Smart is not Easy LLCReviews of smartisnoteasy.com

Wow what an excellent resource Dr De Bonte has become for our kid and family! Navigating the challenges and opportunities of parenting a 2E child is definitely not easy, but Dr De Bonte makes the experience so much better supported and informed with expertise, insights, and experiences working with and studying 2E children. We have had 2 consultations so far and each time we come away full of information, a plan, and most importantly, hope, for our son's future welfare. We really appreciate what we have learned so far and will definitely return for future sessions!

Honestly, we were kind of blown away by Austina’s breadth of knowledge and candidness of her advice for our situation. In short I was very impressed. Although there might not be as much money in it, I’d recommend expanding her scope to beyond highly capable to including and supporting kids who are struggling with different concepts as a consulting stop that could point parents in different directions based on different struggles of kids. Honestly, I wish we would have found her earlier. The options on what you can do for kids are pretty endless, yet she seemed pretty knowledgeable about a lot of things we had never considered or heard about. Our child already diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, but clearly something else going on. She was clear she’s not a neurologist, but based on our discussion we feel that we have a few new pathways to explore to support our child that we didn’t have prior to meeting with her! Even if it doesn’t work out in the end, I believe it was money well spent. I’d make a wager we’ll have some follow-ups and use her again just because of how insightful the conversation was for us. Thank you Austina!

Austina is an exceptional advisor who has worked closely with us to support both of our children with wisdom, insight, and genuine care. Her guidance through complex, unusually-timed school changes has been nothing short of excellent. We recommend her wholeheartedly to any parent raising gifted kids.

We met with Austina during a rough time in our 2e kid's education. We came away better informed about school options in the area, a more realistic viewpoint about public school maybe not working long term, and we followed one of Austina's leads that led to a new diagnosis for both of our children. I consider that type of information always good. What you will probably not get working with Austina that some other education consultants provide: Detailed help on IEPs such as goal wording.

Austenia is THE guru of all things 2e in the greater Seattle area. I first became aware of her when my older child qualified for highly capable services. A local parent group hosted her presentation. I was blown away by not just the breadth of her knowledge but how much research she presented and all in a very accessible, down to earth fashion. I listen to her talks any chance I get and have hired her for consulting. Being a parent of a 2e student can be lonely and frustrating. The empowerment that comes from working with Austenia is life changing.

Austina is a wonderful resource for anyone trying to better understand and support their complicated gifted and 2e kids. She has a depth of understanding that is hard to find anywhere. On top of that, she is a genuinely good person and a pleasure to talk with. I would highly recommend her to anyone!