Aspire Interventions

10/15/2021

I have visited with so many families who are considering pulling their children from the public school system and are investigating other education environments. My wife and I homeschooled our four children at different points in their education, as well as using public, private schools, and education cooperatives. I am considering expanding ASPIRE Interventions to include consulting on curriculum and teletherapy focused on alternative schooling needs. I'll have more about these developments soon. Please pass on my post to anyone who may have questions about primary and secondary education options. Kazou and I would love to visit with you.

09/14/2021

Kazou easily engages reticent children.

09/25/2020

What if we could connect with your children's strengths, overcome their challenges, and do this without tears, belligerence, or you losing your mind?

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This is "supercut aspire 1080" by Aspire Interventions on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

08/25/2020

Kazou performs a series of commands at different obstacles. My clients see a dog doing tricks, but what they are actually internalizing are linguistic/cognitive concepts: up/down, under/over, high/higher/highest, etc. I try to "woo" my clients into learning by utilizing their love for Kazou and helping them build confidence through success.

08/18/2020

The laws of unintended consequences. Edie Marler and I made a trip to a group home, Rock House in Stephenville, TX to celebrate our youngest daughter's 22nd birthday. Rock House is a jewel in the group home world. We hadn't seen Marielle in months. Visiting is tough, given the policies and health laws Rock House must follow. Before covid, Rock House had given Marielle such a sense of purpose, appropriate independence, and a strong community of friends.

We loved our visit with Marielle. And honestly, we hardly noticed that it was 111 degrees outside). Staff were very helpful and kind, providing us with cool drinks and there were picnic tables in the shade. But it was heartbreaking to see the other residents watching us from the windows of there home, Mimi told us there were very few families who were able to visit. We would have invited them to join our "Funny Bunny" game and to share cake (melted icing and all), but for understandable reasons, that was not an option.

Please read this thoughtful and balanced discussion of the current "reality" for those of our community who cannot advocate for themselves.

A family had the only help for their special-needs child ripped away by a government mandate issued in response to the Chinese coronavirus. Exhausted by the round-the-clock care she shoulders, a Texas mother pleads for help to pressure Gov. Greg Abbott to restore her family’s life-line.

08/17/2020

Kazou and I often walk in Parr Park, in Grapevine, TX. There is a part of the path dedicated to comforting people during the covid-19 situation. People of all ages have left painted rocks with different messages or simply as expressions of encouragement. I saw this one this morning and thought it particularly pretty.

01/15/2019

Kazou is a great incentive for my clients. Children love it when a dog responds to their command.

"Kazou, down!" Down goes the dog. And the child's face lights up - suddenly the session doesn't seem so long to them.

08/12/2018

After two weeks of intensive dog-training classes at the Canine Companions for Independence Kinkade campus, Kazou and I are ready to begin our work together at ASPIRE Interventions. Here we are with Maria, Kazou's gifted animal trainer. Maria spent nine months helping Kazou build the skills he'll rely on as he encourages some of my clients to push through their own challenges. He's a remarkable dog! And I'm living proof that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

07/22/2018

When I was more active with the national Williams Syndrome (WS) Association (WSA), I worked closely with a family who had an older adolescent son who had WS. The young man had classic WS sensory/emotional/cognitive characteristics and was diligent student who dearly wanted to be as independent as possible. He was very good with animals, so his mother sought training for him in general domestic animal care. Her hopes were that he would be able to work at some capacity in a dog training and care business. Because of his hypersensitivity to sound (barking in a kennel environment in this case), any work in a dog kennel was not feasible and significantly restricted his ability to participate. I wish I had know about Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) and the STEP program described in the attached article. I continue to work with many children having developmental challenges, who with the help of their families, would be so well suited to this program. These young people could use their skills to prepare these dogs for their future service, and who themselves would build their confidence and own sense of self reliance. Way to go CCI!

Home News DOGS OF THE WEEK: The Puppies of STEP at UCF NewsDOGS OF THE WEEK: The Puppies of STEP at UCF By Rahma Hassan - July 21, 2018 tweet The puppies of STEP at UCF. Photo by Rahma Hassan. Students have a fun and rewarding experience raising puppies through a UCF student organization that helps....