Get to know our core values, and why we believe they are so important in AAC and AT intervention.
The core four. Our core values are at the center of everything we do at The FannyPack Therapist. When we sat down to brainstorm our core values, we wanted to be sure they would be reflective of our approach to therapy and our approach to life. So we sat down at my dining room therapy with some Thai food, some wine, and some gel pens, and we each composed a list of things that are important to us. Where those lists overlapped, we began to create our core values.
We came up with four that were most important to us: inclusivity, adaptability, simplicity, and being yourself. These shared values are what brought us together as a collaborative therapy team and as BFFs. We live these values in treatment and in life. Part of our mission on this platform is to empower other occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists to provide quality treatment in AAC and AT through simple treatment approaches and therapeutic use of self.
“These shared values are what brought us together as a collaborative therapy team and as BFFs. We live these values in treatment and in life."
Be Inclusive
inclusive
adjective: broad in orientation or scope. covering or intending to cover all items, services, etc.
Inclusion in the foundation of all of our therapeutic interventions. As we evaluate and treat with a holistic approach, our efforts are inclusive of all of the client's strengths, challenges, priorities, and motivators to keep intervention client-centered. We also believe in true inclusion of individuals of all abilities, and their right to have opportunities to access communication and meaningful activities. We practice being inclusive through advocacy for universal design, and creation of alternative access methods to provide function and self-advocacy.
Be Adaptable
adaptable
adjective: able to adapt to new conditions.
As therapists we must constantly adapt to the situations and curve balls thrown our way. We practice flexibility to adapt our therapeutic approaches and materials to meet our client's unique needs. We also use our creativity to literally adapt toys, games, and the environment to give clients access to the world around them. This means having a plan b, and having the confidence to create a plan c on the fly!
Be Simple
simple
adjective: easily understood or done; uncomplicated in form, nature, or design.
We believe in simplicity for a number of reasons. As therapists we have to respond to the ever changing conditions and presentations of our clients as we work with them. This is a complex task! If we additionally create unique and customized intervention materials for every child and every session, this can be overwhelming and lead to burn out. How do you keep it simple? Replace your therapy bag with a therapy fanny pack! With fewer, more versatile materials and/or equipment we can still serve our client's needs but not reinvent the wheel each hour or spend days prepping materials!
Be You
you
pronoun: used to refer to the person or people being addressed.
This is maybe the most important of our values. We value you, and we want you to recognize the importance of your value as well! As therapists the most important thing we can bring to the table is within ourselves. We bring our knowledge, our experience, and our therapeutic use of self before presenting any of the materials or activities we have planned for a session. By prioritizing the you we empower ourselves to rely on our knowledge before our materials, to engage in self-care, and to show up our our authentic selves for our clients.
lylas!
annabeth & mara
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