Balanced Learning Center

Balanced Learning Center We are a 501(c)3 providing therapeutic, educational & engaging activities for individuals & families.

🎃👻 Trunk or Treat at Balanced Learning Center! 👻🎃Join us for a not-so-scary afternoon filled with fun, treats, and commu...
10/02/2025

🎃👻 Trunk or Treat at Balanced Learning Center! 👻🎃

Join us for a not-so-scary afternoon filled with fun, treats, and community connection! 🍬✨

🗓 Saturday, October 18
🕛 12–2 PM
📍 Balanced Learning Center, 45 Rock Street, Fall River, MA 02720

This family-friendly event is open to the community—costumes encouraged, smiles guaranteed! 🧡

Bring the kids, bring a friend, and come enjoy a safe, inclusive, and festive way to celebrate spooky season. 🕸🦇

🗣️✨ October is AAC Awareness Month — a time to recognize and celebrate the many ways people communicate.While we missed ...
10/02/2025

🗣️✨ October is AAC Awareness Month — a time to recognize and celebrate the many ways people communicate.

While we missed National Nonspeakers Day, we want to take this moment to lift up the voices of nonspeaking individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

AAC can look like:
💬 Communication devices and apps
🧾 Letterboards and text-to-speech
🤟 Sign language
😊 Gestures, expressions, and body language

Too often, nonspeakers are underestimated or misunderstood because they don’t use verbal speech. But communication is so much bigger than spoken words. Everyone deserves to be heard, respected, and supported in the ways that work best for them.

At Balanced Learning Center, we affirm that all communication is valid — and we are committed to creating spaces where nonspeaking individuals and AAC users are seen, included, and celebrated. 💜

Join us Tuesday 10/14/25 for this incredibly important conversation. 📱 Digital Balance: Screen Time Through a Neurodiver...
10/01/2025

Join us Tuesday 10/14/25 for this incredibly important conversation.

📱 Digital Balance: Screen Time Through a Neurodiversity-Affirming Lens

Finding balance with screen time can feel overwhelming—especially for families of neurodivergent kids. This 60-minute workshop will help you reframe digital use through a strengths-based, affirming lens so screen time becomes less about conflict and more about connection.

💡 In this interactive session, we’ll explore:
✔️ Myths & misconceptions about screen time
✔️ How digital use can be both a challenge and a source of strength
✔️ Practical strategies for creating balance without shame or stigma
✔️ Tools for better communication between parents, kids, and schools

📅 Date/Time: Tuesday, 10/14/25, 7-8:30pm
💻 Location: Virtual (Zoom link provided upon registration)

✨ Reserve your spot today: Registration link in comments.

Together, let’s shift the conversation about screen time from stress to support. 💜

🌟 Let’s Talk About Autism: Facts vs. Myths 🌟This Tuesday, September 30 at 7:30 PM ET, Balanced Learning Center’s Executi...
09/28/2025

🌟 Let’s Talk About Autism: Facts vs. Myths 🌟

This Tuesday, September 30 at 7:30 PM ET, Balanced Learning Center’s Executive Director, Dr. Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW, will join a national panel for an important conversation about autism.

Too often, myths and misinformation shape the way our communities talk about autism — and even how policies are made. This Ask Me Anything event brings together autistic voices and parents to share lived experiences, debunk harmful misconceptions, and talk about what real inclusion and support look like.

At BLC, we know that facts matter, voices matter, and community matters. 💜

🔗 Register here to join the conversation:
https://redwine-blue.zoom.us/meeting/register/SdIAd-0NSTSedtlQm0mzXg

✨ What if instead of blame, you found belonging?Too often, parents of autistic kids are met with judgment, fear, or misi...
09/27/2025

✨ What if instead of blame, you found belonging?

Too often, parents of autistic kids are met with judgment, fear, or misinformation. Empowered Connections changes that.

💜 In this 8-week program, you’ll join a small group of families to:
✔️ Build tools that actually work for your daily life
✔️ Connect with others who get it
✔️ Feel supported, not isolated

📅 Space is limited to 8–10 families.
💸 No direct cost to families—funding from United Way of Greater Fall River, Inc. covers your participation.

👉 Comment or message us to learn more.

🛑 Meltdowns are not misbehavior.When a neurodivergent child is overwhelmed, their brain isn’t choosing to “act out”—it’s...
09/26/2025

🛑 Meltdowns are not misbehavior.

When a neurodivergent child is overwhelmed, their brain isn’t choosing to “act out”—it’s signaling overload.

Here’s what can help in the moment:

1️⃣ Lower the sensory input (dim lights, turn off noise, step outside).
2️⃣ Offer co-regulation (sit nearby, breathe together, stay calm).
3️⃣ Save problem-solving for later, when their nervous system has reset.

💡 Remember: connection before correction. Every meltdown is a communication of need.

🌟 Parenting doesn’t come with a manual—but it doesn’t have to be this hard. 🌟Are you parenting a neurodivergent child an...
09/25/2025

🌟 Parenting doesn’t come with a manual—but it doesn’t have to be this hard. 🌟

Are you parenting a neurodivergent child and wishing for more support, guidance, and connection? You’re not alone.

Empowered Connections is a unique program designed just for families like yours.

Together, we’ll:

✨ Build practical tools for everyday challenges
✨ Create space for your voice and your child’s voice to be heard
✨ Connect with other parents who get it
✨ Leave each week feeling supported, not judged

📅 New cohorts are starting soon! Space is limited to 8–10 families so we can keep it personal and supportive.

💌 Comment below or message us to learn more and save your spot.

Because every family deserves to feel empowered. 💜

👋 Meet Our Facilitator: Michaela DeMattio, LMHC 💛Michaela brings compassion, creativity, and expertise to every group sh...
09/25/2025

👋 Meet Our Facilitator: Michaela DeMattio, LMHC 💛

Michaela brings compassion, creativity, and expertise to every group she leads at Balanced Learning Center. With years of experience supporting kids, she’s passionate about creating spaces where children feel safe, empowered, and celebrated for who they are.

🌟 “My favorite parts about working with kids is how resilient they are! So many of the kiddos I’ve worked with have gone through difficult things but show up with perseverance, curiosity, and honesty even when it’s hard. It’s so fulfilling to witness a child overcome their fears and hear the ‘I did it!’ moments.” – Michaela

Michaela facilitates our Lego Group for ages 7–11, where kids build more than just creations—they build confidence, friendships, and problem-solving skills. 🧩✨

📅 Tuesdays | 5:00–6:00 PM
💳 Most insurances accepted

The administration’s recent claim linking Tylenol to autism is just another fear tactic. It stigmatizes families and dis...
09/24/2025

The administration’s recent claim linking Tylenol to autism is just another fear tactic. It stigmatizes families and distracts from what really matters: supporting autistic kids in ways that help them thrive.

💜 That’s why we created Empowered Connections. This 8-week program is here to lift families up—not tear them down with fear and misinformation. Together, we’ll:
✨ Build practical tools for everyday life
✨ Connect with parents who understand
✨ Center your child’s strengths and voice

📅 Our next cohort is starting soon, with space for just 8–10 families.
💸 Thanks to funding support from the United Way of Greater Fall River, Inc. , there’s no direct cost to families.

Let’s push back against fear with community, connection, and empowerment. ✨

👉 Message us today to save your spot.

👋 Meet Our Facilitator: Liz Austin, LMHC 💛Liz is passionate about creating inclusive, supportive spaces where kids can s...
09/24/2025

👋 Meet Our Facilitator: Liz Austin, LMHC 💛

Liz is passionate about creating inclusive, supportive spaces where kids can shine. She brings warmth, creativity, and clinical expertise to every group she leads at Balanced Learning Center.

🌟 “I love working with kids because of their creativity, enthusiasm, and unique ways of engaging with the world. It’s so rewarding to help create an inclusive, supportive space in our groups where they feel empowered to be themselves, explore their interests, and build confidence in their own voice. Every day brings something new, and I feel lucky to be a part of that!” – Liz

Liz facilitates our Executive Functioning Group (ages 11–14) and Creative Arts Group (ages 7–11), where kids strengthen skills, build friendships, and discover the power of self-expression. 🎨🧠✨

📅 Mondays & Wednesdays | Evenings
💳 Most insurances accepted

Why We Don’t Do “Social Skills Training” Groups At Balanced Learning Center, you won’t see us running “social skills” gr...
09/23/2025

Why We Don’t Do “Social Skills Training” Groups

At Balanced Learning Center, you won’t see us running “social skills” groups—because those often focus on teaching kids to mask or perform in ways that aren’t authentic. That approach can be harmful, especially for neurodivergent youth.

Instead, we believe that real social growth happens through shared experiences and interests. ✨

🌟 That’s why our groups are interest-based and therapeutic. Whether it’s building with Legos, creating art, or working on executive functioning through games and teamwork, kids connect naturally when they’re doing something they enjoy.

💡 In these spaces, children and teens can:
🤝 Build genuine friendships
💬 Practice communication in authentic ways
💖 Gain confidence by being themselves

When kids share an interest, social development happens authentically. It’s not about scripts or forced interactions. It’s about joy, creativity, and connection.

📅 Tuesdays, 5:00–6:00 PM
👩‍🏫 Facilitated by Michaela DeMattio, LMHC
💳 Most insurances accepted

Spots are limited—reserve your child’s spot today!

Address

45 Rock Street
Fall River, MA
02720

Telephone

+15089429948

Website

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