Testimonials
Parent
“Going through this process can make you feel overwhelmed and alone. There is comfort in knowing Mel. She is awesome.”
Classroom Teacher
“Mel is both knowledgeable and collaborative. She fosters an environment where every voice is valued and every challenge is approached with creativity and compassion. Her ability to listen deeply, highlight students’ unique capabilities, and translate those strengths into meaningful supports made our conversations more productive and our plans more effective. Her commitment moves beyond traditional deficit-based thinking and instead she designs supports that empower students to thrive both academically and socially.”
Child and Adolescent Therapist
“I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Mel for almost ten years in both Jackson and Teton Valley and she is truly a mastermind. She brings a strengths-first lens to every learner and creates collaborative support plans that fit real daily life. Mel walks alongside families with deep intelligence, empathy, and a calm confidence that puts everyone at ease. Her ability to help families navigate MTSS, Section 504, and IEP’s is unmatched. She bridges home and school beautifully, coaches families with compassion, and connects them to resources and tools that genuinely make a difference. I recommend her work wholeheartedly.”
Clinical Psychologist
“I enjoyed speaking with Mel about my client. I really felt like she had a great feel for him as a whole person rather than just his IQ."
Classroom Teacher
“Ms Paradis knows kids! She knows education and she knows neurodivergence! Her offering of an expansive toolbox will be a life-changing asset to struggling students and families .”
Parent
“Mel helped explain the difference between an IEP and a 504 and gave advice on how I could work with my son’s teachers to create supports that would help him thrive in school.”
Classroom Teacher
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside Mel Paradis, who brought such profound dedication and expertise to supporting our gifted students. She not only collaborated closely with teachers, but she also empowered us with meaningful strategies that helped gifted learners thrive in the classroom.
She had a remarkable ability to understand and welcome students who thought differently—those who grasped concepts at a deeper level, experienced big emotions, and approached the world with a unique and powerful perspective. Her gift lies in explaining how these students’ minds work, highlighting their strengths, and helping others recognize the incredible talents they possess. She consistently guided us in tapping into those strengths in ways that truly elevated student learning.
Parents deeply appreciated her compassion, insight, and commitment. She taught “outside the box,” meeting gifted students exactly where they were and helped them reach their full potential. Her impact was felt not just in the growth of our students, but in the confidence and understanding she built within their families and our staff. She is an invaluable advocate, educator, and partner in this work.”
Parent
“We know Mel through the TCSD PEAK program, and when our son’s negative behaviors started dominating our family dynamic at home, Mel became our hero! Mel listened, did not judge or dismiss our concerns, and helped us understand these behaviors within the context of his unique and amazing brain. Many of our son's issues were rooted in perfectionism, and Mel provided valuable resources that helped us better understand our child and support him at home. Thanks Mel!"
Classroom Teacher
“Mel is the person I reach out to anytime I have a student who doesn't quite 'fit the mould.' She leads with an appreciation for unique minds, and is a wealth of resources in designing individualized strength-based supports for different kinds of learners.”
Classroom Teacher
“I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Mel over the last 22 years. As her education and experience have grown, one thing has remained constant: Mel’s dedication to meeting the needs of every child and family that she supports. She sees the whole child, their strengths as well as challenges, and she is a wonderful team member to get the care and services each child needs in order to reach their potential.”
Parent