Let expert clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Sarah, show you exactly how to reduce disruptive behaviors by 50% or more.
Let’s face it, kids ARE different than they used to be. Our Raising Brains team specializes in helping teachers and students thrive by transforming how schools approach behavior. We empower school staff to respond with skill-building strategies rather than quick fixes. Guided by the belief that kids talk with their behavior, we provide tools uniquely designed to meet your school’s needs including (but not limited to) hands-on coaching for staff, CST, and I&RS teams, practical tools, and professional learning rooted in Dr. Sarah’s approach, as featured in her books Raising Brains and Brainy Tales. Our goal is to build sustainable capacity within school teams to create classrooms where both students and educators feel successful!
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We're Not Just Raising Kids. We're Raising Brains.
Raising Brains is a research-backed education company creating books, stories, tools, and experiences that teach the brain skills behind behavior.
Every child is born with incredible potential—but the skills that determine success in school and life aren't automatic. They must be intentionally taught, practiced, and nurtured.
At Raising Brains, we help parents, educators, and schools teach the brain skills behind behavior.
Our research-backed books, Brainy Tales characters, school programs, professional learning, and practical tools transform neuroscience into everyday strategies that adults can use to build executive functioning, emotional regulation, resilience, independence, problem solving, and healthy relationships.
Dr. Sarah’s has created:
📚 Books that make brain science practical for parents, teachers, and children.
🧠 Research-backed educational tools that turn neuroscience into everyday strategies.
🏫 School implementation and professional learning that create lasting culture change.
🎭 Brainy Tales characters that help children understand their own brains through stories and play.
🌱 Resources that grow with children from early childhood through adolescence.
A Little More About Me...
People often assume Raising Brains started because I earned a doctorate.
The truth is, it started because life kept reminding me that the most important skills we need aren't taught anywhere.
Long before I became a pediatric neuropsychologist, life gave me plenty of opportunities to practice resilience.
I've lost babies before having my own children. My mom has battled cancer twice. My sister, Susannah, passed away from breast cancer at just 29 years old. I've experienced divorce, remarriage, blending a family, moving to a new town during a pandemic, and now somehow helping raise four teenagers and young adults—all of whom remind me daily that there isn't one parenting manual that works for every brain.
Professionally, I watched exhausted teachers trying to solve incredibly complex behavioral and emotional needs with very little time, support, or funding. Personally, I watched parents feel like they were failing because no one had ever taught them how brains actually work.
That became the mission.
We earned the degrees and spent years studying the science so teachers and parents don't have to. Everything we create is designed to help people quickly understand why behavior is happening and confidently match practical interventions that change outcomes. We believe the science should be efficient, approachable, and even fun—because if people enjoy learning it, they'll actually use it.
And if I'm doing my job well, teachers leave feeling more hopeful, parents leave feeling more confident, and everyone walks away laughing at least once about the wonderfully unpredictable growing brains in front of them.
(Full disclosure: much of Raising Brains has been built on Diet Coke, sheer willpower, and wearing far too many hats. 😊)
Who Are Our Workshops Best For?
Dr. Sarah’s Raising Brains for Educators Workshop is for teachers, administrators, special education faculty, child study teams, para-professionals, and more!
Raising Brains for Educators
Does your district need help bringing all the pieces together? We have your answers!
I&RS System Development & Support
I&RS processes are essential to prevent the domino of over-identifying special education students. Dr. Sarah and her team conduct root cause analyses to help districts create strategic plans that address I&RS system needs, remediate disproportionality (if cited), reduce behavior issues, empower teachers, and build student skills. We provide the I&RS team with a strategic approach to identifying and remediating skill deficits in students as well as a tool box of interventions that empowers them to support their staff.
Systems Analysis - Strategic Planning (1-3 years)
Dr. Sarah offers strategic planning, educator PD, and parent training to:
Reduce disruptive behaviors and Boost teacher confidence
Improve academic performance and student skill and independence
Presentations, Assemblies & Keynotes:
Dr. Sarah offers professional development for teachers on a variety of topics as well as student programming designed to help K-5 students get to know their brains and how to regulate emotion to learn better!
PDs for Teachers: Building Skills vs. Managing Behavior, Executive Functioning, Neurodiverse Brains, Interventions to Implement in the Classroom Tomorrow
Meet the Author Sessions for Students - Get to Know your Brain & our Brainy School
LRE Consultation/Trainings
Our goal is to keep students in the least restrictive environment, but schools need the right systems in place to make this effective. We provide teacher training on classroom strategies and consult with administrators to design inclusive systems, leading to fewer out-of-district placements, reduced behavior issues, and increased student success.
Neuropsychological/Program Evaluations
Need a neuropsychologist to assess student needs, evaluate the effectiveness of your program or provide expert testimony? That’s our specialty!
Use the link below to schedule a free 15-minute introductory call!
Large Group Workshops & Packages
These group workshops are perfect for districts, schools, child study teams, principals, special education departments, psychologists and counselors, speech and occupational therapists, parents, and more!
Please look through the topics to the right, and if none are a good fit, we can tailor something unique for you!
Please schedule a 15 minute call below to start.
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In order to optimize the effectiveness of our interventions, we need to go beyond ABA to understand the way the brain works and target skills that align with our natural brain patterns. By seeing students like little brains we learn to look toward building skills, not just managing behavior. This model helps teachers see that kids talk with their behavior, and we need to listen to the message and not the delivery. From there, we identify the skills students need to build. This is a long term solution to behavior problems that build skills instead of just managing behaviors in the short term. Over time, it reduces the load on administration and teachers and allows everyone to actually teach!
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Ever wonder what ADHD looks like in the brain or why kids with ADHD struggle at times? And how do we encourage the creativity and uniqueness in our kids while still teaching them how to be calm, thoughtful, and organized? Discover the Raising Brains model and how it can promote independence, not dependence in your kids. By understanding the brain and choosing interventions that align with natural brain patterns, you can successfully build skills in your kids.
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Ever wonder why your students have behavior problems, why they're not listening, and how you can help them? In order for us to reduce behavior problems and allow our teaching to be effective, we need to understand the way the brain works and target skills that align with our natural brain patterns. In a light and fun training, Dr. Allen explains that you're not just teaching kids, you're raising brains! By seeing students like little brains we learn to look toward building skills, not just managing behavior. This model helps you identify how your student's brain works, what tools you can use (spoiler alert: you already know them), and how to apply them for that student! Kids talk with their behavior, and if you can listen to the message and not the delivery, you'll find your long term solution to behavior problems. Become a brain detective to build skills instead of just managing behaviors (and actually be able to teach)!
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As the neuroscience research continues to develop, the application of brain science based tools has become more common place. Understanding how brains work allows the design of interventions that support natural brain patterns instead of work against them. Providing psychoeducation to kids, families, and schools enhances our interventions and promotes independence of tools. Understanding how brains work promotes insight into the “how” leading to the change that propels our clients forward.
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Have you asked yourself questions like: why does he misbehave? why doesn't she listen? why can't she control her emotions? why is everything always the end of the world? how do I stop this temper tantrum?, or even how do I help her through this? If so, let Dr. Allen show you how seeing your child like a little brain will be the long term solution to these problems. Become a brain detective and learn to ask yourself two magic questions that will change the way you approach your kids.
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In this interactive session, Dr. Allen will explain how our brains learn, why we have trouble managing our emotions, why we have trouble with our behavior, and what's best to keep our brains healthy! Kids and parents are welcome. The recommended age is 5th grade and older. Come see how parent and kid brains are designed and what you can do to put your best brain forward!
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More details to come!
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More details to come!
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More details to come!
Who is Dr. Sarah Allen?
Dr. Sarah Allen is a pediatric neuropsychologist with over 20 years of experience studying the brain. After getting her school psychology license, directing a school for kids with special needs, supervising teachers, and consulting with fabulous school teams across the state of NJ, she has developed a method that works WITH teachers' current styles to support teachers in improving kids' learning and development. With the significant pressure on special education teams and administration, teachers don’t often receive the daily support they need. This program was designed to provide consultative support and continuing education throughout the school year to meet the needs of teachers IN the classroom.
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What People Are Saying
“Learning about innie and outie brains was valuable. I use the breathing technique but was using it for an outie brain at the point of no return. I also have a 5.5 year old with ADHD. I found the ADHD examples in your presentation very helpful.”
“Sarah was great! She kept the talk engaging and interesting! A lot of great information and functional strategies were provided and I’m excited to try to implement some! THANK YOU!”
“A great presentation which gives brain structure/function information and how these structures can help/hinder a student's/adult's ability to handle/express emotions and successfully maneuver through their daily lives.”
“All about the brain, teaching helpful strategies to build new habits and talk through difficulties, not just behavior management but growing into an adult who is self-aware and able to help others work through their big feelings in a healthy way.”
What are the options?
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Join our 9-month Teaching Brains subscription focused on practical classroom application of brain science.
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Get your whole team, school, or district Raising Brains Certified with a comprehensive package including group trainings and individual support.
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Dr. Sarah is available for speaking, workshops, and trainings on general brain science applications or specific topics of interest to your school.
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Parents play a vital role in a child’s education. Dr. Sarah can present to parents on various topics as a PTA fundraiser and/or as part of a department or school/district-wide package.
Want Dr. Sarah Allen to speak at your school and win $100?
You can copy/paste the email template below and share it with your school’s administrators. Any successful referrals will get you a $100 Amazon gift card!
Just let us and your school administrators know you referred Dr. Sarah Allen and we’ll send the gift card to your email :)
Email support@brainbehaviorbridge.com if you have any questions.
Hi [NAME],
I came across Dr. Sarah Allen and I strongly recommend having her for our professional development and parent training.
Here is more about why I think she’d be great and how to book her: https://www.brainbehaviorbridge.com/educator-training-program
Best,
[YOUR NAME]