Happy Nest Therapy Center

20/08/2025

09/08/2025

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀.
Family rituals like these help children feel safe, seen, and loved—whether they speak, sign, point, draw, or simply stay close.

For our neurodivergent kids, these aren’t just cute family moments. They are how we build trust, joy, and lifelong connection.

Which one will you try at home today? 🐣

02/08/2025

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟯!

Munting Hiraya is a weekend play class where young learners explore, connect, and grow through meaningful and culturally relevant activities.

Happening every Saturday for 4 months, this program welcomes children ages 3 to 7. With our nurturing approach and small group setting, each child is supported in their own unique journey.

📍 San Fernando, Pampanga
🕘 Every Saturday | 1 hour

Slots are limited. Message us to reserve yours today!

30/07/2025

I used to casually say words like rigid, noncompliant, or low functioning in my reports and feedback time. For me, it was just describing what I saw. But as I learned deeper about the neurodivergent community, a lot changed.

I learned about the why’s of behavior: how “rigid” is often a child needing predictability and safety, how “noncompliant” could be a struggle to process instructions, and how “low functioning” dismisses the unique strengths hidden behind their limitations. These words, though familiar to professionals, carried pain for families who heard them.

I remember the first time someone not-so-gently reminded me to listen to neurodivergent people, wag ko ipilit yung sakin kahit professional ako. At first, I felt defensive. Sabi ko sa sarili ko compassionate naman ako, with good intentions naman ako...

But as I listened and read more, I remembered… 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. If we describe a child as “noncompliant,” we might fail to see their struggles to process instructions. If we call them “rigid,” we miss out on understanding their need for predictability and safety.

What if we changed “obsessions” to “deep interests or passions”?
What if we said “has difficulty with transitions” instead of “noncompliant”?
What if we replaced “low functioning” with “benefits from more support”?

Words aren’t just words. They carry weight. They can either empower or reduce a person to a label.

✨ I still catch myself sometimes. But I keep learning, unlearning, and trying again. Because the way we talk about them changes the way we see them… and the way they see themselves.

In my webinars, we dive deeper into understanding these behaviors, their underlying skills, and how we can better communicate with and support our children, starting with the words we use everyday.

Join my recorded webinars 👉 https://forms.gle/tB7qd13aaVBoXAqW7

24/07/2025

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Their routines are disrupted. Their energy might be harder to match.

Some children may move more. Others may withdraw. They may not have the best words for what they feel, but their body tells the story.

Now more than ever, it helps to slow down.

To connect.

To notice what your child is showing you and respond with warm, responsive care.

You do not need to fix everything. Sometimes, just being there with your child is already more than enough.

22/07/2025

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘀𝘁: 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝟮 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲!

Give your child the confidence to soar in school through fun, structure, and support.

Our Saturday school readiness class is designed for learners ages 3 to 7, and will be facilitated by Teacher Jess and Teacher Arnie. With our intentionally small class size, each child receives the guidance they need to thrive.

🗓 August to December 2025
📍 Happy Nest Therapy Center
⏰ Every Saturday (1.5 hours)

Slots are limited. Message us to learn more!

22/07/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 🌼

Therapy is often measured in goals and outcomes. But at its core, it begins with something deeper: a willingness to show up with presence, humility, and care.

Last July 13, two of our Occupational Therapists Teacher Niche and Teacher Margaux joined the Healthcare for Down: Multi-Specialty Medical Mission by the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, Inc. With gentle hands and listening hearts, they spent the day connecting with children and families in the Down Syndrome community, many of whom were accessing these services for the first time.

As pediatric therapists, we carry with us more than techniques or programs. We carry an advocacy for inclusion, for dignity, and for every child’s right to be seen and supported.

We are grateful for teammates who live out this advocacy wherever they go, with intention, compassion, and grace.

14/07/2025

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵-𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Last July 12–13, Teacher Tish and Teacher Mika joined fellow speech-language pathologists at the 2025 PASP Convention held at The Bellevue Manila, a gathering centered on contextualized and transformative practice in our Filipino setting.

The sessions explored areas that deeply resonate with our work at Happy Nest:
🧠 Executive Function
🗣️ AAC
💻 Prevocational Skills
🪞 Reflective Practice
🌏 Cultural Competence & Humility

These conversations around identity, inclusion, and family-centered care reminded us that therapy isn’t just about techniques—it’s about relationships, advocacy, and honoring the journeys of the children and families we work with.

We carry these reflections with us as we continue to grow, not just as therapists, but as partners in every child’s story.

08/07/2025

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁?

It’s not because children are lazy or distracted—it’s because their brains are still learning to make the right connections. Reading is a complex process, and it takes time, support, and the 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

On July 4, 2025, we held our 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙉𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 with Teacher Fides Mendoza, MAEd, LPT, a USA-based Reading Specialist.

Reading is hard, but never impossible. Let’s keep showing up for our kids. 💛

04/07/2025

As a speech and language pathologist, I often meet persistent and loving parents who are eager to put their child in speech/language therapy, but are subtly hesitant when I recommend occupational therapy (OT) simultaneously. Their usual response? “Speech lang naman ang concern, bakit kailangan pa ng OT?” 💭

‼️ Here’s what I try to explain:
A child has to be (1) regulated, (2) engaged, and (3) able to attend before meaningful communication can develop. That’s where occupational therapy comes in. It helps build foundations for communication through movement, play, and sensory work that support the brain, which directly support speech and language progress

Think of OT as the “soil” that speech grows from 🌱 Without it, overall therapy progress may be slow or stalled

Let’s give children what they truly need; not just speech, but the support that helps speech come alive 🗣️ I know it can feel like “extra” work or expense, but when we give them what they truly need, that’s when the real breakthroughs begin 💚

03/07/2025

🧠 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.
Each child brings a unique combination of strengths, preferences, and ways of engaging with the world. By taking the time to truly understand each child's individual differences, we can create meaningful connections and support development.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀.

01/07/2025

We’re opening limited slots for our Speech Therapy Support Package—made for children who haven’t started yet, and for parents who’ve been waiting too long for guidance.

Includes:
✔️ 1-hour screening
✔️ Home instruction program
✔️ 2–3 follow-up sessions (as slots allow)

Not a replacement for ongoing therapy, but a gentle first step for families still waiting to begin. 💛

📩 Message us to learn more.