plan, Provide an example of a child currently in the program (Case Study), using what we've learned above and the support plan create a support plan for that child.
5. Group share: Groups share the plans and each add notes/ideas/etc.
6. Review as an entire group and come up with a specific support plan for each child
7. Co-Create an outline for a Student Support plan for the centre to be used for all incoming youth in the future
CTV YOUR MORNING
Interview
Interview on Toronto's CTV Your Morning show about Neurodiversity in the Education system.
PAC WORKSHOP OFFERINGS
We can adapt these for parents of Elementary, Middle & High School Students
If you are interested in a curated workshop for your PAC please contact us to request something specific. Note, curated workshops are at an additional cost.
MORE THAN JUST BATHROOMS: LGBTQ2S+ WORKSHOP FOR CAREGIVERS AND SUPPORT WORKERS
1.5 Hours
Cost: $250 per single PAC, additional for more
(Includes time for Q&A)
This comprehensive workshop for caregivers and support workers is brought to you by Sarah Wilson and The Neurodiversity Family Centre. Whether your child or the child you support has already come out or if you suspect they may at a later time, or if you are just looking to learn more about how to support your child's friends and be a safe adult for such youth, this workshop is for you.
We'll get right down to the basics of terminology, practical skills, resources, and a guide for how to support moving forward. You'll come away feeling ready to take on whatever comes next for you and your child.
PARENTING YOUTH: AN INTRODUCTION TO FOSTERING SELF-ESTEEM & SELF-REGULATION SKILLS
1.5 Hours
Cost: $250 for one PAC, more for additional PACs
(Includes time for Q&A)
It is difficult to know what to do when your child is dysregulated, especially when you're having difficulty regulating your own emotions in the moment.
In this workshop you will learn:
- How a perspective shift can benefit both you, your child and your relationship
- Be able to identify the different realms of Social & Emotional Learning
- Specific skills on how to build self-esteem and self-efficacy within your child
- How to co-regulate and support self-regulation within your child
THREE WAYS TO COUNTER PARENTAL OVERWHELM
1.5 Hour Workshop
Cost: $250 for one PAC, additional for more
(Includes time for Q& A)
The world is very different than when we were born, and parents these days carry a heavy load. Sometimes, the weight of raising a child can be overwhelming. What do buzzwords like "self care" mean anyway? Take more bubble baths? Exercise more? Meditate? That just feels like more pressure - and you might want to do less, not more.
Kirsten Mueller has been a social worker and therapist, working with families for over 25 years. She has also raised two young adults and experienced her own share of challenging family moments. Come to learn more about mindful self-compassion, how its three components have been useful for Kirsten, and ways you can apply it in your own busy life.