Getting the Words Out: tantrums

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

An open letter to the world..on behalf of "My parents"

Posted by Dani, Speech-Language Pathologist

Dear parents everywhere,

Let me first state that I am not yet a parent. More specifically, I am not a parent of child with special needs and/or interfering behaviors. That being said, I have gained significant experience in counselling, educating, and collaborating with parents who raise children with a range of diagnoses including Autism and PDD-NOS ("my parents"). I give credit to my amazing coworkers who I continue to learn from every day, the strong and loving parents who share with us their most vulnerable states and rawest emotions regarding raising a child with special needs/interfering behaviors, and most of all, I accredit the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (it's science! it works!)

I can't even begin to describe the strength and perseverance I see in so many of my parents. I assure you that my parents come from ALL walks of life. I assure you that despite socioeconomic, cultural, and religious differences-- my parents have MANY things in common. The obvious commonality is the fact that they are parents of children with special needs. More importantly, they all love their children deeply and enter into Early Intervention for that very reason-- to try and find the best and most effective way to help their children.

Friday, September 28, 2012

I'm just an SLP livin in an ABA world... :)

Posted by Dani, Speech-Language Pathologist

Hello everyone! This is my first time blogging so hang in there! I am a part of a dynamic team of amazingly intelligent and passionate women who kick some major butt at their jobs (to quote Heather from Real Housewives of New York City- "HOLLAA!!") and I represent the "Speechie" of the group.

Like many speechies, I was groomed against ABA (applied behavior analysis) during my undergrad and graduate years (I more specifically remember my grad school childhood language professor emphasizing the unnaturalness of using ABA for language development). All in all- I was taught that ABA is this terrible old school way of teaching children.

Our Mission

As professionals, our mission is to provide excellent and meaningful services in the world of autism, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Early Childhood Special Education. As colleagues, our mission is to drive and support one another. As bloggers, our mission is to share our process with other professionals, individuals, and families affected by autism. We have created this forum as a place where we can get our words out, and hope that we will inspire others to do the same. Change and progress often begin with conversation. Simply getting the words out—sharing a thought, asking a question, reaching out for help—is often the start of something wonderful. As we take this journey together, we reflect on our thoughts, experiences, mistakes and victories along the way. With every amazing child we work with, we become increasingly aware that they too are our teachers. This is a learning process for us all, and the best teachers are the ones who always remain students. It is our wonderful, talented, and unique children who inspire us to learn more. It is for them that we strive to be our best and to do our best. We do not have all the answers, but we are committed to the search. This is a place for us to share our journey and to invite others into our team. We hope that you will join us in getting the words out.