What people say about working with us

"We had the pleasure of working with Esmé for 12 months while she was our son's Disability Inclusion Coordinator, and we cannot speak highly enough of the support she provided to our son and our family.

From the beginning, Esmé genuinely took the time to understand our son, his needs and the challenges he was experiencing at school. She was an incredible advocate for him, particularly in securing his DIP funding and working closely with his teachers to make sure they understood how best to support him.

Esmé also played a huge role in helping us understand and manage some of his behaviours. She looked beyond the behaviour itself and helped us and the school understand what might be behind it and what strategies could be put in place to support him. Her calm, understanding and practical approach made a real difference and helped him feel more comfortable, settled and supported at school.

She created the school's wellbeing hub, which was such a wonderful initiative and provided an important space for students who needed additional support. She also worked with us to help increase our son's hours at school, which was a huge step forward for him and something our family was incredibly grateful for.

Esmé was always approachable, easy to talk to and made us feel listened to. We always felt that she genuinely had our family's best interests at heart and that she truly cared about our son, not just as a student but as an individual.

Although we were sad to see Esmé leave the school, we are so excited to see her start her own behaviour support business. Her knowledge, compassion, understanding and ability to connect with children and families will be such an asset to the families she works with.

We would highly recommend Esmé to anyone looking for someone who genuinely understands behaviour, inclusion and the importance of supporting the whole child and their family. She made a real difference to our son's life, and we will always be grateful for everything she did for him and for our family."

"I have had the pleasure of working under Esme's leadership.

She is professional, honest and open minded.

I found whenever feeling stuck around student behaviours, she would observe, support and guide through reflection and suggestions/feedback. I appreciated the honesty and celebrating the wins. She made work easier and comfortable.

Anyone working with Esme will be lucky because she takes the time to listen and be proactive.

Highly recommend the supports and strategies she has to offer."

"Esmé first came into our lives in 2020 when she was Bounty's teacher, and as a parent of a young person with complex disability, you never forget the people who truly see your child.

Bounty is non-verbal and has significant support needs. Communication, sensory regulation and behaviour can be complex, and it takes someone very special to look beyond what is happening on the surface and take the time to understand what Bounty is actually communicating. That was Esmé.

What stood out to us was her ability to understand Bounty as a person first. She took the time to learn her communication, recognise her individual needs and preferences, understand what could overwhelm her, and build a relationship based on trust rather than compliance. She never reduced Bounty to a diagnosis or a behaviour. As Bounty's mum, that meant an enormous amount to me.

Years later, seeing Esmé bring that same philosophy into Defuse Behaviour Solutions makes complete sense. She combines her professional knowledge of behaviour with something that cannot simply be taught from a textbook: genuine experience working alongside people with complex needs and an understanding of what strategies actually look like in everyday life.

Families need practitioners who listen to them, respect the person they support and recognise that behaviour is communication. They also need recommendations that are realistic enough to work at home and in the community, not just sound good in a report. Esmé understood that when she taught Bounty in 2020, and it is something I have never forgotten.

I would have no hesitation recommending Esmé and Defuse Behaviour Solutions to families looking for compassionate, person-centred and practical behaviour support."

"Esme was my leading teacher at Sunshine SDS, and her support had a profound impact on my professional growth and the students in my care. She has an exceptional understanding of complex and challenging behaviours and always looks beyond the behaviour to understand what a student may be feeling or communicating.

Esme listened patiently to my concerns and encouraged me to share my observations and perspectives. Together, we developed compassionate and practical behaviour-support strategies centred on each student's individual needs, dignity, and wellbeing. Her guidance helped me support students to regulate their emotions, feel safe and understood, and become more ready to engage in learning.

What makes Esme truly special is her hands-on, caring, and respectful approach. She is deeply passionate about ensuring that every child is valued, included, and treated with dignity within the school and wider community. Her work is always student-centred, thoughtful, and grounded in genuine compassion.

Esme is hardworking, highly knowledgeable, and completely committed to making a positive difference. I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned from her, and I wholeheartedly recommend Esme and Defuse Behaviour Solutions to any school, educator or family seeking compassionate, respectful and effective behaviour support."

"I met Esme back in 2022 and was able to work alongside her in a specialist setting.

She was a great person to have worked with. She taught me so much that helped me grow and understand students with different abilities with their wants and needs, as well as helped me use different strategies to support and manage behaviour when they arise.

Even though our time working together was short, I still get in contact to see what I can do to support a student or get feedback.

She is very supportive and will help you with anything. I couldn't recommend a better person than a person like Esme. You'd be in great hands."

"Esme's knowledge, passion and commitment to inclusion in education are extraordinary. Her understanding of the needs of students with diverse learning, behavioural and social needs is outstanding, and she brings a depth of expertise that is both highly specialised and incredibly practical.

What sets Esme apart is her ability to translate this knowledge into meaningful strategies that can be implemented within an educational setting. Her understanding of socially significant behaviour and her ability to develop practical, individualised strategies to support young people has been invaluable. She has a genuine focus on reducing barriers to learning and improving educational outcomes, while ensuring that the young person remains at the centre of the work.

Esme is kind, generous, empathetic and completely professional. She builds trusting relationships with students, families and staff and approaches every situation with respect, curiosity and a genuine desire to understand what is happening for the young person. She is incredibly collaborative and works alongside educators rather than simply providing advice, making her support both accessible and sustainable.

Her wonderful manner, combined with her exceptional professional knowledge, makes her a strong advocate for inclusive education. Esme consistently challenges us to think differently about behaviour, to consider the needs of the whole young person and to create environments where students can genuinely experience success.

I found working with Esme to be an absolute privilege. Her expertise, compassion and unwavering commitment to inclusive education make her an exceptional behaviour analyst and an invaluable partner to schools, educators and young people. I would highly recommend Defuse Behaviour Solutions to any educational setting seeking knowledgeable, compassionate and genuinely collaborative support for students with diverse needs."