Aspire Therapy & Development Services

02/24/2026

Weekly Tip: Maximize Your Child’s Therapy Sessions

A little preparation can make a big difference in how much your child benefits from each session.

✔️ Prepare for success: Make sure basic needs are met — a good night’s sleep and a full tummy help your child stay regulated, focused, and ready to learn.
✔️ Schedule smart: Think of therapy like a medical appointment. Choose times when your child is typically energized and at their best (often earlier in the day).
✔️ Be involved: Stay engaged, observe, and ask questions. Understanding the strategies being used helps you support progress at home.

02/17/2026

Good news for families in and around Madison!

Aspire Therapy is now scheduling diagnostic evaluations with no waitlist — so you can get answers, clarity, and support without the long wait.

Early insight can make a meaningful difference. If you’ve had concerns about your child’s development, we’re here to help.

📞 Call today to schedule at 608-556-6120
🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio

02/17/2026

✨ Tip Tuesday: ABA Edition ✨

Before offering another correction, try to notice and name what your child is doing right 4–5 times.

Catching those positive moments builds trust, strengthens connection, and reinforces the behaviors you want to see more of.

Celebrate more, correct less — aim for 5 good moments to 1 correction. 💛

02/03/2026

✨Tip Tuesday: OT Edition✨

Hitting, biting, crashing, spinning, chewing, running…
These aren’t “bad behaviors” — they’re signals and communication. 🧠✨They tell us a child’s body needs certain sensory input to regulate.

🚫 Don’t stop sensory-seeking behaviors.
➡️ Redirect them safely and intentionally!

🔹 Crashing into people or furniture
This often reflects a need for deep pressure or proprioceptive input. Provide safe alternatives such as crash pads, stacked couch cushions, a mattress on the floor, trampolines, or firm bear hugs.

🔹 Touching, ripping, or breaking objects
This can indicate a need for tactile exploration. Offer structured outlets like sensory bins, textured materials, fidgets, or play-doh to meet this need.

🔹 Biting or chewing
Oral sensory input supports regulation and focus. Chewy tools, crunchy or chewy snacks, and gum can help meet this need safely.

🔹 Spinning, running, hitting, or throwing
This often signals a need for vestibular or proprioceptive input. Consider swinging, heavy work activities (pushing, pulling, carrying), animal walks, or access to a safe running space.

When we redirect sensory-seeking behaviors instead of stopping them, we support nervous system regulation, improve participation in daily activities, and reduce frustration for both the child and caregivers💕

02/02/2026

It may look like play, but it’s intentional learning! Play is how children explore, communicate, and learn.

Our play-based therapies are designed to support development through motivating experiences that build skills in a way that feels natural and engaging for the family and child. 🛝🧸⚽️

Looking for play-based OT, PT, speech, mental health, or ABA therapy for your child? 📞Give us a call today!

01/30/2026

Thank you Verona Press!

Aspire Therapy & Development Services launches new behavioral health services for children with disabilities, adding experienced team members to provide comprehensive support.

01/27/2026

Pre-Writing Strokes & Shapes

Before children learn to write letters and words, they first learn to draw the shapes that form them! These pre-writing shapes—lines, curves, circles, crosses, and squares—are the building blocks of handwriting.

Why they matter:
Pre-writing shapes help develop hand strength, coordination, visual-motor skills, and pencil control—all essential for writing success.

Every child develops at their own pace, and that’s perfectly okay! 💛 If your child is still mastering these early shapes, try fun activities like drawing, painting, tracing in sand, sidewalk chalk, or playing with playdough 🎨✏️

Have questions or concerns about your child’s development? Reach out to us—we’re here to help! Give us a call today!✨

01/22/2026

Postural stability matters—especially at mealtime 🍽️

Postural stability helps us maintain a strong, controlled position against gravity and plays a big role in mealtime success.

An ideal seating position is 90-90-90—hips, knees, and ankles all at 90°—to provide the best support. With good positioning, children can sit securely, breathe more easily, and focus on eating instead of working to stay upright.

This stability supports better hand-to-mouth coordination, chewing, and safer swallowing. When postural support is limited, more energy goes into holding the body, making mealtimes (and other daily activities) feel much harder.

Small adjustments can make a big difference 💛

01/19/2026

🎉 Welcome to the team, Lisa Zurbuchen! 🎉

We’re so excited to have Lisa join Aspire as our Diagnostic Team Lead & Family Support Specialist. 💙 Lisa is a BCBA with a Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis (Autism emphasis), Lisa brings 12 years of experience supporting autistic children and their families, including a decade at UW Health Waisman Center as a lead parent coach, licensed behavior analyst, and ASD treatment coordinator. Lisa is passionate about partnering with families, strengthening understanding, and fostering connection and joy in everyday life.

She is so excited to meet the Aspire families! Be sure to say hello in the comments below or in the clinic when you see her!✨

01/16/2026

Meet our new Vice President of Behavioral Health Services Christine Wilkins, MSW, BCBA! 🎉

With more than 25 years of experience in the ABA field, Christine brings deep clinical expertise and strong leadership across clinic and regional teams. Her work spans early intervention through adolescence, and includes leading social skills, sibling, and caregiver groups, as well as experience in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).

Christine is passionate about supporting families and empowering teams to deliver exceptional care. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, staying active, and cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers as a proud UW–Madison alum. ❤️

Help us give her a warm welcome in the comments below or when you see her in the clinic! 🎉

01/16/2026

Check out our most recent blog post to learn more about our new services and team members! ✏️

Aspire now offers expanded behavioral health services for children including diagnostic evaluations, family guidance, and autism-focused therapy, led by an experienced multidisciplinary team.

01/16/2026

✨ WE’RE HIRING! ✨

At Aspire Therapy, we help kids grow—and we help therapists thrive.
If you’re passionate about supporting children and families, love collaborating with an incredible team, and want a workplace that values both excellence and joy… we want to meet you 💚

📣 Now hiring OTs, PTs/PTAs, and Mental Health Therapists
📍 Madison & Verona
💻 Apply at AspireWisconsin.com/careers

Come do work that matters—with people who care.