Guess Who Turned Two??

“So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you'll move mountains.” 

-- Dr. Seuss: Oh, the Places You'll Go!

We did!!! And what a celebration we had!

In July of 2010, In Stepps saw our very first client. We have come SO far since then... it's sort of mind boggling when we stop and think about it. With all the hard work from our FABULOUS directors, administrative team, psychologists, teachers, supervisors, parent consultants, therapists, and most importantly, In Stepps parents and kiddos, we have indeed MOVED mountains! 

If you have been with us since the beginning, you may remember our meetings in Yvonne's dining room and supervision meetings on her couch, the first cases, moving into our office (before the expansion), and talking about plans for the future. Since then, our growth has included an abundance of new faces, PNO, our first Open House, family photo days, parent focus groups, Learning In Stepps, Lego Camp, extensive staff training and team building, workshops, Autism Speaks walks, resource fairs, and so much more! 

First and foremost, we would like to say THANK YOU to our staff, families, friends, and supporters. So many of In Stepps' triumphs would not have been possible without you, and that is the truth. You have all contributed so much and we will be forever thankful. 

To our 'clients' (we put clients in quotes because you are more than clients, you have become an extension of our In Stepps family): thank you for putting your trust in us. Your kids have become the light in all of our eyes and without your commitment, the hours you put in, and the work you do our job would only be half complete. You are all just as important as our staff and we believe that you are such an enormous part of the daily progress you see in your homes. We are all a team! 

As for our birthday celebration (because what birthday would be complete with out a cake, candles, good food, and laughter?) ... check out the pictures below. Thank you to all that helped make the party happen! It was a blast! 

And finally, we would like to remind everyone that In Stepps' journey is far from complete! We currently have some amazing projects on our plate that we cannot wait to share with all of you. This is only the beginning for us, and we hope that you will all celebrate each milestone with us as we continue. 

Thank you again! Looking forward to another year... 

Three Bright Stars!

"The difference between try and triumph is a little 'umph.'"

It's that time again! Wow... We are finding it harder and harder to pick people to recognize each month. We have so many incredible, dedicated, and hard working team members! A lot of thought goes into this process, so if you get a chance please say "congrats" to any In Stepps Stars you come across! They deserve so much praise and recognition! 

Here are three more amazing, stellar, shining stars we'd like to introduce to you! These therapists have so many great qualities, as you will read below, and we are so lucky to have them working with our kiddos! Please meet Jeanette, Kelsey, and Darin-- they are a STEPP above! 

Jeanette

Jeanette has so much energy! She does her best to make every session fun! From preparing arts and crafts for sessions to developing elaborate pretend play themes, Jeanette makes sure her kids are having fun! Thank you for all your hard work Jeanette!—Nicole H.

Jeanette brings enthusiasm and creativity to each session. She often creates arts and crafts projects in advance to do with her clients.—Cheri  

Jeanette has been a wonderful addition to Parent’s Night Out! She is always willing to give up a Friday night to join us and the kids love her. I appreciate so many things about Jeanette including her flexibility, her playfulness, and her proactive and positive attitude! – Lindsey 

Kelsey

Kelsey is an incredibly enthusiastic and energetic therapist.  Every time I go out to see her, I know that I will be having a good time, the child will be having a good time and that Kelsey will be having a good time. She is so creative and goes above and beyond to find ways to motivate and engage the kiddos that she works with.  She is a natural that this job... she came in here from day one, impressing me with her positive attitude, great implementation of PRT, and her ability to adapt to any child in any environment.  Kelsey is such an amazing asset to the In STEPPS family.  I don't know what we would do without her.  Thanks for all your hard work Kelsey!—Kimberly 

Kelsey can make anything fun!  Kelsey's highly energetic and creative personality make her an asset to her teams and Learning In Stepps (LIS).  Her ability to think on her feet and problem solve is impressive.  She is a great collaborative member of all of her teams and LIS.  Kelsey is a pleasure to work with!—Nicole H.

Kelsey comes to every session with a smile on her face! Her positive attitude, creativity, and high energy are just a few of the things that make her an important part of each team she is on. – Lindsey 

The first word I would use to describe Kelsey is brave.  She is not afraid to bring in videos where she is struggling with a child and is constantly taking notes for how to improve her implementation of PRT.  Kelsey is very playful!  She's great at making silly animal sounds and other sound effects to keep her clients engaged in activities.  Another area in which Kelsey excels is providing adjusted values of reinforcement dependent upon how the child responds.  However, the area I am most impressed by is Kelsey's ability to identify her own mistakes and come up with solutions that make sense.—Dave K. 

Kelsey is tremendous.  Her natural enthusiasm is contagious. She gets just as excited about throwing and popping a water balloon as her kiddos do which allows her to effortlessly maintain motivation and momentum throughout a play activity. She has an uncanny ability to know and do the next indicated step. There have been numerous times I've had to stop myself from telling or asking Kelsey to do something because I realize that she is one step ahead of me, already doing it. She is constantly looking for and finding ways to be of assistance.  She has great creative ideas and a wonderful ability to look at challenges from different angles, always with a positive attitude.  It's a pleasure to work along side Kelsey.—John G.

Kelsey is a team member of our new Learning In Stepps (LIS) Saturday morning program for young learners here at In Stepps. Kelsey has the unique role of assisting both our Learners, and our lead therapist throughout our LIS sessions. As the Instructional Facilitator , Kelsey helps our Learners follow through with task while taking cues from the Lead Therapist as to the direction of the session. It is a unique position as it entails a person who can manage multiple Learners, and follow a group leader. Kelsey is a gem of a Facilitator! She has a calm easy-going manner which translated into established positive relations with each of our Learners. Her prompting and prompt-fading strategies are emerging wonderfully for multiple Learners. Kelsey’ enthusiasm for the Learners is obvious and infectious! But, there is more, Kelsey is given the added responsibility for helping with the creation of curricula. She has created puppets for stories that are unique and endearing! The Learners love it. I am proud to have her as part of the LIS Team! – Eliza

Darin

Darin is a wonderful therapist who works diligently to be creative and support the kids he is working with. He is a joy to have on any team, and parents have said how much he goes "above and beyond the expectations for their children" in order to help them reach their goals! Thank you Darin!—Elise

I really appreciate Darin's willingness to speak up during Supervision and Support meetings.  Often, lately, Darin is the first to speak up with a comment when the group is asked to provide feedback for their peers.  He brings in video clips where he targets goals in creative ways and keeps up extremely high energy.  Recently Darin was invited to our training for Play Date Facilitation.  In the few weeks since I have heard many reports of Darin's dramatic improvement in facilitating play.  One area that I am especially excited about for Darin is his ability to problem solve during Support.  His "critical eye" is becoming more and more focused on the tenants of PRT and he is usually able to point out mistakes quickly, concisely, and correctly. – Dave K. 

Darin is a great therapist and very playful!  Darin always keeps me and the rest of his team updated on our client's progress, and takes initiative to introduce new targets.  Great job, Darin!—Nicole F. 

Darin's positive attitude and consistent effort at his job have been a great addition to the teams I share with him.  Darin is flexible, collaborative, and takes feedback and direction like a champ.  He has always stepped up to the plate when it comes to covering hours, whether it's for his own clients or for others.  Darin frequently plans new and fun ways to target goals, and this is a part of why his kiddoes are always so excited to see him.  Great job, Darin!   -- Nicole H.