The Therapy Village was created for you!
Click the video below to hear more about why I created this special membership for Early Intervention therapists
Does This Sound Familiar?
I want to make a Difference: Do you want to significantly impact your client's life and see those outcomes met more consistently?
I'm on information overload: Do you struggle to pick one continuing education class because you want to learn various skills for your practice?
I have no time to research: Are you tired of spending all your free time scrolling the internet for continuing education and parent education handouts?
I wish I wasn't alone: Would you like to discuss your challenging cases with others, enhance your clinical reasoning, and gain more treatment ideas?
I don't know what I don't know: Are you feeling unsure about your coaching skills or if you're on the right track with your clinical reasoning?
Imagine Your Path to Success
- Elevated Client Impact: Imagine feeling confident in your parent coaching skills and know you're making a substantial difference in your clients' lives.
- Diverse Learning Opportunities: Access a wide range of skills and knowledge areas tailored to your practice needs.
- One-Stop Resource Hub: Find all your continuing education and parent education materials easily and quickly.
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Collaborative Learning Environment: Brainstorm and discuss cases with experienced therapists, gaining fresh perspectives and innovative treatment ideas.
Why should I become a member of The Therapy Village?
Simple....We are better together!
If you've ever had the privilege of working in a setting where you get the chance to consistently co-treat, collaborate, and learn from other therapists, you know the value that provides.
Unfortunately, in the world of Early Intervention you are often on your own to deliver services in client's homes or daycare centers (and sometimes in our current world via teletherapy).
It can be very isolating and challenging to grow professionally. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut and feel overwhelmed.
Taking continuing education classes regularly becomes costly and time-consuming, scrolling endless Facebook groups can leave you dizzy with conflicting information, and searching for new activity ideas online and parent resources can be exhausting.
Our field changes so rapidly and it's almost impossible to keep up with it all. There's never enough time to learn all the things you want and need.
Our role as Early Interventionists not only involves working the child, but the whole family. This was something that I wasn't taught in school and frankly, I was not prepared with the knowledge to work with families to support their child. I've learned a ton along the way but I want you to know....
You don't need to know it all to be a great practitioner!
But you do need to have a good support system in place to turn to when you're feeling stuck or aren't sure about things. Community and mentorship will help you to avoid burnout and help build your confidence to enjoy this profession in the way you envisioned.
Embracing a holistic approach and strengthening your lens to understand all 5 areas of development and how they overlap is one of the keys to feeling confident in EI. This is why The Therapy Village emphasizes learning in a transdisciplinary way and from amazing experts from various disciplines.
The Therapy Village is exactly what I wish I had when I started in Early Intervention and it's what helps me to continue to grow as an experienced practitioner. It's a place where therapists with different practice experiences and knowledge come together to learn new skills, share information, and problem solve to serve our families to the best of our ability.
It's time to join The Therapy Village...where we work smarter, not harder!
Real Stories, Real Impact:
What can I expect when I join
The Therapy Village today?
A variety of EI focused masterclasses, guest interviews, mini lessons, and throughout 2024 various AOTA-approved courses to increase your EI knowledge base. (Over $1000 value)
**See complete list of content below
Done-for-you parent handouts on a variety of topics for children birth to 5 years old. Plus new resources are added regularly based on members needs. A large resource section for therapists to save you tons of time scrolling at night. ($100+ value)
**See the complete list of handouts and resources below
Monthly Q&A with Melanie, quarterly expert guests, and Therapy Village members via Zoom. Submit your questions beforehand or attend live to ask questions about YOUR caseload. All Q&A sessions will be held over Zoom and will be recorded. Times will vary throughout the year to best suit a majority of our group. Plus a private FB community to ask questions in between live events. (Priceless)
Here's the content you'll find inside The Therapy Village:
(You will have instant access to all of the following when you join today!)
Masterclasses:
(**Many of these will be updated and submitted for AOTA approval in 2024)
- Getting started with parent coaching
- Writing IFSP outcomes and IEP goals
- How to perform a parent interview
- Sensory 101 and providing sensory support through coaching
- Feeding: Helping picky eaters
- Early Intervention assessments
- Behavior 101 + case studies
Additional Masterclasses/Trainings:
- Building blocks to communication with Stacey Barnes, M.S. CCC-SLP
- How to use green screen in EI with Kylie Jeffrey, OTR from Play Spark Toys
- How to run a mom and baby class with Kaili Ets, HonBSc., MSc.Ot
- Writing functional IFSP outcomes, a joint webinar with the Division of Early Childhood
Guest Interviews (pre-recorded):
- Reflexes with guest speaker Christine Robenault, PT from Sweet Pea Pediatric Wellness
- Autism with guest speaker Meg Proctor, MS, OTR/L from Learn Play Thrive, LLC
- Breastfeeding/Bottle Feeding with guest speaker Meredith Pollaro, OTR/L, IBCLC from Nourish Nevada
- Vision Impairments with Paula Landry, EI-TVI from A Shared Vision
- Transitioning from NICU to EI-working with NICU graduates in the home with Aimee Ketchum, OTD, OTR/L, CNMI
- Sleep with Tracey Kondrasuk-Brander, OTR/L
Mini Lessons with Melanie:
- Writing daily EI notes
- Tips for children who eat non-food items (pica)
- Getting started with sensory interventions
- Working with medically fragile children
- Considerations for children with sleep disturbances
- Introducing EI to families
- Considerations when changing an IFSP outcome
- Engaging children with limited attention/play skills.
- Gaining caregivers active participation
Access to all Digital Resources in the Growing Little Brains Shop (Slide Decks and Book Activities). See a complete list of these activities at; https://growinglittlebrains.com/shop
Access to all previously recorded group coaching calls (Lots of case study brainstorming and golden nuggets in here!)
BUT WAIT! There's more!
You'll also receive access to these 50+ downloadable Parent Handouts (A Therapy Village member favorite!)
And these 50+ Compiled Resources and Handouts just for therapists!
What's new for 2024?
⭐4 New AOTA-approved learning opportunities
Topics to include:
- Coaching and motor/reflex development with Christine Robenault, PT from Sweet Pea Pediatric Wellness (completed and approved for 0.15 CEUs/1.5 contact hours)
- Coaching communication challenges for the non-SLP-with Jill Emeson, SLP @ DDRC in Lakewood, CO
- Coaching and Autism with Heather Magyar, M.A.ECSE, IMHE and Senior Developmental Therapist @ DDRC in Lakewood, CO
- Coaching and sensory/behavior/attachment with Jessica McMurdie, OTR/L, Owner, Play It Forward Therapy
⭐New parent handouts will continue to be added based on member requests/needs
⭐Live monthly Q&A sessions with Melanie and quarterly with expert guests to problem-solve case studies submitted by the group. Attend live or submit your questions/case studies beforehand.
I know you are feeling overwhelmed with information, whether you are newer to the field of Early Intervention or an experienced practitioner.
Knowledge is power! But applying new knowledge is not always straight forward or intuitive.
The Therapy Village is much different than a course! You don't need to follow a linear path from Module 1 to completion. Pick and choose the area(s) that you need more support and start there. Seek mentorship with Melanie and other Therapy Village members to work through your challenging cases. Show up consistently each month and come with an open mind and dedication to learning something small to apply to your practice.
You no longer have to do this EI journey alone!
Meet Melanie
Hi, I'm Melanie, a licensed pediatric Occupational Therapist with over 23 years of experience. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University and have certifications in infant massage, SIPT, the SOS feeding approach, Handwriting Without Tears, and the Therapeutic Listening approach. My career spans various settings, including schools, hospitals, NICU, outpatient, academia, Early Intervention, and telehealth. I'm licensed in Colorado and South Carolina.
My journey in occupational therapy began at 14, driven by a deep passion for helping children. This passion grew after I became a mother to two boys and experienced Early Intervention firsthand. I've since dedicated myself to empowering therapists and families in early childhood development and intervention.
I founded Growing Little Brains, a platform offering parent coaching and resources for therapists and caregivers, focusing on connecting, moving, and playing with young children. Additionally, I created The Therapy Village to support Early Interventionists in their practice, offering a collaborative space for learning and professional growth.
Join me in this mission to build a community of skilled, confident, and supported therapists, enhancing the lives of families and children from the start. We are better together!
See what others have to say about working with Melanie
