VOL. 11 NUMBER 3: December 2014

Wade Gets Going

North to Alaska

Clinical Innovation

Amarillo welcomes T2K

IT Corner

Success Stories:

Nevaeh & Steve

Blogs We Love ♥

IN THIS ISSUE:

THERAPY2000

We improve lives.

Also: C2K Updates | We Make It Fun: Family Day | T2K Portal

THEINSIDER

FAMILY DAY: NORTH TEXAS

• North Texas Family Day ...........2-3

• Central Texas Family Day ............. 4

• North to Alaska ........................... 5

• Success Story: Nevaeh ................. 6

• Success Story: Steve ..................... 7

• Clinical Innovation .................... 8

• T2K Portal .................................. 9

• Customer Focus ...................... 10

• Referral Spotlight ....................11

• Amarillo ...............................12-13

• DCT Volunteers ....................... 14

• C2K Update ............................. 15

• Blogs We Love ...................16-19

• T2K-Austin .........................19-20

Inside This Issue:

“We Make it Fun”

In October, T2K celebrated family day by throwing an old-fashioned picnic at The Circle “R” Ranch in Flower Mound.

The weather was perfect for an afternoon full of fun. Friends and family filled up on delish BBQ with all the fixins’ and unlimited snow cones and popcorn. The kids and young at heart competed in a water balloon toss, egg toss and sack races. The old folks hit the bingo hall to try their luck and win prizes. Families got competitive with spirited foosball and billiards games. The mechanical bull was seeing red as it tossed off one kid after another.

Thank you Sandra Ordaz for another fun family day.

Editorial Staff

Jerre van den Bent, PTEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kyle ButlerMANAGING EDITOR

Alex ParisEXECUTIVE EDITOR

STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Maicol NietoSTAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Kathy ClapsaddleSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Marnie StoneSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Michelle CoulterSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Kathy GambleSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Jamie LombardoSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Brenda GarciaSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

FAMILY DAY: NORTH TEXAS

FAMILY DAY: CENTRAL TEXAS KATHY CLAPSADDLE, MS, CCC-SLP

In August, the Austin Division celebrated Family Day at the Hawaiian Falls Water and Adventure Park in Pflugerville, TX. With Central Texas temperatures soaring around 100 degrees, it was a great day to be in the water!

We had a fun filled day including water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river. The water park had live music playing beside the wave pool, so we could listen to Hotel California while splashing in the waves. It was almost like being at the beach – except for the occasional zip liner over head, and without the sand and salt!

The adventure park included zip lines and what looked like a tree house full of obstacles requiring precision and balance! It was a little hot for the adventure for some of our team, but it was also fun to watch those trying it from the lazy river. It was great to see everyone out of their scrubs and with their families. There were a lot of smiling (although slightly sun-burned) faces at the end of the day.

A big “thank you” to John Vargas for all of the organization and coordination of the event! We couldn’t have done it without you!

FAMILY DAY: CENTRAL TEXAS KATHY CLAPSADDLE, MS, CCC-SLP

After the exciting announcement that I had won a trip

voucher from THERAPY 2000 at the 2013 Holiday Party,

my husband and I planned an excursion to Alaska, some-

where that has been high on our bucket list! We were

so excited to get to cruise throughout the massive state

during the beginning of salmon season (mid-June). We

were fortunate enough to catch some fresh, wild Alaskan

salmon! We went on a two week cruise with Holland

America (shout out to my Holland peeps!) which included

setting sail from Vancouver, then on to Ketchikan, Juneau,

Skagway, Glacier Bay, Anchorage and a land excursion to

Denali National Park at the end of the cruise. We were

able to see all sorts of wildlife, and the views! Oh, the

views—they were SPECTACULAR! We realized after re-

turning that we did not have very many pictures with us in

the shot because we were so mesmerized by what we saw;

everywhere you looked, there was a million-dollar photo.

I was fortunate to hire three amazing therapists last year

which allowed me to be entered into this gracious (and

so unexpected!) drawing. Thank you T2K for allowing my

husband and me to go on one last BIG hurrah before Baby

Salim is born!!!

How it works:

Any employee can refer a new employee. If the employ-

ee is hired the referral must list the referring employee’s

name on their application and stay beyond 90 days.

The referring employee will receive a bonus at the end of

the 90 days ($2000 for full time, $1000 for part time and

PRN, and $300 for office staff).

At the end of the year at the North Texas Holiday Party,

the referring employee is entered in the drawing to win

$2,500 towards travel. The more people they refer who

stay past 90 days, the more entries they get!

Aloha baby! That’s how you can win a trip!

Questions? Contact humanresources@t2000.com5

NORTH TO ALASKA (CRUISIN ON T2K'S DIME) MICHELLE COULTER, DPT

WIN A FREE TRIP BY REFERRING NEW EMPLOYEES!

I never know who (or what!)

I am treating when I walk in

the door at five-year-old Ne-

vaeh’s house! She greets her

therapists with a meow, bark,

or dolphin

noises, intro-

ducing herself

by her charac-

ter’s name. Her favorite character of late

has been Biscuit the Puppy, the star of her

favorite beginning reader books.

Nevaeh was born prematurely at twenty-

six weeks weighing just over two pounds,

about the size and weight of a liter bottle.

Despite the classic etiology of cerebral

palsy (prematurity, cerebral hemorrhages,

and O2 deprivation) and her global de-

lays, she was not diagnosed with cere-

bral palsy until she was two and one-half

years old. The diagnosis came after her

grandmother took her own research to

the pediatrician. Her prematurity quali-

fied her for therapy through ECI for her first three years.

After her third birthday her grandparents enrolled in a

Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD)

and she began receiving PT, OT, and ST from THERAPY

2000.

She quickly progressed and ‘graduated’ from ST at the end

of six months while (Angela Nelson, COTA) and I contin-

ue to address her hypersensitivity to touch, textures and

loud noises, as well as advancing her fine and gross motor

skills. Nevaeh’s primary mobility was creeping across the

floor when I began treating her at age three. She began

crawling within a few weeks, progressing to crawling up

and down the stairs, standing with support, tall kneeling

and side-stepping on her knees (then upright) within a

few months. She consistently met her PT goals early, re-

quiring frequent goal updates and garnering comments on

my miracle patient. Her greatest challenge has been learn-

ing to walk using her gait trainer, but she demonstrated a

breakthrough at school and home last February when she

suddenly began walking faster for longer distances. Her

teachers and school therapists were fabulous, helping her

to practice walking between classrooms

and activities throughout the day. Positive

peer pressure was a bonus!

Nevaeh began throwing tantrums about

a year into therapy but again responded

quickly when I introduced her to a smiley

chart with simple behavior rules, rein-

forcing positive behaviors while redirect-

ing the ones impeding therapy. She has

earned several Biscuit books as a reward

for filling her chart with smiley faces. Her

newest challenge is navigating all-day kin-

dergarten with energy to spare for her

therapists after school! Her grandmother

is now pursuing Gifted and Talented test-

ing at the recommendation of her former

PPCD teacher. She is a delightful little girl,

and I look forward to watching her reach

her potential in all areas of her life as she grows.

— Kathy Gamble, PTA

SUCCESS STORY: NEVAEH

Nevaeh and Kathy

Steve began receiving speech therapy services in April 2013.

His mother requested an evaluation due to concerns that

Steve was not able to say many words by the age of three.

In addition, Steven often became frustrated and threw fre-

quent tantrums that included kicking, yelling and throwing

things. Initially, Steve exhibited difficulty sitting down to par-

ticipate for the entire session, and he was easily distract-

ed. He was soon able to get into a routine of completing

presented activities, and slowly started to imitate simple

words and environmental sounds. After a several weeks of

therapy, Steve began to say more words independently, and

his vocabulary continued to grow. However, once his lan-

guage began to improve, he struggled with returning toys

and materials at the end of the session. Steve would cry and

throw tantrums when the session was over. A visual timer

was implemented to help Steve finish the session without

becoming upset. Steve quickly benefitted from the timer

and his overall behavior continued to improve. I collabo-

rated with Steve’s mother to request further testing with

his local school district the summer of 2013. Steve began

attending Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities

(PPCD) in the 2013/14 school year, and his mother noticed

a huge difference and improvement right away. Steve easily

transitioned into his new routine of riding the bus. He also

began keeping better sleeping patterns and had overall im-

proved behavior. Steve continues to receive speech therapy

two times a week. He is now able to use more age-appro-

priate vocabulary, answer simple questions, participate in

structured tasks, and is formulating increased phrases and

simple sentences. Currently, we are working on improving

sentence structure so that he is more easily understood by

others. The whole family is very pleased that Steve is now

speaking, saying more words and is more cooperative. Steve

continues to make huge strides and learn new things every

day.

— Brenda Garcia, M.S., CCC-SLP

SUCCESS STORY: STEVE

Steve and Brenda Garcia, M.S., CCC-SLP Steve and his Mom

Cuyler Romeo, OTR, M.O.T., SCFES (AOTA certified Feeding, Eating and Swallowing Specialist) has been working at THERAPY 2000 for two years. In May, she assumed the role of Director of Clini-cal Innovation for THERAPY 2000. This new position was created to showcase our dedication to innovation within our industry.

In addition to overseeing the development and implementation of Feeding and High Risk Infant Programs, Cuyler is promoting, developing, and assisting with fostering innovation and excellence in evidence-based clinical practice throughout the organization. In collaboration with clinical and administrative leadership, Cuyler is ensuring that clinical excellence is hard wired into all areas of the organization through education and clinical programing.

Q: One of the overarching themes for some projects you’ve been working on at THERAPY 2000 is creating and strengthening partnerships. Can you tell us a little about some of these initiatives?

Community partnerships, whether with physicians, ECI, advocacy/family support groups, or our large hospital sys-tems, promote responsible evidence-based care by devel-oping shared desired outcomes and quality assurance col-laboration. In order to serve as an industry leader, we must recognize the inherent value in working with others. THERAPY 2000 cannot fulfill the complex needs of our families in isolation. Only through positive relationships with the community may we participate as a point of ser-vice in the family’s journey to meaningful function. We are currently working on building relationships with referral sources, insurance companies, ECI, and other peer provid-ers. Every employee is vital to strong community relation-ships. Only by continuing to coordinate care and work with our community partners, will we maintain the positive relationships needed to be a trusted service provider.

Q: How can we strengthen our relationships within the home?

I believe our employees (from the intake specialists, to the staffers and case managers, to the in-home therapists) are the key to strong, supportive relationships in the home. T2Kers need easy access to tools in order to develop the critical thinking skills needed to implement family-centered plans of care with an emphasis on caregiver education. These skills require not only knowledge and expertise in their discipline, but self-awareness and contextual under

standing of the family’s situation. THERAPY 2000 is ex-panding education resources online, improving accessibility through app design and also examining our education pro-gramming. Leadership structure also supports accessibility to resources. Therapists are encouraged to reach out to their Team Manager, Specialty Program leaders, mentors, and colleagues. THERAPY 2000 has a wealth of internal expertise; we are our own best resource!

Q: What are doctors saying about the role home health care is playing in their practices?

Physicians want to see appropriate utilization of service. This includes providing the right care, at the right time in accordance with the child’s and family’s needs. We as home based providers have a responsibility not only to deliver appropriate care, but also to maintain a global pic-ture of the family’s overall health needs. Physicians’ value our unique contribution as integrated family providers in assisting them meet health measures, such as reducing hospital re-admittance, reducing ER visits and ameliorating progressive conditions. THERAPY 2000 is in the natural environment; therefore, we have a wonderful opportunity to support behavior changes needed to improve functional performance and reduce medical costs.

I strongly encourage all THERAPY 2000 employees to share their thoughts with me directly. I appreci-ate your insight and consider every comment valu-able. Please e-mail me at cuyler.romeo@t2000.com to collaborate.

CLINICAL INNOVATION

THERAPY 2000 COMPANY PORTAL NEWS

Utilize the T2K Portal and access all your favorite apps, for work and more, with just one password. Thousands of apps are available - all with just one login.

What's new at the T2K portal? The IT department has been hard at work unrolling new programs and functional-ities for THERAPY 2000 office staff and therapists. Currently, the only apps available to everyone through the T2K portal are OfficeWyse, SmartFile, and Webmail. OfficeWyse:This program is now available in the cloud, and you will have remote OfficeWyse access. Now you can log in from the web, your desktop or mobile devices to OfficeWyse when you log into the T2K Portal. COMING SOON:These Apps are currently available in the T2K Portal for the management team and support staff. We will be unveil-ing them to the entire company in the new year.

SharePoint:The new, improved SharePoint site is up and running. SharePoint is a secure, cloud-based program used to help companies store, organize, share and access information from almost any device. Subsites are available per division and discipline. Company announcements, interactive calen-dars, discussion boards, and job aids will live here.

Yammer: Yammer is a private social network that helps employees

collaborate across departments, locations and business apps. Think of it as Facebook for work. A great place to share, find information, post comments and read relevant feeds. OneDrive:OneDrive manages your files in the cloud from anywhere. It is your personal document storage. Use it to store your files pertinent to your T2K duties and access them any-where. OneDrive is accessible from the web, desktop, and mobile devices.

Lync:Lync online is offered as part of Office 365 and provides instant messaging, voice, video and a meeting options. This valuable tool can now replace freeconferencecalling.com and GoToMeeting.com. You can easily screen share and make use of a virtual whiteboard in a meeting. We hope you enjoy the expanded T2K Portal functionality. Please feel to reach out to the IT department with ques-tions: support@t2000.com

Need to access the portal on your smartphone or oth-er mobile device? There's a job aid for that:

http://alturl.com/uh4pw

T2K Portal

In the last edition of The Insider, I listed some statistics that show how inadequate most healthcare professionals are at listening to patients and meeting their needs. As a reminder:

• 6% of patients are asked about their opinions,• 11% communicate all their healthcare concerns,• 76% are afraid to ask questions, and• we over-estimate by 900% the amount of time we spend

providing or explaining information.

What would the statistics look like if staff at THERAPY 2000 flipped them upside down and inside out?

• 94% of THERAPY 2000 patient families would be asked about their opinions.

• 89% of THERAPY 2000 pa-tient families would feel like they are able to communicate all their healthcare concerns with us.

• 76% of THERAPY 2000 patient families would not be afraid to ask questions.

• In 100% of interactions, we would spend as long as it takes to make sure patient families have all the in-formation they want and need and we would go the extra mile to make sure they understand the next steps in the patient’s care plan.

The first step to flipping these statistics is called Aligning. To align with someone, imagine you are standing beside them, lining up your toes along the same invisible line that runs in front of you and the family you are serving. Your toes are not in front of the line or behind the line instead, you are right there beside the family.

With that picture in mind, next, we align verbally. Many

times when presented with a need or request, our first impulse is to move quickly to solve the request. Some-times we move so quickly that the person making the re-quest or expressing the need does not even realize what has happened. Then they may shut down or feel afraid. Yes, you have “solved” the request, but because you have not taken the time to align with them, they do not have the chance to understand what you have done to meet their need.

Aligning verbally is simple. It is taking a moment before enacting a solution to acknowledge

the need or request and then assure the family you will do what you can to

meet it. Here is an example:

Family: "My child is tube-fed. I am worried that she will never be able to eat solid food."

Typical misaligning response: "We can fix that. We are going

to start with...(and then rattling off strategies)."

Instead, try this aligning response: "I bet that is worrisome. As parents, we want our

children to eat and be healthy. We are going to do all we can together over the next few weeks and months to help your daughter learn to eat solids."

Do you see, hear and feel the difference between the mis-aligning and the aligning responses? Our families do too!

Aligning is not difficult to do, it just needs to become a habit. Once it is, then our families and patients, as well as other external customers such as doctors’ offices and school districts, will truly begin to feel that we are listen-ing and attending to their unique needs and requests.

Hint: Aligning also works between internal customers. Try it!

CUSTOMER FOCUS: A-LIGN UP!BY MARNIE STONE, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS RELATIONS

"Aligning is not difficult to do, it just needs to become a

habit."

10

11

REFERRAL SOURCE SPOTLIGHT: LINDA SWAYZER, TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

By: Jamie Lombardo, Community Relations Representative

THERAPY 2000 values the input of our referral sources. We feel it is important to check-in periodically with them to make sure we are meeting their needs. The company often takes recommendations from referral sources and puts them into practice. Houston THERAPY 2000 marketer, Jamie Lombardo, chatted with Linda Swayzer, 26-year veteran of Texas Children’s Hospital Special Needs Clinic about her day-to-day role within the clinic and her interaction with THERAPY 2000.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you at Texas Children’s Hospital?

A: There is really no typical day in the special needs clinic. I come to the clinic each day knowing I will be serving children with special needs and their families with quality care. We see about 25 patients each day in the clinic and I know they are relying on me and my team to provide excellent care and customer service. We love our kiddos and we feel blessed to be able to assist them with their medical needs.

Q: How many patients are you responsible for at any given time?

A: Our clinic serves over 968 patients, and on any given day we see 25 children. No one patient is alike – the needs of every child that we care for varies.

Q: What type of referrals are you responsible for?

A: Oh wow! I am responsible for setting patients up with numerous services. Everything from DME to nursing and even therapy services. The most important thing to me when referring patients out for services is that I want them to have an excellent experience. I love the one-on-one

interaction with the families that we serve, and I want them to know they are in good hands. The physicians rely on my advice and experience in sending referrals out for various services.

Q: How time-consuming is the process of making referrals for you?

A: The time spent to refer our patients for services can be very time consuming. While patients are in the clinic I am constantly multi-tasking which really keeps me on my toes. It’s a never ending process and I work very hard to ensure that every patient’s needs are taken care of.

Q: How have payer source and industry changes affected the referral process for you?

A: It’s definitely more time consuming to refer patients out for services. Sometimes there can be a delay in getting those services started for our patients because the process requires multiple steps. But we are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure our patients are well taken care of.

Q: How do you like working with THERAPY 2000?

A: I really enjoy working with THERAPY 2000. I think they provide prompt feedback on referrals sent in and staffing on patients. I also appreciate their assistance with helping to get all of the paper work submitted in a timely manner. My overall experience has been excellent with THERAPY 2000.

Q: Is THERAPY 2000 meeting your needs?

A: Yes! We have multiple patients being serviced by THERAPY 2000 and we rely on your staff and their skills to assist our patients in bettering their lives.

Q: How can THERAPY 2000 improve to meet your needs more successfully?

A: It might be helpful to have a representative come out to meet one on one with families when they come into the clinic for their appointments. It’s good for these families to have the information beforehand. And it’s always good to have a face with the company – it simply adds that extra bit of customer service.

Linda Swayzer

AMARILLO WELCOMES THERAPY 2000 CRISANN SKINNER, MA, CCC-SLP, AMARILLO DIVISION DIRECTOR

Amarillo is the largest city in the Texas Panhandle, and the fourteenth most populated city in the state of Texas. As of today, THERAPY 2000 serves kids in the cities of Ama-rillo, Canyon, Borger, Fritch, Pampa and Dumas. These ar-eas have an estimated population of 236,113. That’s a lot of kids to see!

Amarillo gets its name for the Spanish word for yellow. The city has many Americana attractions including Cadil-lac Ranch and Big Texan Steak House. The latter is home of the 72 ounce steak, nicknamed "The Texas King," free to anyone who can finish it and its accompanying sides in one hour or less. The famed Route 66 runs right through the city. The beautiful Palo Duro Canyon, the Grand Can-yon of Texas, can be found right outside the city.

Where we liveTHERAPY 2000 offices out of the Chase Tower a 31-sto-ry building located in downtown Amarillo. It is the tall-est building in Amarillo and the West Texas region at 31 stories. We are on the 8th floor and it is quite a view. The building also houses the offices of the city's electric power service provider, Xcel Energy, Chase Bank and a branch for West Texas A&M University.

Meet the staff

WHY DO YOU LOVE AMARILLO?• Crisann Skinner – Amarillo Division Director

I was born and raised in the Panhandle and after being

gone for almost 30 years I have enjoyed seeing old friends

and family, the awesome sunsets, cool evenings even in

the summer, friendly people, and a slower pace of life.

• Monica De La Cruz – AOS /Staffer

People are so nice and willing to help you out with any-

thing.

• Vicki Moore – Marketing

I love living here because it is a great place to raise a fam-

ily. The people are awesome; they will go out of their way

to help a total stranger. Also, the sunrises and the sunsets

are the best, you can’t see theses in the bigger cities, too

much light.

• Kara Sliney – SLP

I love that it takes me 5 minutes to get to the office!

There is no real rush hour here in Amarillo.

• Christina Lopez – STA

The best things about living in the panhandle are the sun-

sets and the night sky. I could watch the stars every night

and never get tired of it.

• Val Betts – ST

The things I like best about the Texas Panhandle are

thunderstorms, sunsets and the people. I have lived in

many different states and have found that these things

are more beautiful and warm here than any other place

in the nation.

• Rachelle Stevens – OT

I think of Amarillo as a little big town-- it's big enough that

you can go to the store and not know every person you

meet but small enough that you probably will recognize

a few people during your day. I also like that Amarillo has

four seasons!

• Kim Hudgins – PT

My favorite thing about the Panhandle is my neighbor-

hood. I am very blessed to have excellent neighbors and

a community that is welcoming and always so sweet to

my puppy!

• Crystal Summers – COTA

My favorite thing about the Panhandle is my neighbor-

hood. I am very blessed to have excellent neighbors and

a community that is welcoming and always so sweet to

my puppy!

AMARILLO WELCOMES THERAPY 2000 CRISANN SKINNER, MA, CCC-SLP, AMARILLO DIVISION DIRECTOR

T2K sponsors two Amarillo area Super Kids Classic Derby CarsThe Super Kids Classic is a Soap Box Derby race for physically and mentally challenged children from around the world. Local races are held throughout the year, and one was held in Amarillo on June 14th. THERAPY 2000 sponsored two cars this year. A special needs child ages 7 to 18 rides along with an experienced driver in the Soap Box derby car. Winners from each local race advance to the world famous Derby Downs Track for the world championship Akron, Ohio. The race is a very special opportunity for these children to compete in a race that is uniquely their own. THERAPY 2000 was proud to take part in such a great event!

Now It's Official!On September 30th, T2K Amarillo had a ribbon cutting with the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. It was followed by an open house for area referral sources and peer providers in the community.

On October 11th, a group of

T2Kers volunteered as helpers

at the Dallas Children’s The-

ater’s sensory-friendly per-

formance of, "Rapunzel! Ra-

punzel! A Very Hairy Fairy

Tale." They greeted families,

helped the kids with pre-show

activities (face painting, crafts,

photos), and were available

during the show to assist families if needed. Three “Sensory

Friendly” performances took place in 2014, and were fund-

ed by a grant. The program was so successful, that it will be

continued in 2015.

From the DCT website: “ With the mission of inspir-

ing young people to live creative and productive lives

through the art of the theater, DCT is now proud to

be able to create a positive, fun atmosphere for fami-

lies with sensory friendly needs. A child with autism or

some other sensory challenge who loves theater and

the arts will be excited about this new program at DCT

and, hopefully, with the transformational experience of

theater, will be inspired to creatively contribute to the

world and their community in their own way.” www.

dct.org/sensory/

Thank you to our volunteers: Theresa Hill, Gwen Cassel,

Meredith Wagnon, Justine Hamilton (not pictured), and Eliz-

abeth Bryant.

Elizabeth Bryant (left) and Theresa HillGwen Cassel (left) and Meredith Wagnon

RAPUNZEL! RAPUNZEL!

CHARI-T2000 UPDATE

Chari-T2000 hosted its first ever bowling event July 19th with Dallas Cowboy safeties Barry Church #42 and JJ Wilcox #27 at Main Event, Frisco. The Cowboys dominated the lanes for a Chari-T2000 fundraiser. The event was a great success raising $4,260 for Chari-T2000 and children with special needs. Diehard Cowboy fans met the players and got autographs, and pictures taken for the first hour of the event. After a couple of interviews, it was on to bowling. Barry and JJ anchored two

teams of six. Both Cowboys were great bowl-ers. Their strength was obvious, with JJ’s aver-age roll at 19.5 mph and Barry’s at 12.5mph! In between bowling, fans enjoyed discussing the upcoming season over appetizers and drinks. Supporters paid for autographs and to bowl on the players’ team. Fans of the boys and the charity could also buy raffle tickets for a signed Dallas Cowboys helmet in display case, signed hat and gift cards, generously donated by Bar-ry Church. Main Event, Frisco donated all the lanes for bowling that day. Huge Fan and lucky helmet raffle winner, Mandy Mudge shared, “It’s heartwarming when you see awesome players share their time for a great cause.”

Chari-T2000 would like to thank Marcia Thomas, SLP, Barry Church, and J.J. Wilcox for their time and efforts to support the charity.

We would also like to thank all who donat-ed items to the Chari-T2000 holiday auction, those of you who bid, and our WONDERFUL SPONSORS! For a complete list of sponsors, visit the Chari-T2000 website:

www.chari-t2000.org

Thank you for your support!

“It’s heartwarming

when you see

awesome players

share their time for a

great cause.”

Barry Church (bottom left) and JJ Wilcox bowl for a good cause

Tristi

BLOGS WE LOVE! COMMUNITY FOR CASEY

Tristi began documenting her son Casey’s ups and

downs as they make their journey through her blog,

Community for Casey. Her touching writing and

beautiful pictures have captured our hearts.

Casey is three years old and lives with his family in Am-

arillo, Texas. Casey has struggled with significant Failure

to Thrive (FTT) of unknown origin since he was around

ten months old. It is speculated that Casey has some-

thing called Russell Silver Syndrome but it is uncon-

firmed at this time.

He also has a cyst on his cerebellum. He struggles with severe speech delays as well as fine and gross motor delays. Like

many boys his age, Casey loves all things with wheels; He also enjoys numbers and alphabet shapes, sliding at the park and

snow cones.

Casey recently began seeing THERAPY 2000 therapists in his Amarillo home.

Q: We’ve really been moved by your blog, how long have you been writing it?

I’m surprised and very flattered that so many people have been following it. I started writing it around April of 2014.

Q: Have you always been a writer? Is this your first blog, what got you started writing your blog? Does this mean I have earned the title of “writer?”

I have always really enjoyed writing but never knew that I could potentially put something out there that would be interest-

ing enough to other people. I have to be emotionally moved to be able to channel the words with such deep introspect.

Having Casey as my child has definitely tapped into a place that I never really knew existed. I haven’t always been well

known for having the softest heart in my life time. Casey changed

every bit of that. He made me see the world through a different set

of eyes, and it has been a life changer for me. It was heartbreaking

and beautiful at the same time. I’m not the same person I was even

a year and a half ago. I just woke up one day and I knew that I was

feeling really alone in the world and that there must be thousands

of parents out there that felt just like me. And that’s a pretty gut

wrenching thought. If I could use our experience to bring awareness

to what it’s like to be the parent of a child that doesn’t experience a

typical childhood, I was going to do just that. It would be beneficial

for me to get the feelings out onto a page and it would be beneficial

to other parents to read it and think, “Hey, she really gets me. Maybe

I’m not so alone.”

Three Trunks. One Tree. “The Ogden Tree.”

BLOGS WE LOVE! COMMUNITY FOR CASEY

Q: From comments in the bottom of your blog I can tell that other parents really relate to you and your stories. Was that your intention?

Yes! There was a time in my parenting career where I felt like our lives were moving along in a fairly normal manner and I

felt like parenting was trying even then. And that’s because it is! Being responsible for a tiny human is the greatest responsi-

bility there is. Being responsible for a tiny human that is sick, the weight of responsibility feels monumentally greater. When

Casey got sick; things changed drastically for us. That feeling of needing to be all things to him was exponentially magnified.

He needed me to fight harder and be stronger for him. What other choice do you have but to rise to the occasion? It’s

easy to feel like an outcast. If I could help other parents put their feelings in perspective and help them grieve a little more

easily, that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make at least one other person out there not feel so alone or hopeless.

Q: You are obviously very creative. Your blog has beautiful pictures, how did you begin that hobby. Do you have a preference for pictures or writing?

I didn’t know even know I was creative until a year after my son’s birth! I am very blessed in the husband department. He

saw something in me that I didn’t even know existed. I took literally a thousand pictures of my son with my iPhone. He

bought my first camera for Christmas in 2012. He told me that I had great composition skills, and he wanted to see what

I could do. I don’t think either one of us ever thought that photography was going to be the way for me to be able to stay

home with our son and also bring in a little extra cash along the way to help out with everything. I have to say that writing

and photography are pretty equal outlets for me. I can find a lot of solitude on an old dirt road with a West Texas sunset. I

can also find a lot of solitude in just writing my heart out. It literally feels like I’m writing my heart out. Fortunately for me,

a lot of blog writers look for photographers and a lot of photographers look for writers. I just happen to be able to carry

my weight a little bit in each department. And I’m a strong believer that when you are gifted with something, you have been

called to use those gifts to leave the world a better place. That’s my goal for the remainder of my life. If I do that through

photography and writing, then I will have truly lived out my dream. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Casey, age 3

Q: What would the perfect day be for you and your family?

It would definitely include bacon. I can’t speak for my husband, but perfection

to me is that feeling when all three of us are snuggled into one bed and under

one blanket. I love getting up together as a family. I cannot cook and have

no business inside a kitchen, so I usually leave that up to my husband. He’ll

make breakfast as Casey and I begin our rituals of cleaning his button site and

starting off his first dose of supplemental calories. After that, we usually find

a family activity outside of the house like the playground at the park or go-

ing to feed the ducks. Casey’s laughter is contagious. It is the truest sound

of joy that I have ever heard. He doesn’t hand it out freely so when he gives

you a reassuring belly laugh, you know you’ve made his entire day. I guess for

right now; the perfect day is any day that the three of us can just be together

outside of hospitals. They are the days that we feel like a normal family doing

normal things. Ideally, I hope that our perfect day will soon be a world where

Casey is tube and wire free, thriving to his full potential, and settled into a new

realm for “normalcy” for us.

Excerpts from Community for Casey: "It’s OK Mommy"

Having a child with any special needs is not an easy road, but it is not an impossible one either. It’s rewarding, challenging,

and builds towers of character within your heart. It develops your mind and changes your soul. Things that once seemed

impossible or unrealistic become tangible and possible. It gets better. I’m not saying that it goes away entirely because that

would be a lie. You’re always going to hurt for your child. You will have days where you go feeling like a normal person and

then a day where you feel completely defeated will slip in and knock you off your feet. The beautiful thing is that those days

start to feel further and further apart. To my fellow medical mommies, it’s okay. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that

my situation is yours or that yours is mine but, I am going to sit here and tell you that it’s okay. Whatever you are feeling or

wherever you are sitting today, you’re doing a great job. It’s okay if you’re having a good day with your family and everything

seems alright. You deserve to have a day of peace and little worry. For those of you sitting in a hospital or cuddling an ill

child, it’s okay that you’re sad. It’s okay if you are envious of those who do not understand what you are going through. It’s

okay that you feel lonely and misunderstood. People may try to minimize your grief, but they are wrong. Those are your

legitimate feelings and you are entitled to them. It’s always okay to grieve, but it’s never okay to be defeated. We aren’t

given than luxury. (To read more, visit the blog-link at the end of article.)

Excerpts from Community for Casey: "Away We Go"

I have to be honest with you. Words like “behind” and “delayed” usually hurt my feelings. They usually make my heart sink.

They usually make me feel defeated. Not today. Today, I felt myself smile when I heard the words that Casey was behind.

Maybe I’m losing my mind. Maybe I’m way off base (I’m not). Maybe I should be more worried than I am right now. But, I’m

not. I’m not worried about it. For the first time in over a year, I shifted my attention off of where Casey isn’t and started

focusing on where he will be. I smiled when I heard the word “behind” today because I know that it is one more thing that

Casey is going to overcome. It’s one more thing that he is going to get to prove wrong. It’s just one more time that Casey

is going to get to tell the world that he cannot and will not be limited. (Continued on next page)

Casey's fighting face at a very early age.

A few weeks ago, I was tearing up over the thought of watching my son run to

the first base for the very first time. I’m still tearing up about that thought to-

day. Not because that thought seems hopeless and not because that thought

feels overwhelming. I’m tearing up because I know it will happen. Casey will

run to first base. Casey will jump off a diving board. Casey will play catch with

his friends in the front yard. It’s going to happen. The only person who can

tell him that he won’t be able to is himself and I can, without hesitation, say

that won’t happen. (To read more, visit the blog-link below.)

Read more of Tristi's moving blog at:

https://communityforcasey.wordpress.com/

* All photos courtesy of Ogden Photography

The Austin T2K team has been out and about a lot the past

few months sharing all that is great about T2K! We have

certainly been sharing the “We Give Back” spirit!

We provided a Better Speech and Hearing Month Education

Event at the Thinkery Children’s Museum in Austin. This

event was organized by our Hearing Impairment Program

Director, Ashley Fairleigh. The Thinkery provided admission

by donation to the museum, and we provided information

on speech, hearing and language development and disorders

to the families that attended. A number of Spanish speaking

families attended, and we were excited to be able to provide

them with the THERAPY 2000 Developmental Checklist in Span-

ish, as well as have Spanish-speaking therapists available to answer

questions. The event was coordinated with the Austin Audiology

Society, whose volunteers provided free hearing screenings to the

children who attended. The Austin Audiology Society is a group

of about eighty five local audiologists that support each other in

the community to promote better hearing.

We also sponsored and provided volunteers for the Growing

Roots Family Fun Day in June. Growing Roots is a non-profit

organization that provides parent education and supportive case

T2K-AUSTIN, IN THE COMMUNITY!

THERAPY 2000

2535 Lone Star Dr.

Dallas, TX 75212

T2K-AUSTIN IN THE COMMUNITY!management for families of children

with disabilities. This amazing organiza-

tion, started by a bilingual Speech Lan-

guage Pathologist, has developed par-

ent education curriculums in English

and Spanish for families with children

with Autism and for those navigating

the Special Education world. The par-

ent education program provides great

information, but also supports par-

ent advocacy and networking, which

are particularly important for families

without traditional medical networks,

education opportunities, and financial resources. Growing Roots Family Fun Days

are afternoons of play and community building for families with children with a

range of interests and abilities. These events are held at the McBeth Recreation

Center at Zilker Park in Austin, which is a fully adapted and accessible space for

children of all ages and abilities. This event had a carnival theme, complete with

make-your-own snow cones, games, and prizes.

A BIG thank you to Nancy Gunn, our Community Relations Representative (for

all of the fun giveaways), Ashley Fairleigh (for organizing the Thinkery event), and all

the Austin T2K team members who volunteered at these events!