Questions, answered honestly

A behavior consultant helps you understand why your child's challenging behavior is happening and builds a practical plan to change it. At J Swart Behavior Consulting, that means looking at what the behavior communicates, adjusting the environment and routines around your child, and coaching you, the parent, to respond in ways that lower stress and teach skills, so improvements last after the consultant steps back.

Assent-based practice means your child's willingness matters. Instead of pushing a child through distress, we watch for signs they are saying "no" with their behavior, honor those signals, and adjust until the child genuinely participates. It comes from the work of Dr. Greg Hanley and FTF Behavioral Consulting, and research links it to safer, faster, more durable progress, because a child who feels safe is a child who can learn.

The work is grounded in behavior analysis, but it is not the rigid, compliance-driven ABA many parents worry about. Jess uses trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, assent-based methods: the goal is never to make a child "act normal." It is to reduce the distress behind challenging behavior, teach skills the child actually wants to use, and make home life calmer for everyone.

No. Most families who reach out have an autistic or otherwise neurodivergent child, but the approach helps with challenging behavior in any child: ADHD, developmental delays, or no diagnosis at all. You do not need a diagnosis to book a call or to get help.

Sessions happen over video call, scheduled in your time zone. Because the work is parent-led, virtual delivery is a feature, not a compromise: Jess coaches you inside your real home routines, where the behavior actually happens, instead of a clinic room your child will never visit again. Families anywhere in the world can work with her.

Jess works with children between roughly 2 and 16 years old. Her courses are targeted towards children 2 to 6 years. If your child is outside that range, book a free call anyway; her services might still be beneficial.

Many families notice the intensity of hard moments drop within the first few weeks, once the biggest triggers are identified and the response plan changes. Lasting change in skills and routines takes longer and depends on the child, the goals, and how consistently the plan is used. You will always know what we are working on and why.

Start with a free discovery call. Pricing depends on what your family needs, from self-paced courses to one-on-one consulting, and Jess will lay out the options and costs clearly on the call, with no pressure to continue.

No referral and no diagnosis are required. Many families start working with Jess while still on assessment waitlists, so the hardest months are not spent waiting with no plan.

Jess is based in Alberta, Canada, and works face to face with families locally. Virtually, Jess supports families across the globe. Everything, from the free discovery call to ongoing consulting, happens online.