The Family Behaviorist

Parent Coaching and Consulting

Navigating behavioral challenges can often feel overwhelming, leaving us unsure of the best responses or strategies to address different situations.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, or coach seeking guidance, our network is here to support you.

I offer one-on-one personalized coaching or you can explore my ‘Behavior Basics’ video course.

With vast experience, I’ve empowered many to manage behavioral challenges effectively.

Let me help you on your journey!

Meet Mandy

Hi, I’m Mandy Grass a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), former special education teacher, parent coach, speaker, podcast host, and, most importantly, a mom.

I spent more than a decade working in education and behavior analysis, beginning my career as a special education teacher supporting students with significant behavioral needs. I became a BCBA in 2015 and spent years helping children, families, and schools understand behavior and create meaningful, lasting change.

Then I became a mom.

I had my first of three daughters in 2016, and suddenly I was looking at everything I knew about behavior through an entirely different lens. I realized that the evidence-based strategies I had spent my career using weren't just for kids with diagnoses or significant behavioral challenges. They were incredibly useful for everyday parenting, the tantrums, power struggles, sibling fights, bedtime battles, morning chaos, and all the other moments that can leave you wondering, “What am I supposed to do here?”

That realization eventually became The Family Behaviorist.

Today, I share practical, evidence-based parenting strategies with a community of more than 750,000 parents and caregivers across social media. I’m also the host of The Behavior Blueprint podcast, where I break down the “why” behind kids’ behavior and give parents realistic strategies they can actually use at home.

I also work directly with families through parent coaching and speak to parents, educators, and professionals about behavior, parenting, ADHD, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and other challenges families navigate every day.

And while I bring years of professional experience to this work, I’m living it too. I’m a mom of three daughters and part of a blended family raising seven kids. Our house spans just about every stage of childhood, from little kids to teenagers, and includes our own experiences with ADHD and learning differences.

So no, behavior doesn’t always look perfect in my house either.

My goal has never been to teach parents how to raise perfectly behaved children. It’s to help you understand why behavior is happening, decide what actually matters to your family, and have practical tools for what to do next.

Because when we understand the “why” behind behavior, we can change how we respond to it and that can change the entire dynamic of a family.

Coaching Solutions

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    Need support with student behavior? Get personalized 1:1 video chat support. We'll address classroom or professional environment concerns, plan strategies, and review progress. Flexible meeting options are
    available.

    Schedule A Session
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    Struggling with behavior concerns at home? Get personalized 1:1 video chat support. We'll discuss your concerns, identify triggers, and create an action plan with measurable goals. Choose from flexible meeting options to suit your needs.

    Schedule A Session
  • professional development

    Interested in having me talk to your teachers, parents, or community group? I can meet either online or in person (for Massachusetts and Connecticut). I can review the basics of behavior analysis or target my presentation to your needs and age group.

    Contact Me

Client Testimonials

  • "As a family with 4 children life is hard - but when you add school avoidance, outbursts, defiance and emotional withdrawal…things get unbearable. We tried everything we could think of to help our daughter navigate through these issues. When it became apparent that we were not headed in the right direction we enlisted the help of Mandy Grass, BCBA. Mandy helped us to regain control with strategies that were simple to follow and worked with time and consistency. Not only has Mandy helped us to become better parents, she has also built a bond with our daughter adding another layer of stability and familiarity to her approach. Without Mandy we would still be fighting a never ending cycle. Instead we can now focus on the positives and everyday achievements."

    Heidi, Mom of Four

  • "I cannot say enough good things about our work with Mandy. During our first session, she was knowledgeable, thoughtful and agile when discussing the best ways to approach issues we’ve been having with our daughter. She was very receptive to our thoughts and hearing about what has and hasn’t worked for us in the past. Honestly, after implementing some of her suggestions from our first call, the results were immediate. As a parent who gets easily overwhelmed by complex behavioral plans and interventions, Mandy’s suggestions were direct, practical and incredibly impactful on our 3 year old daughter. "

    Mom of Two

  • "I am not someone who gives praise easily and as a therapist myself, I know how difficult it is to enact behavioral change- but I’ve truly seen my daughter grow more flexible, resilient and able to communicate her needs with Mandy’s guidance. I have continued to seek advice from Mandy as new developmental issues have popped up and have been delighted to find that she is just as helpful as she was the first time. She is professional, highly knowledgeable and did not make me and my husband feel badly for “mistakes” we’ve made in the past or continue to make, which is something I was worried about when seeking support with my daughter. I’ve recommended her to everyone I know and look forward to navigating parenting with her as I raise my two kids and know that I will feel more confidently able to parent with her support and tools."

    Mom of Two

  • "Hi Mandy, I just wanted to give you a little update, it was a great week! Right after your call, she wanted to make a morning checklist, and it has been incredibly effective for making our mornings run a bit more smoothly. We also made the star chart and calendar for the week, and that's her favorite part- I think she really appreciates knowing exactly how each day will go, gives her a bit more control. Honestly, she only had about 1 meltdown this week, related to me leaving for a soccer tournament with her brother, which is fair, and was pretty short lived. All of this to say, thank you so much for your help! We've had a much calmer home this week!"

    A Happy Client

  • "Hi Mandy, I just wanted to share that the social story worked wonderfully and the interview went as well as can be expected with a toddler:) we received the wonderful news only a few hours after the interview that he got accepted to the new school!"

    Happy Client via Instagram DM

  • "Hi Mandy! Wanted to share a quick update or As you said, her behaviour changed in a matter of two days! Thank you so much. She is now much better and calmer at asking for things. And we have been consistent in reacting to her and telling her how to ask for things."

    A Happy Client

  • "Hi Mandy! We were just talking about you over the holiday vacation. We actually wanted to get in touch and thank you! **** isn't just doing well, he is excelling! Things have taken such a turn, it's almost hard to believe where we were just a year ago. We think you were a huge part of giving us the tools to make necessary changes at home. We needed actionable steps! You gave us the direct, actionable feedback and structure we needed. There are so few resources for parents in distress and the wait is often so long. We were very lucky to find you and we will keep giving you referrals whenever we hear of a family in need."

    A Very Happy Client

  • "I really think that giving him the replacement behavior/modeling has given him some confidence and made things less tense and argumentative. I guess that's the point!"

    A Happy Client

  • "Hi Mandy, Just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that modeling a replacement behavior has been somewhat of a game changer. We had only been reprimanding him or telling him what "we don't do." | noticed this week that when I start to say "how about we say.." or "you can say.." ***'s looking at me waiting for his prompt. He has been repeating our model sentences and we've definitely seen a shift. Thank you so much! lam sure this isn't the end of our issues, but it's a start. I plan on checking in with you next month for some more planning and tips!"

    A Happy Client

  • "Thank you, you were so helpful tonight. Full tantrum after nap and the modeling helped so much he finally just asked nicely for what he didn't get when he freaked out."

    A Happy Instgram Follower

  • "Hi Mandy, Thank you so much! We loved your presentation. The staff was a bit quiet, but I think there was a lot of processing. In talking with more of them further just yesterday, there was really good feedback, discussion, questions, and idea sharing. One teacher (4K) came to me last night after one day of implementing social stories and reinforcing at specific times and it was a great day for her most challenging little one. Anyway, we greatly appreciate it and I will be sharing your name with our families."

    Professional Development Feedback

  • "Hi Mandy! You helped my husband and me with our son who was hitting a lot. I wanted to let you know that the when/then statements have made such a big difference! Now when he hits (which isn't nearly as often) we get up and tell him that when he's ready to use gentle hands he can find us in the kitchen (or wherever). Sometimes it takes some sulking, but he almost always uses gentle hands again. It's been such a wonderful feeling having a plan and seeing improvement."

    A Happy Mom & Dad

  • "At the Sunday birthday party - she was an actual dream! She was thrilled to say excuse me and to keep her hands to herself. I am SO happy with her progress while also knowing that she's a human and is in a bad habit so she may revert sometimes but as long as we mostly have a positive progression, I am thrilled. She loves her social story and I've made two copies of it and she even knows the words when I pause and have her say them instead. Like, "it is important to keep everyone _ and keep my hands to my _" - she fills in those blanks! I cannot thank you enough."

    A Happy Client

  • "His tantrums have decreased in time from 20-30 down to 5 minutes! All because we started setting rules thanks to you. His biting decreased by 90% with the idea you shared of him getting a warning and if he does it again we stop the game and can't try again until tomorrow."

    A Happy Client

  • "Things are going really really well! We could not be more happy with the progress. We've talked a lot about how we feel so much more confident and relaxed around bedtime after we met with you! *** has stayed in bed and fallen asleep shortly after we leave the room every night since we started the things. I wasn't home for bedtime and when she realized that, she got really upset. He stuck to the plan of going in every x minutes to put her back in bed and he only had to go in one time and she fell asleep shortly after! HUGE progress."

    A Happy Client

  • "Hi Mandy! I iust wanted to send you a quick update! Last night was the first night with the toddler bed and the social story. The girls were so excited about the social story and they LOVED it! When it was time for us to leave, both girls climbed into bed and stayed there the rest of the night! I can't remember the last time we did bedtime with no tears or battles. We are excited to hopefully build up many nights of a positive bedtime experience with the new tools you have given us and to see if there is any correlation with nap time at daycare (they were home with me yesterday so nap was much more "normal" for them). Thank you SO MUCH!"

    A Very Happy Client

  • "I seriously cannot thank you enough for your super concrete strategies and content. We've been working on modeling and reinforcing the replacement behavior and it's working!! Took us about 2/3 weeks but son is now signing please instead of whining!! It's made all the difference for us!! Thank you so much!"

    Happy Instagram Follower

  • "Hi Mandy, thank you again for meeting with me Wednesday. We've implemented everything you mentioned and are already starting to see a drastic improvement. I think the praise and recognition has really impacted *** - it feels like we have our boy back! He seems much more settled, confident, and less anxious/frustrated. We haven't had any giant tantrums since you and I spoke on Wednesday. My husband and I are beyond thrilled and happy to see *** much more settled. The behavior chart arrives today and we're excited to start that as well."

    A Happy Mom

  • "We will keep referring people that need help to you. You helped us get a plan a place. It provided much needed consistency. And if nothing else it gave us support at a time when we really needed it. Thank you for that!"

    A Very Happy Client

Connect with Mandy

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