Parent training is most effective when it’s practical, compassionate, and built on a deep understanding of both how a child learns and how families cope. That’s exactly where Dave Glick’s background shines. With formal training in special education and a Master of Social Work (MSW), Dave brings a rare — and powerful — blend of skills to coaching parents of children who struggle with anxiety and other challenging behaviors.
Below I’ll break down what each part of Dave’s training contributes, why the combination matters, and what parents can expect from his approach in concrete, everyday terms.
What special education training gives him
Special education training centers on understanding how differences in learning, sensory processing, attention, communication, and developmental pace affect behavior. From that foundation Dave brings:
- A functional lens on behavior. Special education emphasizes that behaviors serve a purpose (escape, attention, sensory input, access to something). That perspective leads to targeted, respectful interventions rather than punishment.
- Skill in assessment and individualized planning. Creating an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or functional behavior plan requires careful observation, data collection, and a plan tailored to the child’s strengths — the same skills Dave translates to home and community settings.
- Practical, classroom-tested strategies. Things like visual supports, structured routines, scaffolding, and reinforcement systems are easily adapted from classroom to home to help children feel safe and succeed.
- Coordination with schools and teams. Special education trains professionals to collaborate with teachers, therapists, and families — a huge advantage when school/home alignment is critical to a child’s progress.
What an MSW brings to the table
An MSW emphasizes clinical skills, family systems, and community-based supports. Dave’s MSW contributes:
- Evidence-based mental health interventions. MSW training includes cognitive behavioral techniques, trauma-informed care, and family systems approaches that are central to treating anxiety and co-occurring problems.
- Parent-focused coaching and empathy. Social work centers on meeting families where they are — building rapport, reducing shame, and empowering caregivers with realistic tools.
- Systems-level thinking. Social workers know how to navigate services, access resources, and advocate — making it easier for families to get practical supports beyond therapy.
- Crisis management and safety planning. When behaviors escalate or anxiety spikes, an MSW background provides training in de-escalation, risk assessment, and safety planning.
Why the combination is especially powerful
When you put special education and MSW skills together, you get an approach that is both instructionally savvy and clinically humane. That combination matters because:
- Kids with anxiety and problem behaviors often have learning or processing differences that change what therapeutic strategies will work. Special education helps identify and accommodate those differences.
- Caregivers need both skills (how to set predictable routines, how to shape behavior) and support (empathy, coaching, systems navigation). The MSW side provides the latter without sacrificing the former.
- The result is parent training that’s practical, individualized, trauma-aware, and realistic for busy families — not a one-size-fits-all handout.
What Dave’s parent training actually looks like
Here are the concrete elements parents can expect from Dave’s work:
- Collaborative assessment. He starts by observing patterns: what comes before a behavior, what the child gets out of it, and what skills the child does or doesn’t have yet.
- Strengths-based planning. Instead of focusing only on “what’s wrong,” Dave builds around the child’s strengths and family routines so plans are sustainable.
- Parent coaching and role-play. Parents learn, practice, and get feedback on techniques (e.g., calm limit-setting, anxiety exposure steps, reinforcement schedules).
- Practical tools for anxiety. He adapts evidence-based anxiety strategies (like graded exposure and coping skills) into age-appropriate, doable steps that parents can lead at home.
- Behavioral strategies for problem behaviors. Using antecedent modification, teaching replacement skills, and consistent reinforcement — all explained in plain language with examples.
- School–home alignment. Dave helps translate plans for teachers and supports school collaboration, so interventions are consistent across settings.
- Ongoing measurement and troubleshooting. Progress is tracked with simple data and adjusted when things aren’t working — no guessing.
A few examples (the kinds of changes parents notice)
- A child who melts down after transitions learns a consistent countdown routine paired with a visual schedule; meltdowns drop because the child knows what’s coming and has a small choice to exercise.
- A child with social anxiety builds confidence through tiny, supported steps (greeting a teacher, then saying hi to a classmate), with parents coached on how to praise effort rather than outcomes.
- Aggressive outbursts reduce when parents are taught to identify the function of the behavior, teach a communication alternative, and set up predictable consequences that actually change the payoff for the behavior.
Tips Dave emphasizes for parents (quick takeaways)
- Focus on small, measurable steps. Anxiety and behavior change are gradual.
- Use data lightly: note trends, not every incident. This keeps the work manageable.
- Align expectations across home and school; consistency is a child’s best teacher.
- Teach replacement skills rather than only trying to stop unwanted behavior.
- Don’t underestimate caregiver well-being: calm, supported parents produce calmer, more resilient children.
Final thoughts
Dave Glick’s special education training gives him the instructional savvy to identify what a child needs to learn and how they best learn it. His MSW adds clinical depth, family-centered coaching, and the ability to navigate the broader systems that affect a child’s life. Put together, those strengths make Dave uniquely skilled at parent training that’s effective, compassionate, and practical — especially for children dealing with anxiety and related behavioral challenges.
Curious how this could look for your child? Think about one small, recurring moment you’d like to change — that’s where Dave often starts.
Key takeaways
- Special education = assessment, individualized plans, classroom-tested strategies, school collaboration.
- MSW = clinical interventions, family systems, advocacy, trauma-informed care.
- Together, they produce parent training that is evidence-based, individualized, and compassionate — designed for real families, not just ideal scenarios.