Our Lab-Based Model
Our lab-based model is a three step process. We work directly with children to discover strategies, capture what works, and grow our database of winning strategies for educators and practitioners who work with preschool students.
Working with Children
In our Boston-area practice, our team of innovation-minded practitioners (Enlightened Shadows) work with neurodiverse preschoolers who come to us struggling with social, executive functioning, and communication skills. Our students have had limited success in community activities, group learning, and interacting with peers and teachers.
We coach our students at their local preschools, camps, and playgrounds to help them have more positive social experiences than their behavior would elicit without support.
Capturing Data During Our Sessions
During their daily work, our Enlightened Shadows wear headsets to record themselves to capture the actual language, ideas, and notes that help them support our students to enter play, negotiate disagreements with peers, and transition successfully between activities. Our headsets are used only to record ourselves, we do not record children or anyone else in close proximity.
Building a Database of Personalized, Actionable Strategies
The thousands of hours of recordings of our 1:1 coaching have been sorted into a framework of practice, and are housed in The Grid, our proprietary software. The Grid’s database includes 1000+ bite-sized, evidence-based strategies (aka “Tips”) for responsively supporting children during real interactions. Each Tip is connected to 1-10 anecdotes—real world examples with details, language, and context often missing from curricula written for teachers.
