I hired Dana Dean Doering to assist me when my son was in crisis at a program recommended by other consultants. At the time I contacted her, we were in a time crunch for expert recommendations in an exceedingly complex case. Dana jumped into my son's case immediately, helping with necessary and expert information, recommendations, and working with me to provide an alternative to a team of professionals that simply had been unable to grasp my son's specific and critical needs.
There are so many valuable things I can say about Dana -- I should add ours is a blended family; my ex-husband and I were at very serious odds about how to proceed with my son's treatment and care. We were 2,500 miles away from home. The situation was very stressful! Trying to navigate this as a mother was inordinately difficult.
Dana stood out as the singular voice who focused only on what was best for my son, without ego. She performed work so far beyond the time for which I had paid her, developing expert recommendations for my son that were current, in-depth, expertly researched, and most of all - designed individually for his very critical needs at that time- needs that had been misdiagnosed by other professionals.
Dana acted with integrity and grace, never alienating anyone in what became something of a quagmire of expert "weighing in" and disagreement. Dana was able to discuss and help others to see my son's complexities from 3 very critical viewpoints - neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurocognitive.
Dana's entry into the case finally allowed us, but most importantly my son some very necessary and invaluable expertise, as well as common sense, and compassion. Other professionals did not seem to have that expertise.
Dana stays above the fray and tells it like it is, but does so with genuine concern and compassion. Because of her medical and psychiatric background, she is likely the best educational consultant in the U.S. for complex cases. She was recommended to me by 2 other consultants. I can honestly say that I believe the recommendations I received to contact Dana were absolutely true, and I do not know what we would have done without her.
My son is on the autism spectrum, with co-occurring mental health issues. Dana is the only person in literally 20 years who was able to take all his testing, diagnoses, symptoms, and current challenges, and present a cohesive picture of where he had been, why, and what he really needed. To say this was a lifesaver is an understatement. She also went out of her way to speak with other people who had worked with my son in the past in order to get the most complete picture possible.
I am grateful beyond words to have found Dana when I did. I recommend her in the highest possible way and without any reservation. You and your child will be in the best possible hands.
Parents are highly stressed when their children are in crisis. The level of stress all parties were under demonstrated what kind of person Dana Doering is. She is a true and committed professional whose only focus is what is best for your child. She was always available whenever I called, or she let me know immediately when she could speak. She did not adopt the conclusions of other professionals in a complex case, but looked at it fresh with expert eyes, and she made all the difference.