Joleen R. Fernald Pediatric Therapy Services

Understanding the Divide: ABA and Occupational Therapy in Autism Support In the landscape of autism support services, few topics generate as much debate as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) versus Occupational Therapy (OT). Both fields share a commitment to helping individuals thrive in their daily lives — but their conceptual foundations, methods, and professional prepa...

📚✨ Happy Read Across America Day! ✨📚

Today we celebrate the power of stories, connection, imagination, and shared experiences — and that’s what we do every single day in our DIRFloortime world. 💛

Reading isn’t just about decoding words. It’s about:
🌈 Building emotional connection
🧠 Growing flexible thinking
💬 Expanding communication
❤️ Strengthening relationships

When we sit beside a child and enter their story world — whether it’s dinosaurs 🦖, princesses 👑, trucks 🚛, or a favorite repetitive page they want “AGAIN!” — we’re supporting regulation, engagement, and intentional communication.

For our kids with selective mutism, autism, or other neurodivergent profiles, reading together can be a low-demand, high-connection way to:
✨ Practice shared attention
✨ Build expressive language
✨ Increase initiation
✨ Explore feelings safely through characters

Today, read with wonder. Read with warmth. Read at their pace.
Let them turn the pages. Let them script it. Let them lead.

Because literacy grows best in relationship. 💫

What are you reading today? Drop your favorite children’s book below! 👇📖