Introducing The CONNECT Toolkit
A Research-Backed System for Transforming Family Onboarding in Education and Care.
Moving Families from Compliance to Partnership
Move families from compliance to partnership using six evidence-based principles grounded in family-school research, psychological safety science and neurodiversity-affirming practice.
Email to book a consultation today
The Problem: Why Traditional Onboarding Fails
Traditional onboarding in early childhood education and care often relies on forms, rules, and one-way information delivery. This compliance-first approach positions families as passive recipients rather than partners - leading to avoidance, anxiety and disengagement, particularly for families of neurodivergent children.
Research confirms this gap. Parents of children with ADHD spend significantly more time on home-based learning activities than on school-based participation types, suggesting schools are not successfully engaging these families in partnership (Montes & Montes, 2021). Similarly, parents of children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms report limited opportunities to participate in decision-making and a lack of genuine collaboration (Underwood, 2010).
When families anticipate blame rather than partnership, the relationship breaks down before it begins.
CONNECT changes the starting point: Relationship first, compliance second.
The Six Evidence-Based Principles of CONNECT
The Evidence: What the Research Says
Family-School Partnerships & Child Outcomes
A robust body of research confirms that family engagement is not a 'nice-to-have' - it is a predictor of child success. Sheridan et al. (2012) found that when schools move beyond one-way newsletters to genuine two-way dialogue, family-school connections strengthen measurably. However, this requires intentional structure; passive information sharing does not produce partnership.
Neurodivergent Families & Engagement Barriers.
Parents of Neurodivergent children report higher rates of school avoidance and anxiety due to past negative experiences (Underwood, 2010). The CAFE model identifies that authentic engagement requires trust, balanced participation, and recognition of families as experts in their own context. Without this, schools default to compliance and families default to disengagement.
Co-Design Interventions.
The Getting Ready intervention (Marvin etc al., 2020) provides a replicable model for joint parent-educator goal-setting. Schools using structured co-design approaches report improved child engagement and reduced family conflict. CONNECT operationalises this research into termly co-design sessions.
Scope of Practice
Willful Steps provides psychoeducation, coaching, and facilitation. We do not diagnoses ADHD, or autism, prescribe medication, or provide clinical therapy. Our frameworks are designed to complement, not replace, medical and psychological care.
Three Tiers of Engagement
TIER 1: CONNECT Foundations
The essential parent onboarding experience
Format: 3-hour interactive workshop (delivered to school staff who then deliver to families, OR delivered directly to parent cohorts).
Best for: Schools wanting a standardised, repeatable family onboarding process; education business seeking to differentiate through family support
What It Covers:
The essential parent onboarding experience
Format: 3-hour interactive workshop (delivered to school staff who then deliver to families, OR delivered directly to parent cohorts).
Best for: Schools wanting a standardised, repeatable family onboarding process; education business seeking to differentiate through family support
What It Covers:
- The six CONNECT principles in practice
- The 'CONNECT Conversation' - scripted, researched-backed first conversation framework
- Termly communication planning
- Introduction to the Family-School Partnership Agreement
Deliverables:
- Facilitator guide (for school staff or WIllful Steps delivery)
- Parent workbook (digital version)
- Template: Family-School Partnership Agreement
- Termly: Termly Communication Plan
- Quick-reference card: 'The CONNECT Conversation' (for staff)
TIER 2: CONNECT Full Day Immersive
Deep-dive for schools with significant Neurodivergent populations or recent retention challenges
Format: Full day (6-hours) - morning for staff, afternoon for staff (option for families to join)
Best for: Schools where family conflict or disengagement is already impacting retention or brand; schools undergoing cultural change; education businesses building family support as a core differentiator.
Morning Session (Staff)
- All Foundation content
- Difficult Conversation Simulation: Role-play scenarios grounded in motivational interviewing and cognitive restructuring techniques (the most widely used evidence-based approaches in coaching practice)
- Accommodation Mapping: How to explain classroom accommodations in family-friendly language, aligned with NICE Guideline 87 and the Australian ADHD Clinical Practice Guideline
- Crisis De-escalation: When family-school relationships break down - early intervention protocols based on trauma-informed practice and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions principles.
Afternoon Session (Staff with optional family attendance):
- The Shared Language Workshop: Families and staff build a joint understanding of the students profile using CONNECT principles
- Co-Design Session: Live creation of a Term 1 support plan for each participating family
- The Commitment Conversation: Explicit agreement on roles, responsibilities, and communication rhythms.
Deliverables:
- Everything in Foundations, plus:
- Difficult conversation scenario bank (12 scenarios)
- Accommodation explanation templates (by diagnosis / profile)
- Crisis escalation flowchart
- 'Our CONNECT Agreement' - co-designed document per family
- 30-day follow-up check-in (Willful Steps facilitated)
TIER 3: CONNECT Embedded Partnership
A 6-month engagement for systemic, sustainable change
Format: Multi-touch engagement across a full semester
Best for: Schools committed to becoming known for neurodiversity-inclusive family practice; education businesses where family satisfaction drives enrolment and retention
Deliverables:
- Everything in Full Day. plus:
- 6 x fortnightly staff coaching circles (facilitated by Willful Steps)
- Family satisfaction pulse survey (designed and administered)
- Family advisory framework (structure for ongoing family voice)
- Sustainability playbook: 'Running the CONNECT Framework without us'
- Impact report: retention, satisfaction, incident data
- Optional: White-label package
White-Label Option: Your Brand - Our Framework
for education groups, school networks, or peak bodies wanting to embed the CONNECT Framework as their own offering:
- Full IP licence and facilitator certification
- Train-the-trainer program
- Quality assurance and annual recalibration
- Co-branded or white-labelled materials
Contact us for licencing terms.
Meet the Framework
Willful Steps is committed to empowering neurodivergent individuals - and the communities that support them.
All CONNECT programs are designed and facilitated by Michael J Perez, drawing on over 20 years of leadership and coaching expertise, grounded in the research cited above.
Email: michael@willfulsteps.com
Web: www.willfulsteps.com
Mobile: 0434 318 542
Download the Evidence
Get the full reference list, research summaries and one-page evidence map showing how each CONNECT principle maps to peer-reviewed studies.
References:
- Anderson, C. (2021). Evidence-based behavioral techniques for supporting neurodivergent employees in the workplace. [Cited in Hartman et al., 2023 systematic review].
- Australian ADHD Professionals Association. (2023). Australian ADHD Clinical Practice Guideline. Melbourne: AADPA.
- Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.
- Epstein, J. L. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.
- Hartman, J., et al. (2023). A systematic review of facilitators and barriers to employment for autistic individuals. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. [Systematic review identifying supportive managers, flexible arrangements, assistive technologies, aware policies, and behavioral techniques as key facilitators].
- Marvin, C., et al. (2020). The Getting Ready intervention: Supporting family engagement and child outcomes. Journal of Early Intervention.
- Montes, G., & Montes, L. (2021). Parent participation in school activities for children with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Diagnosis and management (NICE Guideline 87). London: NICE.
- Sheridan, S. M., et al. (2012). The effects of teacher-family conferencing on student outcomes: A meta-analysis. School Psychology Review.
- Underwood, K. (2010). Parent involvement in inclusive education for children with disabilities. International Journal of Inclusive Education.
- [2024–2025 US National Survey of ADHD Coaches]. National survey of 481 ADHD coaches: Practice patterns, techniques, and scope. [Data on motivational interviewing (96.6%), cognitive restructuring (99.4%), and solution-focused approaches (97.8%)].