Meet Our Founder

Dr. Erin Caton Custadio is an accomplished educator with seventeen years of experience teaching grades PreK-2. She earned a Master of Science degree in Child Development & Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College/Boston University. Erin also holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (C.A.G.S.) in Reading & Language, as well as Massachusetts licensure as a Reading Specialist for grades K-12.

Most recently, Erin completed both a C.A.G.S. and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Johnson & Wales University. Her doctoral dissertation “Investigating Teacher Trait Emotional Intelligence and Attitudes Toward the Social and Emotional Challenges of Students With ADHD” was the inspiration for A New Narrative. The findings of her study suggest that tapping into educators’ emotional intelligence is a promising way to evolve damaging, dated interpretations of student misbehavior into an empathetic NEW narrative…one that is built upon a solid knowledge of human development and neurodiversity.

Erin’s areas of passion and expertise revolve around social-emotional learning for the entire student population and the development of emotional intelligence and favorable attitudes in educators. Additionally, she is a highly sought-after expert on teacher disposition, ADHD, early childhood education, child development, literacy acquisition & intervention, and educational leadership.

Erin is a devoted researcher. She has served as both a contributor and as a discussant for the Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA) and the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO). Her groundbreaking research on the relationship between emotional intelligence and teachers’ attitudes toward behaviorally challenging students has been disseminated at the national level.

In addition to her research and consulting projects, Erin currently works as a school administrator overseeing district elementary literacy curriculum and instruction.