https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/about daily 1.0 2025-08-27 https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/new-page daily 0.75 2025-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1625167143683-0OH185SGHJNNUVUK54E1/DSC_6432.jpeg My Story - My Story. When I was in high school, I observed a speech therapy session at a close family friend’s private speech therapy clinic. I watched as a mother and her 5 year-old autistic son sat in a tent with a toy car. The speech therapist coached the mother to use affect to engage her child. The boy looked at his mother, a huge grin on his face and spoke his first word. The look of joy on the mother’s face lead to my knowing, right in that moment, that this was my life calling - to support parents of neurodiverse children in fostering communication and connection with their child.. I went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Jose State University. While in graduate school, I worked as a behavioral aide for an autistic child in their home and school. Dr. Pat Rydell lead this child’s team and provided me with direct mentorship implementing the SCERTS curriculum. This experience deepened my understanding of how emotional regulation impacts social communication and gave me hands on experience implementing assessment, goal development and treatment through the SCERTS framework. Since earning my speech-language pathology license and ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competency, I worked on the autism intervention team at Oakland Children’s Hospital (CHAI), at a cutting edge private practice in the East Bay and, most recently, I helped a mother of an autistic child build a non-public school in Marin County. Over the course of my career, I have been a speech and language director, clinical director, consultant to schools, Hanen Program facilitator, curriculum director, Head of School, and Director of Admissions. I am very grateful to have been directly trained by experts in the field including Dr. Mimi Lou in DIR/Floortime, Fern Sussman in Hanen More that Words, Dr. Barry Prizant in SCERTS, Sarah Ward in Executive Functioning Treatment, Leah Kuypers in the Zones of Regulation, Lynne and Robert Koegel in PRT, and Michele Garcia Winner in Social Thinking. I have worked with a number of interdisciplinary teams and have learned from special education teachers, occupational therapists, psychologists, behaviorists and resource teachers. Most importantly, I have learned from neurodiverse individuals what they want to learn and how they want to learn it - the lens that is most important to me and that continues to drive the way I teach on a daily basis. When I am not working I can be found engaging with my two inspiring daughters through imaginative horse, puppy dog and fairy princess play, drawing, storytelling, cooking, practicing yoga, playing soccer, spending time outdoors and lots and lots of singing and dancing. https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/teaching-philosophy-1 daily 0.75 2023-03-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1634665360891-531M0D7SIF89U5PO5438/DSC_6450.jpeg Teaching Philosophy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1634665204473-ZCU8YNT9E69QRCJG2EZV/pexels-sharon-mccutcheon-1148998.jpg Teaching Philosophy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1634664980994-HJTA6S2YLGRZTFGUYLJV/pexels-agung-pandit-wiguna-1128318.jpg Teaching Philosophy https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/treatment-approaches daily 0.75 2023-03-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1634319111186-BOLDM25PS6ET2KTDXQY1/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4207786.jpg Treatment Approaches - Connected Child Utilizes the Following Research-Based Curriculums Delivered Through a Neurodiversity - Affirming and Strengths-Based Approach -DIR/Floortime -Hanen More than Words -SCERTS -PRT -Early Start Denver Model -Social Thinking -The Zones of Regulation -Kimochis -Collaborative Problem Solving -The Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol (K-SLP) -Linda Mood Bell Visualizing Verbalizing -Story Grammar Marker https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/contact-us daily 0.75 2021-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1634318014891-34Y3TMYP21JOHF3PIZUY/Connected+Child+Pic+2.jpg Contact Us https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2025-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fecfaecfbf14e2399ef4102/1634590959282-IBGM3LIR9CW9UH375XPB/pexels-yan-krukov-8613319.jpg Who We Serve - Who We Serve. Connected Child specializes in working with neurodiverse children which refers to children who have differences in the way their brains function as compared to “neurotypical” children. Children we serve may have the following diagnosis. These differences are not seen as deficits but rather a different way that individuals may learn and process information. Therapies focus on helping the child and family understand the way that they learn and advocate for their needs rather than coaching them to be “more typical.” Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Asperger Syndrome (AS) Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Social Communication Disorder (SCD) Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD) Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Such neurocognitive profiles often have a great deal of gifts or strengths including: Creativity Fine detail processing Persistence Emotional sensitivity Empathy Visual learning abilities Energy Problem solving The goal of therapy at Connected Child is to highlight each individuals strengths, to celebrate the things they are good at, to help them advocate for their needs and to help educate parents and teachers about how each child learns best. https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/home daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d375649e2ffc000016e0aec/1572716064535-TQDLAWAE3QNNULKXJRR4/20140228_Trade%252B151_0067%252B%25281%2529.jpg Home - Changing the world is possible. We’ve done it before. Our leadership team bring years of experience to bear on the greatest challenge of our time. We’re results driven, with a proven record of previous successes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d375649e2ffc000016e0aec/1572716107009-6E4HJTG48SG0AXIPQ6KW/20140302_Trade%252B151_0503.jpg Home - Ready to take the next step? This is a movement of billions. Whether you’re most comfortable contributing time to help achieve our advocacy goals, money to help us grow, or energy to put political pressure on our governments to change, we need you on our team. https://www.connectedchildtherapy.com/take-action daily 0.75 2025-05-06