Positive Interactions Therapy

09/04/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CXiH5Ziz1/
I'm not endorsing the course this is advertisment for, just advocating for the idea that we should assume competence!

We see this all the time in schools.

People are doing the same drills they've been doing since their students were in kindergarten and now they're in 10th grade.

They have the same IEP goals.

They're still working on the same basic tasks.

Don't we want to ask the question, WHY?

How would you feel if at the age of 5 and the age of 15 you were working on the same thing?

Is it really that you don't know what you're doing or have you become so disenfranchised in this entire "educational" process that you've just stopped caring?

This is a theme among the things our students share. So much so that this post and our next will both address it.

Gordy tells us, "Imagine spending every day from age 5 to 21 looking at clocks, coins, and colors. Are you bored enough to riot? Are you defeated enough to unravel your shorts and eat them? I’ve been there and it sucks. If I could change just one thing about education before I die, it would be the idea that nonspeaking people can’t handle real academics. Do better."

Let's make this the year we actually follow through and do better. Want an easy place to get started? Check out this info on our Accessible Academics course - a super affordable, lifetime access, self-paced course designed to help parents or educators learn easy ways to make real academic content accessible to their learners who don't speak and may be communicating just by making choices.

We've helped more than 300 folks get started with this course. Let us help you, too.

https://www.reacheveryvoice.org/accessible-academics-course

09/02/2025

Check it out!

✨ Free play, new friends, and big smiles — it’s Play It Forward Thursday! ✨
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On Thursday, September 4th, families are invited to join us for a special day of FREE open play, sponsored by We Rock the Spectrum – Carmel. 🥳
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The goal of Play It Forward is simple: to create space for new families to discover the gym, for kids to connect through play, and for our community to grow stronger together. 💙
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✅ Free open play all day
✅ Sensory-friendly fun for ALL kids
✅ The perfect chance to check out the gym for the first time
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Tell your friends, bring a buddy, and come rock with us!
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💌 Interested in sponsoring a future Play It Forward Thursday? Reach out — we’d love to partner with you!
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08/30/2025

My place to unwind, relax, enjoy God’s beautiful creation and to refill my cup. So thankful for Lake Michigan! Praying you all have a happy place and time to enjoy it this weekend!

08/18/2025

Please share!!!! I have one appointment slot open in my fall schedule! Do you know or have a gestalt language processor? Let’s work together to help your child become a self-generating language user!

08/12/2025

Active toys don’t just help kids move-they invite spontaneous, meaningful language.
Think about the language that naturally comes with movement:
“It’s getting bigger!”
“Ready, set, go!”
Sa “So fast!”
© “Again!”
A “Wheee!”
When kids are moving, they’re often more regulated and engaged, giving us the perfect chance to model gestalts that connect with the moment.

07/31/2025

I’m using another amazing post from Meaningful Speech (whole post above in my story) to hammer home the importance of developing and using the right goals and supports for a different kind of language development. This is the start of a new school year for many. Let’s get off on the right foot so that our gestalt language processors can be successful AND we’re not feeling as parents, teachers and SLP’s, that we’re banging our heads against the wall the wall. I’ve done that. As a matter of fact, I did not understand gestalt language development for 26 of my 29 years of practice. But now I do and the progress and successes are AMAZING! Do you need help understanding if your child is a GLP? Do you need help writing goals or providing the proper support for this different kind of language development? Not only do I provide therapy exclusively to GLP’s, I provide staff training, I speak to parent groups, and I provide consultation and mentorship to those who are interested in helping the GLP’s in their lives. Drop a comment below or contact me directly.

07/29/2025

As we begin a new school year, this is my PSA for parents and professionals who work have or work with gestalt language processors. Gestalt language is a DIFFERENT kind of language development than what most people understand and learned about in grad school- most doctors, speech pathologists and teachers are not aware of this kind of language development. As a result, GLP’s are not getting the kind of therapy they need to become self-generating communicators. Different language development means we need to use different strategies!!!! If this is something new or you don’t understand but want more info, you can start by going to meaningfulspeech.com to learn more. I’m also available for ongoing consultations and mentoring. This knowledge has changed my approach COMPLETELY and as a result, I have been able to positively affect the lives of more than 80 kids in the past 3 years. I’m passionate about getting out the word about GLP’s and what kinds of support they need.

07/21/2025

Many gestalt language processors start speaking through their passions, special interests, and enthusiasms. Letters. Dinosaurs. Music. Garbage trucks.

These aren’t just “likes” or hobbies—they’re deeply meaningful and often tied to regulation, joy, and language. For many autistic children, early gestalts (scripts or echolalia) are built around what they love most.

When we join a child in their world—talking about the T-Rex, singing with them, watching the garbage truck roll by—we create opportunities to naturally model language that feels safe and exciting.

🦕 “It’s stomping!”
🎵 “Turn it up!”
🚛 “There it goes!”

These kinds of interactions can help build shared language that’s rooted in connection.

When we lean into what lights a child up, we’re not just playing—we’re supporting communication in a way that’s respectful, natural, and affirming.

07/16/2025

🍦 ICE CREAM SOCIAL THIS FRIDAY! 🍦
Join us at We Rock the Spectrum – Carmel for the sweetest day of the week!
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🗓 Friday | 11AM–4PM
💲 $20 gets you:
🍨 One delicious scoop of ice cream
🤸‍♂️ TWO hours of Open Play fun!
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Cool treats + sensory-friendly play = the perfect summer combo! ☀️
Tell your friends, bring the kiddos, and let’s chill together!
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📍No RSVP needed – just come ready to rock (and snack)!

07/15/2025

We don’t just include play—we center everything around it. Because play is how kids explore the world, process emotions, build relationships, and learn.

Our approach is child-led and play-based, which means:

We follow each child’s interests, cues, and pace. Instead of directing them, we join them—creating space for autonomy, communication, and genuine connection.

We use play as the primary tool for learning and therapy. It’s not rigid drills—it’s about movement, imagination, joy, and interaction.

This approach builds trust, encourages engagement, strengthens relationships, and allows for real growth—all while having FUN!

And yes, sometimes it gets a little messy… but that’s okay! That’s often where the magic happens.