People of Northwest Arkansas
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People of Northwest Arkansas
Empowering Young Voices: The Parenting Journey and Quest for Accessible Child Communication
This episode is brimming with laughter and revelations as we discuss parenting kids who are eager to carve out their unique identities. Join us and expert speech pathologists, Brie Norton and Lynsey Phillips, as we dive into their groundbreaking work in alternative communication for children. We promise a blend of heartwarming stories and eye-opening discussions that showcase just how they are empowering our young ones to express themselves in ways that speak volumes.
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okay. So, danielle, how old are your kids? Again, they are 11 and 8. 11 and 8. Okay. Mine are 10 and 6, and I feel like my 10 year old thinks she's a teenager already. Oh yes, are you getting?
Speaker 2:that I'm getting that from my eight year old, from ardelia oh yeah, she says like that's just not my vibe I was like I'm sorry, what? What did you just say? Yeah, they always have a vibe. They always have a vibe, although liam does call me bruh all the time yeah, so he has some little high school.
Speaker 1:We talked about this with vibes.
Speaker 2:Yes, about the bruh, the bruh. Do you get the mom to mommy, mommy, mom, bruh. I we skipped mom completely. He just says bruh all the time, unless he's tired or wants to cuddle or is like hurt or something, then it's mommy, otherwise, hey bruh.
Speaker 1:Oh, my god, I know, I know yeah, I, my kids had a glow party and my six-year-old was still wanted to be seen with me. But my 10 year old was humiliated that I came on to the dance floor and acknowledged like that she was my daughter, and I think she literally just ran away because I didn't see her for like a while Of course she did.
Speaker 1:And when she came back she was like beet red. She's just been running away from me and I was trying to look for her for like ever, oh my god yeah, I love being nice to your mom.
Speaker 2:I know seriously I didn't know this would happen at 10. I know there's so many things that happen at this age, like frame, like they're trying to like grab on to all that independence even more than before. Yes, like I've got a mind of my own, I can think I'm my own person, like this is who I am and they're just kind of figuring a lot out and trying to decide.
Speaker 1:We should ask our guests, because they are.
Speaker 2:They are the experts.
Speaker 1:Yes, they are the experts. We have Bree Norton, hello, and she's a speech pathologist with Bentonville Schools. And then we have Lindsay Phillips hey, pathologist with Bentonville Schools. And then we have Lindsay Phillips hey, she's also a speech pathologist, but she's with the children's therapy team.
Speaker 2:And while I would like to ask them why our kids are calling us a bruh. Yes, please, as that does involve speech. We're going to talk a little bit more about speech that truly matters.
Speaker 5:I think that matters. I think, bruh is really important.
Speaker 2:Okay, I want to hear Tell me. I'm just excited.
Speaker 5:I have a couple years, so that happens, it won't be bra anymore. No, I hope that does I can't imagine what it's going to be then I'm scared.
Speaker 2:It might still be bra. You're just a couple years away. I didn't know if it was going to be bra for me either.
Speaker 1:Hey, you should add that to your iPad with the images.
Speaker 3:Okay, it has a picture of your mom, really yeah, so like words like fam and stuff like that, yeah, we actually do because you know they want to be cool too yeah, I guess, if bra is cool yeah, bra is so cool question is riz on there. Yeah, yes, I also think it's dangerous when adults are adding these words, because, like, are they really the cool words?
Speaker 1:Or you know you should consult Gen Alpha or Gen Z, I don't even know who to consult anymore. Or.
Speaker 5:Danielle's kids, my children, you'll have to. Yeah, we'll get with them.
Speaker 2:I don't think my kids are really. I think they're a little behind the curve.
Speaker 1:So let's hear about how you two met, because you work in the same field but different areas, but your work it goes hand in hand. You guys collaborate. Tell us how you two met.
Speaker 5:So initially we worked in the schools together. Lindsay used to work in the Benamo schools before she transitioned to private therapy, so we're both speech pathologists. Transitioned to private therapy so we're both speech pathologists. We both work with kiddos with different communication needs. And when she started working in private therapy and I was in the schools, we both specialized in alternative communication. So working with kids with complex communication needs that needed some kind of communication system put in place to support their spoken language, and when we were doing that we felt completely alone and overwhelmed and didn't know how to move forward and we found each other. I feel like during that journey, yeah.
Speaker 3:So I started the augmentative communication program at Children's Therapy Team in 2013 or 2014 and kind of lone wolfed it for a while. What year did you get the position at?
Speaker 5:It was about eight years ago now eight or nine years ago, so I can't do math.
Speaker 2:I can't do math either. We don't do that. We do language Exactly Good, I don't do math either.
Speaker 3:So we'll let these, the people who are listening- figure out what year that was. But, anyways, I lone wolfed it for a while and it's tough out there and you know there's not at that point there wasn't a lot of other programs in the area and then when I found out my friend also was doing something similar, I was like so want to help each other.
Speaker 4:Let's talk.
Speaker 3:Yeah, let's talk. And so we just kind of met and started to figure out that we're both kind of needing to support each other and we're like all right, well, let's, let's do some work together, and we've been collaborating ever since.
Speaker 1:So we have to share this because I actually got an email, or Danielle and I both did. We got an email from both Bree and Lindsay because they were in Orlando at the same time that we were. And were you guys both speaking at the conference?
Speaker 5:Yeah, we were both doing a presentation. Yeah, the conference on alternative communication.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we do webinars on collaboration actually. And then which is actually really funny, because when I was in college I hated group work you did, yes, yes, group projects.
Speaker 1:I was like I'm out of here, but this is a partner right, so maybe a bit little more. We're both super type.
Speaker 5:A, so it really works out. We collaborate well together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because in group projects there's always, I feel like, if you're type A, too, yeah, then everyone else just lets you do the work, and so that's why it's annoying. Exactly yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, bree and I have worked together long enough now that we're able to like be up front with each other about, like, what we're able to do and what's reasonable for us and what we think we can manage, which is always way more than we originally thought we would do. Very true.
Speaker 3:Yes, way more than we originally thought we would do. Very true, yes, we found ourselves in Orlando and our presentation then was about augmentative communication and we actually did some case studies on a couple of kids that we've shared together. So we also have kids that attend Bentonville Public Schools but go to children's therapy team for additional therapy after school, and so those kids were able to like really work together and help them. You know, not only learn or be making progress in therapy, but also at school, because you know we communicate everywhere we go.
Speaker 1:Okay, so the purpose is so that you can basically bridge the gap between both of those therapies, right, yeah?
Speaker 5:Okay of get these kiddos to authentically communicate everywhere they go and just build awareness for those around them about how to support them and learning to communicate and kind of like a foreign language.
Speaker 1:The systems we're teaching them aren't what people traditionally communicate with, so just figuring out how exactly to bridge that gap I love that that you both, as professionals, saw there was an area where there was, there was a, there was a need, and they weren't, you know, having that fulfilled by you know it was two independent systems and now you're kind of making that synchronize and work together. So do you feel like the parents have given you a lot of positive feedback about that, because then they're able to have their, you know, seeing both those systems work together. Have you seen a lot of feedback?
Speaker 3:I think the parent feedback is the best part of this job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it definitely is yeah.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 3:When, when a parent you know isn't sure if their child's going to be able to communicate, and they're getting mixed stories or mixed advice from one professional and then completely different from another professional, and they're just like pulled in so many directions and they just want their child to be successful and the feedback that we get is that it's just refreshing to hear the same stories and have their teachers work together with their therapists that are outside providers, and that their kids just continue to make progress, and way more than they originally thought maybe and can you describe for our listeners?
Speaker 1:they may not know what the do you say. Is it augmentative, augmentative and alternative? Okay, can you explain kind of what?
Speaker 5:that means so augmentative communication, when a child can't speak in like we'll call mouth words and traditional speech, we help support to augment or find an alternative means to communicate. So augmented and communication may mean that they have some verbal language but it doesn't meet all their needs. So maybe they can say a couple of things but they're not understood by others, or they only have a couple words they can say or a couple kinds of things they can say. So we're going to augment it by providing another means of communication. So we use iPads, a lot and different types of technology to supplement their verbal speech, or it might be like a communication binder or something like that. Alternative communication means that, for whatever reason, their spoken speech mechanism doesn't work, so they can't use mouth words, so they need an alternative means to communicate.
Speaker 2:So it's just a fancy, fancy way to say that okay, so one is an is an assistance to yeah, one supplements and one kind of replaces, I guess yeah that's really cool, and how do you utilize those tools in your therapy that you're providing for kids and for others outside and inside the schools?
Speaker 3:So our population. We call them complex communicators. So it looks different for every kid, depending on what abilities they have and what their motor skills are. Where they're like Brisa are they able to say some words but not others, and so it just really depends on each specific kid. There are tons and tons and tons of options out there and different ways that you can access, like Bree said, an iPad, for example. You know if the kid has the ability to use their hands to touch the device to have it speak for them, but other kids they can't use their hands, and so they might use their eyes to select things speak for them, but other kids they can't use their hands, and so they might use their eyes to select things on a screen. So it can get really, really high tech. Or different access methods and different vocabulary systems. That's amazing.
Speaker 5:In the Ben and Will schools we have over 175 students using some means of alternative communication. That's a lot of kids. Yeah, it's a pretty big population and they're all so different, so different and, like this year, right now we're working on pre-K transition, so kids coming into the schools and we have so many new families we'll be welcoming in that have kiddos that are alternative communicators. So it's neat to see how it's grown in this area so much.
Speaker 3:What really excites me is when I first started the program at Children's Therapy Team, I was getting a lot of kids that were 12 years old or 14 years old that were unable to speak and had nothing, no technology to support their communication, no even paper-based systems, which we do still use, by the way.
Speaker 3:We all communicate in different ways, so paper-based is totally fine, but when you're 14, you probably have more to say than what you can fit on a 8 by 11 inch piece of paper. So when I first started the program, there wasn't a lot available here, and so I was getting kids that were older and didn't have anything. And now I'm getting kids that are like two and their parents are like I think there might be something going on here. And so we're starting really, really young, and by the time they get to school a lot of the kids that Bree's seeing at preschool transitions they're already up and running, and what's cool is hopefully they will start talking and they won't need it anymore, but if not, they've already spent all this time learning so that by the time they're starting school they have a language system and a way to share that with the world.
Speaker 2:That's so amazing. Technology is so cool.
Speaker 1:I know I was just thinking about how iPads and technology can get a bad rap with parents, but if it's used in a productive manner, it can change somebody's life. I mean, can you imagine these families that weren't able to communicate with their children and then able to?
Speaker 2:carry on.
Speaker 2:It kind like chokes me up a little bit just thinking about it and thinking about how sometimes we take so much for granted just a conversation with you know and I, and listening to the two of you speak and we talked to you even before recording but just listening to the things that you're doing is kind of a humbly humbling experience for me, or just even like a I don't know if wake up call is the right word I'm trying to think of the right terminology that I want to say. But, like I don't have kids with special needs, I don't have kids that need speech, help my kids. They do well and I'm not trying to say this in a braggy type of way. I'm very proud of my kids and I push them and I encourage them to do well and they do well in school.
Speaker 2:But I think, as a mom with kids who do well and score high on the tests and get great feedback from teachers, I really take for granted sometimes the parents who are out there with kids who are struggling and they don't know how to help them. They don't know what to do, they don't maybe know what tools are available, and the fact that we have that and that we have people like you that are doing that, it chokes me. I'm like let's not cry again, danielle, but it just makes me appreciate what you're doing and knowing that there are people out there that are getting the help they need and that our technology has grown so much and designed for this. I know we talked a little bit about technology, but how are these families accessing this technology and how are you able to provide that for them?
Speaker 5:In the Benneville schools. We're pretty lucky in that we have a pretty large resource of different things we can provide our families to help support them if they're on this journey. But for people that are just part of the community, there's also funds and assistive technology available to them that they can access. One of the programs we have in the state is called ICANN and it makes any form of assistive technology, whether it's for communication or a wheelchair, like switches all different types of tools accessible to people that live here in Northwest Arkansas. So we help facilitate that program.
Speaker 3:So to actually some of these devices are really expensive.
Speaker 3:I mean you can imagine that eye gaze type of technology is not cheap. Right, it's getting cheaper. The iPad's actually starting to work through some of that. They have face recognition now you know, like you have on your phone, but it's getting more and more accessible to the public. But it's still really expensive if you want it to be fast, like what you need for communication. So a lot of families are using their insurance and if not, there's a lot of grant programs out there. We have a few different programs here in Northwest Arkansas, actually through the autism group and the down syndrome group, that will help with that.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and there's also some that are offered by the national organizations for different diagnoses.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I imagine that would be incredibly expensive and not everyone's insurance might cover everything that they need.
Speaker 3:You can access an iPad. I mean, a new iPad is not cheap. Oh no, the apps are not cheap. You need a high quality case. If you're working with a kid, you know they're five, you don't want it to break. Right, and you need additional accessories that you might not need if you're just using an iPad for play.
Speaker 3:You know. So a carrying strap and a stand and all these things that you know we don't think about with just a regular iPad. So an iPad can easily be what $2,000, $2,500 by the time you've paid for all the things, that's insane.
Speaker 1:I want to back up a little bit, because you both shared your personal stories with us. Just tell us how you came to the area and got into this field of work and if there was some sort of personal experience that inspired you to go into this field, because it is so specialized and it is something that is so impactful to the community and you are definitely trailblazers and bringing more to this area that is obviously in need. So I want to hear how you two came to this field.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I always knew I wanted to work with kids and I went to undergrad for psychology and education and when I graduated I went and I taught at a school for preschoolers and I saw someone coming in and out of the classroom where I was with like 40 kids and they were taking one kid out at a time and working with them and I was like I want to do what she's doing. So I found out what she was doing and she was a speech therapist, so I decided to go back to graduate school for that and then, upon graduating, my boyfriend at the time now my husband was moving down here to Northwest Arkansas and I came kicking and screaming oh yeah, because you're from New York, I'm from New York.
Speaker 3:Yes, she said she wasn't staying. I said I wasn't staying, it was two years. I said the same thing.
Speaker 1:Yes, you're like two years done, then I'm out.
Speaker 5:I'm back, but I fell in love with the area and then I started working in the Venmo schools and I've been there ever since and I just loved it and this population, the population of kiddos with complex needs. When I started working with them I just saw how much their world can change by being given access, access to a voice, access to participation, and I just knew that was like a special place in my heart. So just kind of a quick version of my story.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I wish I had a similar story about how I got brought to speech pathology.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hey, stop for a second, lindsay, your story is important.
Speaker 3:I took a career development test.
Speaker 2:Hey that's me hey but similarly good to know that those tests work.
Speaker 1:I know they do. There are people out there who need career development tests.
Speaker 3:See, your story's great. It is good. But I come from a long line of counselors and teachers and similarly I knew I didn't want to work with groups. But I love the field of education and I love connecting with families, like you would in counseling, and every time I took a career development test, the first one, number one, was teacher, number two was counselor and I had already ruled those out.
Speaker 3:And so I'm a junior in college and my advisor was like Lindsay, you need to pick a major. And I was kicking and screaming no-transcript. Shout out to this mom, she's also a speech pathologist and was inspired by him and he was using a paper-based communication system, unable to talk, and that's kind of when I was drawn to this really specialized area and so when I first, I was still in college and didn't have my speech pathology degree yet and I was already interested in AAC.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Do you ever keep up with him or have any tabs on him?
Speaker 3:Oh, for sure. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, he's out there drinking wine and asking for he's. I think he's 25 or 26 now um, but he, yeah, he uses an ipad and I think he still does use a paper-based system and is actually able to say some words now and it's awesome, um, because his mom's an slp and and is a what, what does she call it?
Speaker 1:never say, uncle, so she like never gives up and yeah I love that because I think that's encouraging for a lot of families and parents out there that maybe have a young child that's trying to. You know work on communicating that it's really unknown what each child would do. Would you agree with that? It's kind of unknown, you can't really say. Or do you find that there's trends as long as certain paths are taken?
Speaker 3:It's. It's really different, like I said for each kid. What I think is most important is to not limit the potential and just believe that your child's going to do whatever they're able to do and celebrate that right. So you know, people are always like well, the goal is to get them to talk. The goal is to get them to talk, and I'm like no, the goal is to have them be able to connect with people in a way that makes them fulfilled and brings their unique abilities oh, I love to the world right, so they don't have to learn how to talk.
Speaker 3:If they use an ipad or however it is, that they communicate is just as valued as it's about connection, exactly, yeah, and and understanding them better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so my mom is a, is an lpc, and she works with adults that have transitioned out of that children's therapy and, and so she works with adults. That's right, I remember you were telling me about that, and she does the same kind of thing. She'll tell me about different, like whether it's art or whatever. The mechanisms are that she will go work with each individual to connect with them.
Speaker 1:Help them like express yeah, yes, and it is unique, like you're saying, to each individual and how they connect and it's really just getting to them. So I think it's what you do and, like what my mom does, it takes a really special and patient and nurturing person.
Speaker 2:So are you saying you're not that person, Daniel? I am not a patient person, so I appreciate that you are patient with me, though.
Speaker 1:Am I? Yeah, I mean at least you haven't shown your impatience to me.
Speaker 2:She's behind. She's behind the microphone. Ok, she's not on time.
Speaker 1:No, I try to be patient. I think it's all the yoga training that I did that helps me to like inside do my accounting and the breathing but yeah, it's just years of patience. I used to not be this way, but no, I do not have the temperament to be a teacher, and my kids want me to be a teacher. They're like come teach at our school. You teach yoga you can teach at school.
Speaker 2:That's a different type of training, right, right, I have a degree, but it's not in that right. Yeah, and I worked at the university level and in higher ed. And my kids say the same thing to me, like mommy, why don't you come be like a substitute teacher? Um?
Speaker 1:no, they'll tell me about this. Teacher snapped me or did that. I'm like, well, it kind of sounds like you guys deserve. Yeah, you kind of deserved it.
Speaker 2:We got a message not long ago from the substitute teacher.
Speaker 3:Oh no, I was like Artelia. Kids are the meanest to subs. I know you don't want a sub, they're so mean they do not want subs.
Speaker 1:I wanted subs because then you could just do whatever you wanted all day.
Speaker 2:I know someone who sucks. That's not how you're nice to a sub. I know, I know a friend who's a former military you know, worked in the Navy and all that and so is a great sub.
Speaker 5:Yeah, they make the best subs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're the best subs. If you've been in the military, we need you now. Oh my God, for our kids, oh my goodness in the military we need you now. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:For our kids. Oh my goodness, oh my God. Okay, so I was going to ask, outside of what you do, what do you like to do in your free time, in the area, outside of work?
Speaker 3:So I actually do yoga.
Speaker 1:You do too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I didn't know you taught yoga. Yeah, that's awesome. I still teach. I'm totally coming to your class.
Speaker 1:It's in my house. Let's do it, I know, as long as you'll be patient with me, I will, I am, I am patient in yoga.
Speaker 2:She's patient in that space.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, for real, I enjoy being outdoors, so I'm excited that it's getting warmer here. I love live music Me too, we. I love my stand-up paddleboard. Do you do that too?
Speaker 1:I've done some of the yoga on the paddleboard.
Speaker 3:That's hard and hiking, kayaking anything that's at live music is the best.
Speaker 1:Me too, that's where I peak as an adult? I peak at live music shows.
Speaker 3:I'm just like woo.
Speaker 2:This is it, I've made it. If you want to go to format and have a good time, you should go with her, oh yeah, the best.
Speaker 1:There's so many good shows this year. I've literally just been so happy about it.
Speaker 3:I've seen a lot of good music. Way too much money on concert tickets already. So yeah, and.
Speaker 2:I'm over here going. I've never heard of that band, yeah.
Speaker 5:I'm the same boat as you, oh no.
Speaker 2:We cannot go together, we cannot go while not doing yoga together.
Speaker 3:Oh, stop it, Brie, we're doing a sound bath.
Speaker 2:Oh, our sound bath is amazing. Cocoon Excited to show you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I used to teach there. Yeah, it's a great studio. So what about?
Speaker 5:you. So I have a two-year-old and a six-year-old, so they keep me super busy so I get to go check out all like the parks and stuff like that. We have a lot of fun doing that and being outdoors as well. Also, yeah, they both like just kind of dominate and boss me around a lot. So I feel like I'm just like at their mercy is pretty much like where it's at. Your kids are hilarious.
Speaker 3:Oh, my God.
Speaker 5:But other than that, I'm also training for the Benneville Half Marathon right now, yes, so I've been like doing a lot of running locally here has been amazing, because there's so many you pushing that stroller around with you.
Speaker 1:No, I can't do that like that, I get away from the training escape from the kids.
Speaker 5:But yeah, that's been really fun to do in the community and like, do the little mini races up to it I love training like that.
Speaker 1:I've only done one half this will be my first. So it's just, it's nice just to go think and you really have to connect your breath, your mind by like everything kind of meditative. Yeah, do you get into that zone where you just like you don't just feel like a machine, that's just like yes, yeah, you get to a certain like amount of miles where you just don't even like your body's just going and my husband's doing it with me.
Speaker 5:so we're like super competitive, like he'll go out and be like I did 8.5 miles today and I'll be like okay, and then I'll go out and I'll be like well, I just did 10. Who's faster? So on runs where there's not people around us, I'm faster. But once there's people around us, he is like motivated and competitive, oh he gets that energy, that drive where I just want to zone people out and like be in my own space. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Yeah, it's important as parents to get out and have your own thing.
Speaker 3:I'll let y'all run, I'll just do yoga I don't run anymore like that.
Speaker 1:I do short distance, but yeah, no more long distance. Okay, so what I know?
Speaker 2:I'm over here going. Yeah, no, not running I run like to my car oh my god, errands, I run errands okay, so what does the future?
Speaker 1:of speech pathology. What? What does that look like to you guys? Like what are you excited to see in the future? Maybe that's just coming here that we don't have yet, maybe it already exists, or maybe it's technology that's in the works. Like, what do you see happening? Is it okay to plug our group?
Speaker 3:Yes, Okay, we're starting a community group. Okay, it's called AAC Cares and we are. So we've been working together with families that are in the schools and in the therapy clinics, but we want to get out into the community and so to go to different places activities, restaurants, you know, all the things that are available in northwest arkansas and not just raise awareness but be included in those activities, because a lot of times, you know, our people with disabilities are given access to things, but they're not given opportunities to use them in our community like everyone else is. So that's kind of our goal of NAC Cares and I'm really, really excited we started it back in 2020.
Speaker 5:Like a week before everything shut down.
Speaker 3:Was it even a week? I think it was like four days or something Everyone's always got a story about where they were in their life before. And then it got put on hold for like forever, and so we've just recently restarted that, so that's really exciting.
Speaker 5:We're trying to do a fall and a spring event just to get our support, our AAC users and their families and just get out there and do something. But yeah, I think true inclusion is what we look forward to seeing. Yeah, and this area is just so incredible in terms of the resources we have and just the knowledge we have here. So I think Northwest Arkansas can do some amazing things when it comes to inclusion and just awareness of what students like this and people that are different need.
Speaker 3:I'm really excited about accessibility, so like kids with, or even adults with, limited physical capabilities, making things more user friendly, and so I'm wanting to start some other stuff making play and toys accessible to kids that we work with and it's just difficult to you know, bree and I are doing it, but like more hands on deck building capacity with things like that, because switch accessible toys, so like toys are not always accessible to a person with a complex body yes, so you know, like think of all the things toys that your kids play with, like superheroes or whatever the things that they're.
Speaker 3:I don't know what are your kids play with? Barbie barbie?
Speaker 5:right and like when they're little. Those little toys that like interact with them like the elephant that plays music and stuff like that, like different games. They don't have access to that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3:Exactly, and so we can make that accessible with things like switches and modifying them. But if you buy them, a toy that might be, you know, $12 or $15 is now $80. And so, like, just like with the iPad you know like it's you can have your off the shelf iPad for a thousand dollars, or you can have the communication device iPad that's now 2,500. And so finding ways to make play accessible is really exciting for me, because that's how kids learn, right. So if we can make play more available to them, I mean that's our goal, right. But just having the capacity to do that is kind of a struggle.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so are you trying to take toys and modify them? Yeah, that's exactly what we're doing. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, or find groups that are able to help us make them accessible from the get go. That would be the goal, and keeping it affordable yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:So the group that you guys were discussing is your hopes with building that community, to increase that capacity, to just get more families and more companies maybe involved in helping with that. I would say that's part of the goal.
Speaker 5:Yeah, Awareness and inclusion, I think, is the ultimate goal and just bringing that to the community and bringing it to the forefront of people's minds. We also know our families need support, they need more. And just like bringing that to the community and bringing it to the forefront of people's minds, you know we also know our families need support, like they need more support, just like we felt like we were by ourselves on this island when we kind of specialized in this area. We know a lot of our families feel alone but there's so many different community members and so many families not just like in the Beneville schools but neighboring districts and stuff that have AAC users and work with families that like need this support, whether it's the Switch, Accessible Toys or it's knowing they're not alone in this AAC journey, so kind of just connecting people.
Speaker 4:Getting back to connection. Once again, connection, oh sure.
Speaker 5:Connecting families, connecting kids with kids, yeah. So I think that's a big mission in terms of it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think the AAC Cares group. You know we have a vision for it, but it's kind of limitless, I think it's going to get bigger. It's exciting to think that there are things in the future that we can't even imagine yet. Same with technology. Right, I'm convinced that my iPhone is as good as it could ever be right, yeah, but just like every technology, there's always something that's coming next that we couldn't even have dreamed of Right.
Speaker 1:And so so being connected kind of helps propel that forward.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So that's, pretty exciting.
Speaker 2:That is really exciting.
Speaker 1:I'm really excited because one of my close friends has a son that's going through this journey through using an iPad and I know it's. You know this is their first time going through this, so being connected through this type of group, and I know she's connected in other groups. But I'm definitely going to recommend this because, like you said, just the more connections made, the more you advance in that area.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it can be really scary. So if she could connect with another family or another professional that might be able to help or whatever she's needing hopefully.
Speaker 5:It's also cool to meet people in different phases of the journey. So like when we have our like preschool little ones or the little ones that are two that are starting this journey, and that parent or that child gets to meet someone that's 21 and communicating with an alternative communication system, like, and the parent gets to connect to that parent and the kid gets to talk to that kid. It's just so powerful to see those connections.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like mentoring almost yeah, that's amazing. Okay so, almost yeah, that's amazing. So let's talk about what you guys like about the area, because I know you're from New.
Speaker 3:York, you're from here, is that right?
Speaker 1:I like to call myself.
Speaker 3:Yes, we talked about this I moved here when I was 10. Yeah, so that counts. So you're practically a local.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, nobody remembers anything before 10 years, that's for sure I know.
Speaker 1:So what do you guys each individually love about the area, like, what made you stay? What made you? Well, you stayed because you moved here and then, but what made you yeah?
Speaker 3:The reason that we moved here was because my mom decided to go back to college and we moved here for the university and so, naturally, I stayed here and went to the University of Arkansas because that's what you do when you're from Fayetteville and then I quickly moved away, thinking I was not going to come back. Right, I went to school in Phoenix at Arizona State for my master's, but I thought I wasn't going to come back. But I was there two and a half years and I came running back.
Speaker 2:So I came running, I did, I did. Phoenix is a big city, she doesn't like to run, and she came running back the non-runner. The non-runner came running back.
Speaker 3:Like I said, I like to run errands, I like to run, but yeah, yeah, there's a lot to do in Phoenix and I experienced it. I loved it. You know I'm not hating on Phoenix at all, but it is a little bit hot. So there's a little bit a lot of it, and it gets hot here too, yes, but not that hot, not that hot, no, it's different, but I, just like I said, I love the outdoor stuff. There's so many things to do and it is so beautiful y'all, it's so beautiful here.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:But I also love the food and recently I've just been like trying to only eat at new restaurants and there's so much you need to make a list because I need to get to some new restaurants.
Speaker 1:Oh, you do, yeah, please share.
Speaker 2:There's some great bloggers and foodies on Instagram who will post about all the new and upcoming and some really great restaurants in the area.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm all about good food. Yeah, that's all I ever think about. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I know I just got a text from a friend I'm having lunch with and she's like do you want to go to tuscan trotter or thai basil?
Speaker 1:I do love some thai basil. I don't know, I just door dashed that on, I don't know.
Speaker 2:So my husband and I are talking about doing the a to z restaurant, like things.
Speaker 3:So like you eat at a restaurant that starts with a and then the next time you go out to eat you, you eat at a restaurant that starts with A, and then the next time you go out to eat, you have to choose a restaurant that starts with the letter B.
Speaker 1:My kids- would love this challenge because they already like it. We had to do the color challenge, where they dress like a color and only eat the color. So I'm going to tell them we're going to do the A to Z restaurant.
Speaker 2:We did the color thing too at home. It's so funny. I got the color thing too at home. It's so funny. I got the color. What color did I get?
Speaker 1:Green, oh no, seriously, I don't want to eat vegetables. No, I told them I was the rainbow. I'm eating everything I want. You guys can pick one color, not me.
Speaker 2:One of them picked yellow and I was like sure you want yellow, oh yellow is good.
Speaker 3:Chicken rice toast Does it like?
Speaker 2:bananas. I know he ended up eating like noodles and all that.
Speaker 1:I'm going to say pasta. I think yellow is actually a good choice. I usually pick green because I love green, all green, like smoothies, green juices. Anyway, it's besides the point.
Speaker 3:So A to Z challenge. I'm actually interested in why you stayed Brie.
Speaker 5:I don't know that I have ever heard this. Oh yeah, I want to hear what you say to New York, because I did. I was kicking and screaming when I got here and like I said to your commitment and then I had him promise me we'd go back. But I fell in love with the area, I think because of the people Like it's such a melting pot here of people from all over and everybody's so nice, so nice. People are really nice here.
Speaker 2:I think I do remember you saying that as long as people coming from New York and California and Dallas and all the places turn into nice people and not make the nice people mean right. Yeah, people from Dallas mean, I'm just saying that because you're from Dallas, I'm from California.
Speaker 3:She's from New York. The traffic is savage.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to not just say New Yorkers. Okay, that's what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 1:Oh, oh yeah, new yorkers do have a uh reputation for being direct. We do right, which I like. Yeah, yeah, driving in dallas is terrifying. Oh, driving it is terrifying. I know it's like texas motor speedway, it really is. It's like the autobahn, but in usa, oh, my goodness. Okay, so sorry keep going.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, I think so the people. I just I. It was so cool when we first got here and we'd say we were not from here and we were from New York, and I'd be standing next to someone to be like, oh, I'm from Connecticut or I'm from California, like it was just cool to see what a melting pot this was, and people from all over. So I really think that people is what kept us here, like just getting to connect with so many amazing people and then forming such a good group of friends here and all that. And Lindsay right.
Speaker 3:I remember you, yeah, coming to our first speech meeting, yeah speech meeting. And you like came like bebopping in. Bebopping, I don't know.
Speaker 5:And she introduced herself and we were like welcome to the group and it was like you just like just meshed right in and so yeah, so and then thinking about raising a family here, it was just so appealing just because of the people in the community and even though there's so much to do here, it still has that like small town feeling away I don't know, and that makes it so special. So it took a while.
Speaker 4:My family didn't come visit me here until I had kids. Like I couldn't get anyone to come visit. Yeah, Arkansas, Right, Like they weren't going to come.
Speaker 5:And then I had babies and they came, and now everybody that comes down here. It's just totally different than they ever imagined, yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry, I'm stuck on. You stayed because of me.
Speaker 2:Oh, I was in there for you.
Speaker 1:I think you should feel really good, I was about to say.
Speaker 2:I don't know if it's true, but I'm going to live on that for the next week.
Speaker 5:Yeah, live on that for the next week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that would get me some kind of favor and something is all the way filled, it's overflowing.
Speaker 3:I'm so glad we did this yeah I love that energy though I think I think that's so right.
Speaker 2:I mean, the people, really, people do make a difference in where we want to be. You know, like you can have the best restaurants, you can have the best outdoors, you can have the best things to do entertainment, music, whatever it is. But honestly, like it really comes down to the people, because if the people were awful here, it wouldn't matter what was happening it wouldn't matter what music, what great outdoors, what great whatever people wouldn't love it as much. I really genuinely believe that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know and I think just thinking through, like our podcast and how we decided to call it the people of north yeah, you're highlighting those people like yeah, I think that's such a huge, important piece. You know it's really easy to highlight entertainment and things to do and places in business go business but I think like really it comes down to who are the people behind that, and that's kind of our goal for this podcast.
Speaker 1:yeah, that's that's why we do what we do. You know we want to hear Everyone has a really unique story to share. They really do.
Speaker 1:And it's been fun, like everyone that we meet and people who are listening to the podcast and who are going to get to know you guys and get to know your stories and I think you're going to touch a lot of our listeners because, like you said, so many people are probably going through this and maybe they haven't connected with a group right and just to know that the support is there and it's growing, and it's growing in this area too and it's being supported privately and publicly, I think, will really be encouraging to a lot of people.
Speaker 2:It really will be. But I mean, if it's just one family here's this who didn't know that there was support here?
Speaker 1:and these ladies are amazing, we can attest to it they're really authentic and you can just feel their passion for this. So we want to let you guys plug in how like your socials and how they can reach out to you. How can they find you online or join this group?
Speaker 3:So Children's Therapy Team. You can find us on our website, wwwchildrenstherapyteamcom. If you're looking for me, my office is in Bentonville and on 28th Street. We also have locations in Siloam and in Fayetteville.
Speaker 5:That's great, yeah, and with the Bentonville Schools I'm one of the speech leads, so if you want to connect with me, you can get my information there through the Bentonville Schools website at the Student Services Office, and I'd love to connect and support you in any kind of way. So yeah, Great.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for being with us today.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you both so much for coming in. Thank you for having us.
Speaker 5:We're so excited to be able to just like kind of build that awareness, so we appreciate it so much Awesome.
Speaker 1:Thank you, ladies.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Hey, thanks so much for listening today. If you liked what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast so you never miss an episode. You can also follow us on Instagram at people of NWA. Thanks so much.
Speaker 4:People of Northwest Arkansas with the two Daniels produced by me. Brock Short of Civil Republic Productions. Please rate, review and like us on any podcast platform where you listen. For more information about today's guests and the show, please check the show notes. Thanks for listening.