TEAM

Ken Shyminsky

Ken has been a school principal for 18 years (and an educator for over 30 years). He is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers and has special education training and qualifications including a designation as a behaviour specialist.

Training/Work Experience: Ken has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. As a school administrator, Ken has been the chair for the IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) for a publicly funded school board in Ontario and is knowledgeable in the legislation and process of evaluation and identification of students who have special learning needs. He has over 30 years of experience working with children who have a wide variety of needs and advocating on the behalf of parents.

Presenting Concerns: Ken provides coaching to and advocacy to school boards for those affected by neurologic disorders such as ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disabilities, behavioural challenges, and Tourette Syndrome. He offers a number of short-term time-limited (generally 3-5 sessions) programs including:

• Parenting a child with Tics/Tourette Syndrome
• Pumping up your tires and getting back on the road (a problem-solving skills-based approach to creating solutions to real life concrete issues)
• Help: My Child needs more support at school. Where the heck do I start?
• Taking charge of ADHD: A toolkit for helping children, teens, and adults with ADHD reach their potential
• Collaborative Problem Solving: Rethinking Challenging Behaviours
• “Ug, those pants don’t feel right”: Strategies for Managing Sensory Sensitivities

Approach: Ken has Tourette Syndrome himself, as well as years of experience parenting and teaching neurologically challenged children. Consequently, Ken understands first-hand challenging behaviours and ways that practical and effective school and home strategies can be instrumental in their management. Ken uses a collaborative, strength-based and evidence-based approaches to helping youth and adults identify and overcome daily challenges.

Outside of MindFit: Outside of work, I am the father of 3 boys in a neurodiverse household that includes and welcomes ADHD, OCD, anxiety, autism, and learning disabilities.