The Season of Thanks and Giving!

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart -- Helen Keller

Tis the season for thankful hearts, full bellies, giving to others, and spending time with friends and family! 

We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are excitedly anticipating the holidays coming up in December! 

As we reflect back on 2012, we can't help but feel very lucky. We have an amazing staff, incredible kiddos we work with, families that open their hearts and homes to us, and the chance to make a difference in someone's life. This is not a gift that we take for granted, we assure you! 

Check out a few things that our In Stepps team is thankful for this holiday season. What are YOU thankful for? 

I am thankful to have the best job in the world. I get to watch our amazing clients learn and grow every day! I am also grateful for my coworkers who demonstrate a passion and a commitment to our kids and inspire me every day. -Cheri 

I am thankful for the best friends and family that support me in everything I do, and I'm also SOOOthankful that I have a job that I absolutely love and am so excited to go to work everyday! – Julia 

I'm thankful for my good health, family, and friends- Randi 

I am thankful for family and friends, abled bodies and jobs to do, laughter and an abundance of love. I feel very blessed every day. – Lindsey 

 I am thankful for the opportunity to treat children like humans...  I Love PRT!!!- Dave

I am thankful for many things this year: an awesome job, my health, meeting wonderful new people, living next to the ocean and I would have to say...balloons. Balloons have helped me more this year then all my years combined...thank you balloons for being so much fun.- Nicole M

I am truly grateful for my family and friends, as well as for all of the wonderful children and families who I have the opportunity to work with. I know that I am blessed to have a job that I love and where I believe that I am making a difference, but I am even more fortunate to have this job which is filled with so many people who make such a positive impact on me and my life, as well.- Kimberly

I'm so thankful for laughter and children's smiles- Rebecca 

I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and be able to help spread that knowledge. Oh and thankful for warm weather this holiday season!- Leigh Ann 

I am thankful for my family, friends, and colleagues who are so supportive and inspiring. 2012 has truly been the best year yet!- Laura E

A Star, a Party, and a Baby!

 "Learning is finding out what we already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers." -- Richard Bach

2012 is slowly coming to an end. We have had such a wonderful year and would not be where we are today without the love, dedication, and hard work of our behavior therapists. So today we would like to introduce you to another shining star! John D!

Here is what a few of John's supervisors had to say about him... 

It has been an absolute pleasure working with John and collaborating with him as he has been growing as a behavior therapist.  His playfulness and grasp of the tenants of Pivotal Response Treatment translate into an approach that will encourage growth and continued success for the children he works with.  I am excited to continue working with John and am encouraged by his ability to observe and critique himself and others as it helps us all in providing a better quality of care.- Dave 

I have to begin by saying how much I love having John on my teams! He is creative, fun, and energetic. I recently had a mom say that the “best moments” of her daughter’s entire life happen with John. This doesn’t surprise me! Another thing I like about John is that he has a different style with each kid he works with. He comes up with games or activities that each specific kid would like and finds fun ways to implement the ideas in sessions. He is amazing!!!- Cheri 

John is a great therapist!  I have had the pleasure of working with him while he substituted for another therapist.  He immediately jumped into session, and built a positive relationship with the client.  On his first day at the house, he was able to target the client's goals while simultaneously building rapport.  Thanks, John!- Nicole F

I have yet to come into a session where John has not been excited to see the child he is working with.  John has made great connections with not only the children but the parents as well.  He is able to identify motivating activities for the children and continuesly give 100% throughout the sessions, especially when it comes to physical play.  John is very creative and has the children laughing and wanting to interact with him.  He has great insight to the childrens goals and communicates effectively with all team members. -Laura 

Way to go, John! Thank you for being a STEPP above! If you know John, make sure you give him a shout out! 

A couple of noteworthy events at In Stepps...

Check out our Facebook page to see our annual Holiday Party photos! You will see a lot of familiar faces. We all had a blast celebrating 2012 and visiting with our entire staff! 

A holiday party in November, you ask? Well, In Stepps is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Yvonne's baby girl, Fenna Rose! She is set to make her debut sometime in December and we just couldn't take the spotlight from her (or add one more thing to Yvonne's huge plate)! Last month we had a beautiful baby shower for Yvonne & Fenna. Check out a couple photos below: 

And finally, you may have noticed that we skipped Parent's Night Out in October. However, we WILL be having PNO in November and we will be offering a Saturday DAY out in December. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get some holiday shopping done. Keep an eye out for both Evites in the coming days. Sign up ASAP, as these months fill up quickly. 

Thank you to everyone for your continued support!