Galvin Therapy Center

02/09/2026

What actually matters is connection.

In developmental research, joint attention is defined as shared focus on something meaningful. A toy. A sound. An activity. A moment.
Evidence shows joint attention looks like this:
• A child points or gestures to share interest.
• A child brings you an object to show you.
• A child looks between an activity and a person.
• A child smiles, vocalizes, or pauses to keep an interaction going.
This back and forth is what supports language development, social learning, and regulation.
Forcing eye contact can increase stress and reduce engagement, especially for neurodivergent children.
When we follow a child’s interest and respond with warmth, we build shared joy. That is the foundation we watch for in therapy.

Connection first. Always.

02/06/2026

few weeks ago, J’s mom shared a simple hope. She wanted to hear more sounds. She wanted play to feel easier. She wanted a way for her son to show what he needs.

Today, she’s seeing it happen.

J is making more sounds.
He’s exploring new ways to play.
He’s using signs to communicate more often.

These moments matter. They’re not small. They’re proof that when a child is given the right support, their world opens up.

Progress doesn’t always come in big leaps. Sometimes it shows up as one new sound. One new sign. One new way to connect.

And those moments change everything.

If you’re waiting to see those first signs of progress with your child, know this. It is possible. With the right plan and the right guidance, families do see change.

If you’re wondering what next steps could look like for your child, start with a tour of our centers and see it in action!

02/05/2026

This is clinical skill, not a script.

At Galvin Therapy Center, following the child’s lead is not a strategy some therapists use.
It is how our entire team works.

In our Early Start Autism Program, Alexis modeled this beautifully.

She noticed what each child was drawn to.
Colors. Scooping. Pouring. Pretend play.

Instead of redirecting those interests, she used them.

Alexis built a group activity around what the children already loved.
Suddenly, children who usually played side by side were sharing space.
Taking turns.
Watching each other.
Engaging together.

That is not accidental.
That is clinical skill paired with real-time decision making.

Across our team, this is the expectation:

• We observe first.
• We use a child’s interests as the entry point.
• We design group moments that feel natural, not forced.
• We support connection without taking control.

Parents often ask what makes one therapy team different from another.
This is part of the answer.

When therapists follow the child’s lead, group learning becomes possible.
Social growth feels safe.

02/04/2026

Words, Regulation & Real Life

Language doesn’t grow best in drills or pressure-filled moments.
It grows when a child feels safe, seen, and emotionally connected.
Shared joy lowers stress, opens attention, and invites communication—at every age.

Here’s what that looks like across development:

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Early Childhood (0–5 years)

Language grows through connection before words.

Real-life moments of shared joy:
   •   Singing a silly song during bath time and pausing so your child can fill in a sound or action
   •   Rolling a ball back and forth while smiling, waiting, and reacting together
   •   Reading the same favorite book and exaggerating voices, faces, and pauses

Why it works:
Joint attention + positive emotion tell the brain, “This is safe. I can engage.”
That’s when early sounds, gestures, and first words emerge.

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Middle Childhood (6–10 years)

Language grows through shared experiences and curiosity.

Real-life moments of shared joy:
   •   Cooking together and talking through steps (“What comes next?”)
   •   Playing a game and laughing about mistakes or surprises
   •   Talking about a funny or frustrating school moment while walking or driving

Why it works:
When regulation is supported, children can organize thoughts, tell stories, and explain ideas—without feeling interrogated.

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Early Teens (11–14 years)

Language grows when connection comes before correction.

Real-life moments of shared joy:
   •   Watching a show together and casually commenting—not quizzing
   •   Doing something side-by-side (walking the dog, driving, building something)
   •   Laughing about shared memories or inside jokes

Why it works:
Teens communicate more when they don’t feel pressured to perform.
Shared joy keeps the nervous system open, making conversation feel safe instead of risky.

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The takeaway

Before we expect words, we build connection.
Before we correct language, we protect regulation.
Because language grows best in moments of shared joy—not stress.

If communication feels hard right now, it may not be about “more practice.”
It may be about creating more moments that feel good to share.

02/03/2026

This is therapy.
It looks like laughter.
Shared joy.
A child feeling safe enough to engage.

Behind every playful moment is intentional work:
-building connection
-supporting regulation
-creating safety in the nervous system

At Galvin Therapy, play isn’t a break from therapy —
it is the therapy.

This is how trust grows.
This is how communication begins.
This is how progress happens.
Play builds trust.
Trust opens the door to communication.

Behind-the-scenes moments like this are where the real work lives.

NervousSystemSupport EarlyIntervention

02/02/2026

When therapists look at a young baby, we are not asking,
“Why won’t they tolerate tummy time?”

We are asking something very different.

Is their nervous system feeling safe?
Can their body settle with support?
Do they feel connected before they are asked to perform?

If your baby struggles with tummy time, sleep, or settling, it does not mean something is wrong.

At this age, we are not measuring perfection.
We are watching regulation.
We are watching sensory comfort.
We are watching connection.

Skills come later.

Development builds from safety first.
Always.

So if things feel hard right now, pause before assuming something is broken.
Your baby may simply be asking for more support, not more pressure.

This is where real development begins.

Save this if you need the reminder.
Share it with a parent who is worrying quietly.

01/30/2026

“He is having conversations with his sister like he never has before.”
Family wins are the REAL wins.
Sometimes progress doesn’t look like a checklist or a milestone chart.
Sometimes it looks like a moment at the kitchen table.
A shared laugh.
A back-and-forth that wasn’t possible before.

These are the wins that matter most.
The ones that change family life.
The ones that remind us why we do this work.

Whether it’s a first word, a longer sentence, or simply staying engaged long enough to connect—every step forward makes a difference.
Big or small. Seen or quiet.
They all count.

01/29/2026

Safety comes before skill building.

Children don’t learn because expectations increase.
They learn when their nervous system feels safe enough to engage.

From a neuroscience perspective, stress shifts the brain into protection mode. When that happens, access to language, attention, emotional regulation, and problem-solving is reduced. Skill instruction cannot land in a brain that is working to survive.

At Galvin Therapy, safety is something we intentionally assess, build, and monitor across OT, SLP, and ABA sessions.

Here’s how we do that in practice:

1. We assess regulation before instruction
Before introducing goals, therapists observe how a child enters the session, responds to transitions, tolerates challenge, and recovers from effort. These patterns tell us how the nervous system is functioning and guide where we begin.

2. We individualize the approach, not just the goals
Two children with the same goals may need very different supports. At Galvin Therapy, we adjust session structure, pacing, sensory input, communication demands, and adult interaction style to match the child’s nervous system needs.

3. We measure more than task completion
Progress is not just whether a child completes an activity. We track engagement, stress responses, recovery time, flexibility, and spontaneous communication across sessions.

How we know it’s working:
• Children settle more quickly
• They stay engaged longer
• Communication increases
• Emotional regulation improves
• Learning becomes more consistent

If these markers aren’t improving, we change the strategy—not the child.

Safety isn’t something we assume.
At Galvin Therapy, it’s something we intentionally create so learning can follow.

Save this if you’ve ever wondered why therapy starts the way it does.

01/28/2026

Your child isn’t choosing silence—their nervous system is protecting them.
Save this for hard moments.
Share with a parent who needs this today.

01/27/2026

THERAPY TOOLS TUESDAY A child cannot learn well when their nervous system feels unsafe or overwhelmed. Regulation tools help the body settle so the brain can do its job.

Here are three ways we support regulation before asking for skill work.
1. Movement that organizes the body
Gentle movement like swinging, rocking, or slow climbing helps the nervous system feel grounded. When the body feels organized, attention and learning improve.
2. Deep pressure and heavy work
Activities like pushing, pulling, squeezing, or weighted input give clear feedback to the body. This type of input can help calm big reactions and improve focus.
3. Predictable routines before demands
Starting therapy or home practice with the same regulating activity helps the nervous system know what to expect. Predictability lowers stress and makes transitions easier.

Once a child feels regulated, skill work becomes more effective.
We are not delaying learning.
We are preparing the system so learning can happen.

01/23/2026

This says it all. It is why we do what we do. It is why we focus on parent engagement as a part of treatment.

Cboy has been going to Galvin for 11 years. Over those years he’s received feeding therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy there—and I truly don’t have the words to fully explain the impact they’ve had on our lives.

Therapy isn’t just about skills. It’s about trust, safety, and having professionals who see your child exactly as they are and believe in who they can become. It’s about meeting a child where they are on their hardest days and celebrating the smallest wins that end up changing everything.

Galvin has been part of Cboy’s growth, his voice, his independence, and his health. They’ve supported us through seasons that felt impossible and helped build foundations we still rely on today. Their consistency, compassion, and expertise have shaped not just Cboy’s progress—but our entire family’s journey.

Therapies like feeding, speech, and OT are lifelines for so many neurodivergent kids. They help kids communicate, nourish their bodies safely, regulate their sensory world, and navigate daily life with more confidence and dignity.

We are endlessly grateful for the role Galvin Therapy has played in Cboy’s life. 💙
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Galvin Therapy Center

01/20/2026

Arctic Adventures (Inside Edition)

1. Obstacle Course Storytime

Motor/Sensory: crawling, jumping, balancing, pushing
Language: sequencing, describing actions, WH-questions
How: Build a simple obstacle course and narrate it together (“First I crawl… then I jump…”). Older kids add adjectives or create the story.

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2. Animal Action Game

Motor/Sensory: heavy work, coordination, body awareness
Language: verbs, categories, expanding phrases
How: Pick an animal → move like it → describe where it lives, what it eats, or how it moves. Great for turn-taking.

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3. Balloon Volleyball or Keep-It-Up

Motor/Sensory: bilateral coordination, visual tracking, regulation
Language: counting, requesting, commenting
How: Keep the balloon off the floor while counting hits or calling out a word/category each time it’s touched.

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4. Sensory Bin Talk & Search

Motor/Sensory: tactile input, fine motor control
Language: describing, labeling, inferencing
How: Hide objects in rice, beans, kinetic sand, or fabric scraps. Kids describe what they feel before finding it.

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5. Yoga Poses + Feelings

Motor/Sensory: body awareness, calming input, strength
Language: emotions, self-advocacy, sentence formulation
How: Hold poses and label feelings or answer questions like “This pose makes me feel ___.”

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6. Simon Says: Language Edition

Motor/Sensory: listening, motor planning, impulse control
Language: following directions, concepts, grammar
How: Add language targets (“Simon says touch something soft,” “Simon says jump and say a color”).

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7. Build-and-Tell (Blocks, LEGOs, Forts)

Motor/Sensory: fine motor, problem-solving, proprioception
Language: explaining, storytelling, social language
How: Build something, then explain what it is, how it works, or tell a story about it.