Our Services
When caregivers first realize their child might interact and think different from other children, the assumption is usually that it’s up to the child to learn to think and act like everyone else - but not here! Since we respect and value neurodiversity, it is just as important for caregivers and family members to spend time understanding how their child interacts with and processes the world. We offer a range of services so your family can choose what works best for you and your needs.
Individual Speech-Language Therapy
Child-focused, respectful, and empowering speech-language therapy services are available for children who qualify.
Family consultations
Whether you’re interesting in increasing your own family’s understanding of your child or looking for suggestions and strategies to use at different parts of your day, family consultations are perfect for addressing your unique needs.
teacher Trainings
Get the whole team on board! We offer trainings for teachers and other professionals to support the community in embracing neurodiversity and better understanding the children they serve.
Why do some people laugh when someone else is hurt or when they are ‘in trouble’? Very often, people interpret laughter to mean that someone took pleasure in an action - or they found something funny. However, the idea that laughter indicates enjoyment or humor is not always correct. Let’s explore the harmful views surrounding laughter and discuss what laughter really means.
Joining children in play can be a tricky process. While we often think about play in terms of “pretend play” or “cause and effect”, we’re sometimes missing out on play schemas! Play schemas are repeated actions that children engage in during play. Does your child love to drop things and watch them fall? That’s a play schema! Have a child who enjoys watching wheels spin? That’s a play schema!
When children experience anger, we often turn to books to provide a safe space to explore this emotion. But what if the books we’re choosing are instead promoting shame? Guilt and shame are emotions that can seem similar but are oh so different. They’re also both developing in our young preschoolers. Children who experience stronger emotional states are at increased risk for experiencing the shame-anger cycle.
As soon as I realized that sensations were the missing link to helping children understand (and ultimately regulate) their emotions, I immediately started searching for how to actually teach these concepts. Imagine my surprise when I realized there really aren’t many resources out there - especially for preschoolers!. I felt lucky enough to learn a little about interoception from some amazing occupational therapists. But there was very little that could easily be applied by parents and teachers.
Sensations are *kinda* a big deal around here, as are books. So it only makes sense for there to be a book list for discussing sensations! Books provide a safe place for children to explore and learn about more challenging concepts. Realizing that there are multiple books written on this topic helps children to realize they’re not alone - many children (and adults!) are learning about sensations.
Emotional regulation is the ability to influence and change how we respond to a situation. In the preschool classroom, young children spend their time playing in groups. While building creations in blocks center, children are expected to regulate their emotions so that when upsetting or frustrating things happen, they can problem solve in a safe fashion.
You’ve read the research, you’ve learned the skills, maybe you’ve even been to the classes. You know ‘emotional regulation’ and all the things to do when children experience strong emotions. But when do you do when a child rejects or refuses to take deep breaths or move to the cozy corner? So many of these strategies require a child does something and when a child is emotionally overwhelmed that’s often not possible!
Figuring out the unwritten rules for who is using an object and what items are available for play is a formidable task. Every day children are frustrated and confused when others take *their* items just because they weren’t using them. Luckily, we’ve broken this process down into one simple, visual, and concrete rule.
Walking down the hallway, I can hear the frantic screams and cries of a child, “I’M CALM, I’M CALM, I’M CALM!!!!!”. I walked in to find Sarah standing in the middle of the classroom, tears streaming down her face and screaming at the top of her lungs. She was anything but calm and yet here she was, declaring to the world that she was the epitome of ‘calm’. Sarah believed she was calm because she had a surface level understanding of emotions. Are you making the same mistakes when you teach emotions? Check out the vital component that might be missing.
Trajectory play is all about movement! When it comes to play schemas, most people have the most questions about how to support trajectory play - particularly when it comes to ‘safety’ concerns and supporting during inside play. Understanding what a child is interested in helps us to both suggest additional activities and to truly join a child in their play by following their lead.