COMING SOON!

Individualized Support for Kids, Families & the Systems that Serve them

Consultative Approach

educational coaching + support grounded in NERVOUS SYSTEM UNDERSTANDING TO BEST REGULATE, LEARN, and adapt 
  • Relationship and connection first support, trauma-informed best practices
  • Collaborative support for the individual, family, and school / providers
  • Strengths-based approach
  • Sustainable systems, promoting independence + ownership
  • Designed to support not just the learner, but the systems around them
  • Demand avoidance? Burnout? You've tried everything? Let's talk. I have been there, and I hope to help
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Challenges + solutions don't stop at the end of a session.

Executive Function (EF) challenges (organization, working memory, flexibility, emotional regulation, planning) show up across and impact so many areas of life: school, home, relationships, daily routines, confidence, identity, family function, and much more. This is why we build solutions for individual and team ownership, for sustainability - because one and done will never solve the issues or face and tackle the root causes.

WHAT SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE HERE:

Working directly with a child, tween, or teen. 
Collaborating (when appropriate) with school and/or other providers.
Supporting parents and caregivers with strategy and problem-solving.
Identifying barriers and strengths across environments + designing practical systems that actually work.

My EF support can look like conversation, reframing, scaffolding, planning, and/or slowing things down to work through it together - not forcing change or systems that don't work for you / your child / your situation. 

My Framework

I love acronyms so I have developed this framework I call "DREAM" that is how I operate, really thinking of the nervous system: lowering demands on children who are struggling, emphasizing regulation, and of course targeting executive function that plays into all of the good stuff in social emotional work + leads to real, meaningful growth. 

So who am I, and who is ONH?

Melissa Dilmaghani here, the founder of ONH Ed / Onward New Horizons. My focus is on supporting neurodivergent children, tweens, teens, families, and the systems that serve them in a way that yes, I have found was absolutely missing or fragmented in my own personal experiences. This is specialized support for those who don't fit neatly into traditional systems. My husband and I co-own the online vintage rug business Old New House (since 2011), oldnewhouse.com, with a small shop in Katonah, NY, where we live with our own quirky family. 

In 2023, I co-founded Inclusive Initiative, a local group born in the Town of Bedford, NY, to raise awareness and acceptance of autism and neurodiversity in our community and beyond, and that work continues today. 

Credentials:
M.Ed. in Educational Technology & Instructional Design
Executive Function Consultant Microcredential from Sensational Brain
with extensive training and certification in:
Neurodiversity
Sensory Support
UDL (Universal Design for Learning)
Special Education
Social-emotional Learning (SEL)

Currently working toward:
NASET (National Association of Special Education Teachers) Board Certification in Special Education 
New York State Teacher Certification

Technology, Visual Supports & Instructional Design

Technology and visual supports are one of my primary areas of interest and expertise. With a Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Technology & Instructional Design, I approach EF support the same way effective learning experiences are designed:

1. Analyze needs and constraints

2. Brainstorm tools and strategies

3. Prototype supports (visuals, systems, tech tools)

4. Test in real life then refine and iterate


The goal is always self-sufficiency, not dependence, building systems learners can eventually own and adapt themselves. My background in neurodiversity training for businesses and organizations allows me to work collaboratively with families, educators, providers, and teams.

This collaborative lens helps ensure strategies are consistent, respectful, and aligned, rather than fragmented or isolated, leading to more sustainable success.
get in touch

A 15-minute intro call is where we can start to see if this is the right fit!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help you?

What can you offer that I will likely not get from others?

Most educators never receive training in:
PDA / demand avoidance, school avoidance, neuroimmune conditions that affect behavior,  medical flares that impact attention, mood, and EF, anxiety-based shutdowns, trauma-induced refusal. These are my special educational interests, both personally and professionally. Beyond this, I am someone who truly relates to the struggle, being neurodivergent myself, and having had to navigate special education within public school for my own kids. It is not just empathy, it is lived experience. 

Do you only offer virtual visits and courses?

Virtual programming will be readily and most available, with in-person availability to clients in the NYC-Metro area, specifically but not limited to: Westchester, Putnam, Duchess Counties, NY, and Fairfield County CT.  Because everything is individualized, we can always discuss best options for your child, your family, your organization, your business, etc.! I am located in Westchester County, NY, so there may be some limitations to the in person bookings, but I would love to hear more about what works best for you. Creativity, flexibility, problem solving and individualizing is at the core of what I am most passionate about, believe in and offer!  

When can I start?

After our launch, bookings for academic / EF / support services that include 1:1 and/or family support will be opened and available through our calendar booking system - this is coming very soon. Our online courses which will be geared towards businesses / organizations as well as small schools. The idea is that these systems and the communities that support our kids need to better understand what is truly happening also, so that we can all collectively collaborate best. In the meantime, if you have interest in working with me, I have 15 minute intro calls that are live here, and this is the best way to get started immediately, so that I can begin to individualize your experience and understand how I can best serve you. We will indeed also offer hybrid options for business / organization trainings as well as completely live ones, available by request, later in the new year.

Online courses & more launching in:

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