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Connection Therapy Clinic |
The Weekly Connection
The newsletter you actually want to read
Hey - it's been a while.
I've missed showing up in your inbox. Not through an algorithm, not a post you maybe saw - just me, talking to you. Every week I'm going to show up here with something real from my life, something worth talking about in the ND world, and what's happening at CTC.
No fluff. Just the stuff that matters. I'm glad you're here.
— Stephanie
I just have to tell you something.
My son tried a pita last week!!
I know that sounds like nothing. But if you've ever lived ARFID with your child, you get it. Five foods. That's my son’s whole world. So when he casually mentioned it after school I kept my face completely neutral and fell apart on the inside.
But the pita isn't even what got me.
A day later I ran into his aide. She's telling me about the festival, how proud she was of him — and I could feel it. Not professional care. Real love. For my kid. Exactly as he is.
I almost cried in the hallway.
Someone once questioned why I'd put my son — a kid who is behind, who has real needs — in a school with high expectations. I genuinely didn't understand the question. I walked in completely honest about everything and they leaned in.
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"Why would I be the one to put a ceiling on my own kid?" |
I know this might not be the place forever. That's just our reality. But right now it's the unicorn — the place where people love my son for exactly who he is.
For a mom who's spent years just wanting that — it means everything.
Let’s Talk About It : Learning Connection
Low expectations are not kindness. They're a ceiling.
"When a child isn't making eye contact with you — assume they hear everything."
When a child isn't making eye contact with you — assume they hear everything. When a child has no oral language — assume they have something to say. What you see with your eyes is not the limit of what someone is capable of.
This is called assuming competence. It's one of the most important principles in the neurodiversity world — and one of the most violated ones.
I have sat in rooms where adults talked about a child like they weren't there. Where someone looked at a nonverbal kid and decided what they were capable of based on a 20 minute evaluation. Where a gentle voice and low expectations got passed off as the compassionate choice.
It isn't.
Just because someone communicates differently doesn't mean they aren't communicating. Treat every person — verbal or not, eye contact or not — like they have something to say, something to feel, and somewhere to go. Because they do
What's Happening at CTC
Summer 2026 is almost here.
Eight programs for neurodivergent children and their families — starting June. Here's what's coming:
Coming Up
Here's what we'll be talking about in the coming weeks:
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Before You Go…
If any of this resonated — share it with a family who needs it.
That's how we find each other.
With Regulated Vibes,
The Connection Therapy Clinic Team