Joleen R. Fernald Pediatric Therapy Services

01/20/2026

✨ Full-circle moments like this ✨

This former selective mutism client volunteered in her classroom.
Standing in front of her peers.
Listening to the sounds they offered.
Confidently labeling the letters that matched each sound on the screen.

Not long ago, speaking in a group felt impossible. Today, her voice led the learning.

This is why I love using the DIR-Selective Mutism Card Deck beyond just “talking.”
These cards naturally support literacy development by pairing:
🧠 regulation
🤝 relational safety
🔤 sound–letter connections
🎯 child-led engagement

When children feel safe, connected, and regulated, language emerges—whether that’s a word, a sound, or a letter. Literacy doesn’t have to be pressured to be powerful.

Progress isn’t always louder.
Sometimes it’s braver. 💛

01/14/2026

01/01/2026

Happy New Year! Thanks for an incredible year, where we supported kids in 1035 sessions. Dr.Jo presented at multiple conferences and released her DIR-Selective Mutism card deck published by Here’s to 2026!

12/31/2025

12/25/2025

Wishing you all an incredible holiday season from my family to yours!

12/04/2025

🎅✨ Selective Mutism + Santa: Supporting Brave Moments ✨🎅

For many children with Selective Mutism, meeting Santa isn’t just exciting—it can feel overwhelming. A new grown-up, unfamiliar environment, pressure to talk, bright lights, long lines… That’s a lot for a nervous system to handle. 💓

Let’s remember:
Talking is not the goal. Feeling safe is.
Once children feel safe, speech has room to grow. 🌱

Here are supportive ways to prepare:

🎁 Before the Visit
✔️ Show pictures/videos of Santa and the location
✔️ Practice saying or showing what they’d like (drawing, pointing, AAC, writing)
✔️ Try on the outfit in advance to help with sensory comfort
✔️ Create a “plan” together (Where you’ll sit, if they want to stand by you, etc.)

🎄 During the Visit
💜 Let your child choose how to engage
💜 Encourage non-verbal communication (waves, high-fives, showing a list)
💜 Sit with them—YOU are their safety base
💜 Remind Santa helpers: No pressure to talk!

❄️ After the Visit
👏 Celebrate effort, not speech:
✨ “You were so brave.”
✨ “You stayed close to me when you needed to.”
✨ “I saw how you showed Santa your list!”

🌟 Progress isn’t measured by words.
It’s measured by safety, regulation, and connection.
That’s how confidence grows—one supported moment at a time. 💚

🎁🎅♥️

12/01/2025

✨ “Something has changed within me…” ✨
In this clip, you’ll hear me sing one of my favorite lines from Wicked:
“Something is not the same. I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game…” ✨

These lyrics from Wicked have always spoken to me—but today, they reflect my professional journey in a whole new way.

For years, I practiced in ABA-based environments because that’s what was taught, expected, and widely accepted. But deep down, I knew something didn’t fit. I saw incredible, neurodivergent children being asked to comply instead of connect… perform instead of be understood… cope instead of feel safe.

And then I discovered DIRFloortime—a developmental, relationship-based model that finally aligned with what I always believed:
🌱 Co-regulation over compliance
🌱 Connection over control
🌱 Joyful engagement over forced responses
🌱 Seeing the child, not the behavior

DIR gave me the language, the framework, and the permission to trust my instincts and honor every child’s nervous system, individual differences, and emotional world.

So in true musical-theater spirit… I changed the lyric:
🎶 “I’m defying ABA.” 🎶

Stepping into DIR wasn’t just a professional shift—it was coming home to the way I always wanted to support children.

Here’s to following our values, trusting our hearts, and choosing approaches that put relationship and regulation at the center. 💚✨

11/27/2025

🍁 Feeling Extra Thankful This Season 🍁

As we move through the holidays, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible families and clients who make our work so meaningful. Every day, we’re invited into your journeys—your celebrations, your challenges, your breakthroughs, your quiet wins—and it is truly an honor.

Thank you for trusting us.
Thank you for partnering with us.
Thank you for showing up with courage, curiosity, and heart.

Your children remind us daily of the power of connection, co-regulation, play, and relationship-based learning. We are grateful for every moment we get to support them in discovering their voice, confidence, and joy.

From Victoria and I to your family… we are thankful for you. 💛

11/25/2025

🎉 A Very Happy (Belated) Birthday to Victoria! 🎉

We may be a day late, but our gratitude for you is always right on time. ❤️

Victoria, thank you for all the heart, patience, and expertise you bring to our clinic every single day. Your dedication to supporting neurodivergent children, your DIRFloortime approach, and your genuine connection with families make such a powerful difference.

You are a bright light on our team, and we appreciate you more than words can say. 💛

Help us wish Victoria an amazing year ahead — full of joy, growth, and all the things that make her smile! ✨🎂🌿

11/24/2025

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has released a powerful new statement urging physicians and clinicians to expand their recommendations for autistic children to include developmental, relationship-based interventions like DIRFloortime®.

As we enter a season centered around gratitude and connection, this acknowledgment feels especially meaningful. We are deeply thankful to see national leaders recognizing the importance of child-led play, emotional engagement, and supportive relationships in helping children thrive.

Even more encouraging, the Academy is calling on insurance companies to reimburse these relationship-centered services, making them more accessible for the families who need them most.

At REConnections DIR Center, we see every day how:
🌱 Play sparks growth
🤝 Relationships shape development
💛 Connection creates real, lasting change

This season, we’re grateful for progress, advocacy, and the growing recognition of approaches that honor the whole child—sensory needs, individuality, and all.

11/21/2025