MEET KATIE
I’ve spent my career trying to understand what children are telling us through their behavior.
I’m Katie Statman-Weil, EdD, LCSW, an educator, clinician, trainer, and consultant who helps early childhood educators and organizations make sense of challenging behavior that can otherwise feel confusing, overwhelming, or impossible to change.
My work brings together what I’ve learned in classrooms, clinical practice, and years of working alongside educators and families. The goal isn’t to give educators one more strategy to try. It’s to help them understand what may be happening underneath behavior so they can respond with more clarity, confidence, and connection.
EdD · LCSW · Early Childhood Educator · Trainer · Consultant
HOW I CAME TO THIS WORK
My path has always lived at the intersection of early childhood education, relationships, and behavior.
I started my career as a preschool teacher and later worked as an early childhood center director. In classrooms, I saw how quickly challenging behavior could shape the experience of an entire group, and how often the usual advice failed to explain either what a child was communicating or what an educator actually needed in the moment.
Over time, my work expanded into clinical practice and deeper study of trauma, attachment, child development, nervous system regulation, neurodivergence, and the many experiences that shape how children move through the world. That clinical lens changed how I understood what I had seen in early childhood classrooms: behavior rarely exists on its own. It makes more sense when we consider the whole child, the relationships around them, and the environment they are trying to navigate.
Today, I bring those worlds together through professional development, keynote speaking, and consultation. I work alongside early childhood educators and organizations to translate complex ideas into practical ways of understanding and responding to children—not by giving adults one more behavior-management technique, but by helping them see what may be happening beneath behavior and what they can do next.
Behavior makes more sense when we get curious about what’s underneath it.
Expertise that connects early childhood education, mental health, and real-world practice.
EXPERIENCE + EXPERTISE
Katie’s work draws from early childhood education, clinical social work, trauma-responsive practice, neurodiversity-affirming care, and adult learning. This interdisciplinary foundation allows her to translate complex research and theory into practical support for educators and organizations.
Education + Credentials
Doctor of Education
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Oregon Registry Master Trainer
Professional Experience
Early childhood educator and director
Professor of pre-service and in-service teachers
Child and family therapist
Clinician, trainer, keynote speaker, and consultant
Publications + Contributions
Trauma Responsive Strategies for Early Childhood, published by Redleaf Press
Creating Trauma Sensitive Classrooms, published by NAEYC
HOW I APPROACH THE WORK
Understanding behavior begins with curiosity, context, and connection.
My work is grounded in the belief that behavior becomes more understandable when we consider the child’s development, nervous system, relationships, environment, and lived experience. Rather than searching for a single strategy to stop a behavior, I help adults identify what may be contributing to it—and what support could make a meaningful difference.
Behavior is communication
Children’s behavior often expresses a need, stress response, developmental difference, or experience they cannot yet explain in words.
Context matters
Children’s behavior often expresses a need, stress response, developmental difference, or experience they cannot yet explain in words.
Adults need support, too
Educators do their best work when they feel understood, equipped, and supported—not blamed for challenges that rarely have simple answers.
BRINGING THE WORK INTO PRACTICE
I help educators move from reacting to behavior toward understanding what children need.
Whether I’m delivering a keynote, facilitating an interactive workshop, or consulting with a program around a specific challenge, my goal is the same: to make complex ideas understandable and give educators practical ways to respond with greater clarity, confidence, and connection.
Engaging, research-informed presentations that shift how educators understand children and behavior.
Workshops
Keynotes
Interactive professional development that turns important ideas into practical classroom support.
Consultation
Individualized guidance for programs navigating challenging behavior, classroom dynamics, or broader organizational needs.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
Bring a more connected way of understanding behavior to your team.
Whether you’re planning a conference, developing professional learning for your staff, or looking for support around a specific classroom challenge, we can begin by talking about what your educators and organization need.