Where are you from and where do you currently live and work?
I was born and raised in Hanover, MD, outside of Baltimore. I live in the Brookeville, MD area, about mid-way between Baltimore and Washington DC. I am the founder and Executive Director of Out Came the Sun Foundation, Inc., which provides developmental therapy services to children, and their families, in Washington, DC.
How long have you been working with children [on the spectrum]?
I’ve been working with children since 1992, getting my start at an Early Intervention Program working as a Child Habilitation Specialist for children with a positive diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. In 1999, my cousin’s (a Pediatrician in Boston) youngest son was diagnosed with ASD. Since his diagnosis, I have supported my cousin in organizing a 5k run in Potomac, Md supporting Autism Speaks.
When did you become a PLAY Project Home Consultant and what drew you to The PLAY Project model?
I took the PLAY Project training when they came to Washington DC in August 2011, at the insistence of my Administrative Assistant who felt very strongly that PLAY was just an organic progression of what I already believe, teach and live.
What attracted me the most to the PLAY model was the opportunity to truly join the family right where they are: their home, their schedule. I also love the length of the visits. The needs of a new PLAY family are so great, and having the time to model, coach, review and brainstorm at a relaxed, comfortable pace is a rarity. This is one of the keys that makes PLAY so effective with my kids and their families.
What do you like most about your work as a Home Consultant?
I went to school to be a Developmental Specialist, but since starting Out Came the Sun Foundation in 1995, I’ve personally provided less and less direct services. PLAY has gotten me back to doing what I was born to do, PLAYing with kids, and I love it!
What has been one of your most memorable moments as a Home Consultant?
While attending the Home Consultant Reunion and Retreat this past summer in Ann Arbor, I presented my most challenging family to various experienced PLAY Home Consultants. I’d been working with this particular family for 5 months, and I was challenged with not quite “measuring up” to the successes of the ABA services they were also receiving. The PLAY peers I consulted with at the Conference encouraged me to have the difficult conversation with the family to reflect on their values and goals. The purpose was to clarify how PLAY fit into their picture for their son’s development. Despite my 18 years of experience as a Developmental Specialist, I was very uncomfortable thinking about and preparing for this conversation, especially given that I had only recently become a PLAY Home Consultant. After having a heart-to-heart with this family, mom sent me an email stating, “you made a wonderful observation that (her husband) and I have not forgotten: Let the therapists teach and we focus on PLAY. It has motivated us and will not be forgotten.” My visits with this family haven’t been the same since that conversation. Now they’ve found the joy they were looking for, and together we bask in a multitude of PLAYful magical moments!
What is one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned as a Home Consultant?
I’ve learned to keep everything, from my visits to my feedback, simple. My favorite rule of thumb: don’t ever videotape more than 15 minutes — editing is an unnecessary evil. Talk less; listen more; pause. PLAY is really simple, even when you’re learning to do it for the very first time.
What do you do for fun?
I love spending individual time with each of my 3 kids. I practice yoga, read and walk — and if I can do each of these while dancing like no one’s watching, all the better!
What makes you smile?
Everything. If you take the time to allow yourself to truly experience it, life is Cute and Funny. I’m blessed to be able to see that, even through the natural trials and sorrows. So, I laugh and it’s perfectly contagious!
Thank you, Lori Ann! We appreciate your work as a PLAY Project Home Consultant so much! Readers can ‘like’ Out Came the Sun Foundation, Inc’s Facebook Page here: http://www.facebook.com/Outcamethesun