Rise & Sign Therapies

Have you heard of Manos Unidas / Hands United? They are an organization that provides resources for families of DHH children in both English and Spanish, including ASL classes taught in Spanish!

Find out more at:

https://manosunidasor.org/
https://handsunitedor.org/

I had the time of my life hanging out with Jon Urquhart last night! We got some hilarious videos coming your way! Boston, MA has been treating me so well! 😇

What’s a word your child mispronounces and it’s SO cute? 🤣

Are you looking to help your child communicate but you don't know how? It can be so overwhelming when your child isn’t saying words, so they resort to communicating with tears!

As a speech therapist, I work with families every single day to help their children increase their language skills, decrease frustration, and make daily routines go a whole lot smoother!

That's why I'm offering the Rise & Regulate Course. I give all my top tips for developing communication, PLUS I asked my good friend Courtney English (a brilliant occupational therapist) to teach strategies on sensory regulation-- She will teach you how to prevent tantrums/meltdowns before they happen!

Just take Sherry, mom of a 20 month old who hadn't started talking yet. Trips to the grocery store used to be a nightmare-- her child would reach for items in the cart and cry the whole time! After the course, Sherry told us that it was like a lightbulb turned on for her. She knew how to support learning new words from anywhere and used Courtney's strategies to keep her child regulated through the store. Just 2 months after taking the course, her child was up to 20 new words and 6 new signs!

This class is for you if:

You want to see your child say or sign more words

You want to feel confident helping your child find their calm when they are overwhelmed, reducing tantrums!

You want expert strategies to get your child to communicate and regulate that you can't find on google

This class is not for you if:

Your child is using 4-5 word sentences consistently and has a vocabulary of over 400 words

These strategies work for ALL children, whether your child is typically developing or of they are autistic, deaf or hard of hearing, or have a developmental disability.

Join us today to see communication transform in your home! This course will be only be offered until ✨June 15, 2024 at 4pm CST✨, so get access while you can!

If you have questions or need assistance, email [email protected]. Accommodations available upon request.

@risesign Rise & Regulate Course

Help me reach my goal for DEAF KIDS in Louisiana! Donate here!

Dash for Deaf Kids 5k and Fun Run Run from ANYWHERE, any time before or on race day, or join us at Louisiana School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge! Registrants will receive t-shirts and we have prizes for winners! Join a TEAM to compete for your favorite of the Fab 5!

Absolutely!! 💯

Has anyone made a false negative assumption about your child? How did you handle it?

What kind of parent do you hope to be? What are you doing to get there?

We celebrated Mardi Gras with a parade at Louisiana School for the Deaf today and I left in tears 🥲🥲🥲 Let me explain! (Www.lsdfoundation.com to donate)

Imagine you’re a Deaf child in a typical classroom. You may or may not have an interpreter. You may or may not have any language skills. You have never met another Deaf person before. People talk around you all the time, but you don’t understand what they are saying. They get upset with you when you aren’t doing what they want you to do, but you don’t know what it is you’re supposed to do! Other kids around you move their mouths but walk away when you don’t know how to respond. You throw tantrums because no one understands you and you spend day after day confused. It’s exhausting!

Now imagine you go to a new school, where everyone talks with their hands. OH! This is called an “apple”? If I “run” there’s a sign for that? The person at home who I love the most in the world is called “mom” m-o-m? These kids AND adults have hearing aids and cochlear implants too? They all want to be my friend? I don’t need an interpreter, I can just use ASL and people meet my needs? I don’t have to just point anymore? I know what the rules are and I can finally start pairing those signs with written words too? I CAN READ? I CAN PLAY SPORTS? I CAN MAKE FRIENDS? My parents are now learning these signs and they can COMMUNICATE with me? (And in some cases “OH when you SAY “apple” with your voice you mean “apple” in sign language! That makes sense now! I can learn how to talk better because I understand the PURPOSE of communication!)

The school is a RARE place where Deaf children have access to language all the time. There are Deaf people and hearing people who sign everywhere. Kids with access to sound use spoken language too! Signing doesn’t prevent them from learning to talk and learn English, it actually HELPS! It truly is the only place in the state where no Deaf child is ever left out! I’ve seen Deaf children in their local districts without an interpreter or Deaf peers, who don’t have language skills and feel alone. Many of whom have limited language skills and can’t communicate with anyone or who have never met a Deaf adult before. When they come to the Deaf school, it’s the first time in their lives when they can learn how to communicate and socialize like any other kid. It doesn’t matter if you’re hearing or Deaf, being on the campus CHANGES you for the better. Seeing this transformation happen with student after student is the most beautiful thing to witness. Of course there are mainstream programs out there that offer a great education for deaf and hard of hearing children! Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Deaf schools are truly magical in their own right and parents should be aware they are an option! They have every possible resource to support the education of ANY Deaf child, with any hearing level.

I used to work at the school before setting up my business. Since leaving the school, I have the biggest hole in my heart. I know they are in SUCH good hands, but I miss them and want to give them everything they deserve. EVERYTHING. When I walked up to the parade, a group of the elementary students I used to work with signed and SCREAMED my name enthusiastically and ran towards me, embracing me in the biggest group hug. I held back the tears while around them, but once I left the parade and got in my car I just lost it. 😭 These kids deserve so much and I will never stop advocating for them and other Deaf children around the world.

I have been aggressively fundraising for the school as a board member of the Louisiana School for the Deaf Foundation. If you’d like to help, you can donate OR join our 5K Dash For Deaf Kids Race at www.lsdfoundation.com

I will be there!!!! 🤟🏻😍

Come join us for the Dash for Deaf Kids 5k and Fun Run 2024! (In person AND virtual!)

Register here: www.givebutter.com/dashdeaf
Or visit our website: www.lsdfoundation.com
Join the FB event here: http://tinyurl.com/dashdeaf

Mark your calendars for a morning of fun at 2888 Brightside Dr, Baton Rouge, LA (Louisiana School for the Deaf) on April 20, 2024, starting at 8 am! If you aren't able to make it in person due to distance or scheduling, we also offer a virtual option that can be done from anywhere on or before race day!

Special Guest: Denton Mallas, who was recently featured on Netflix's Emmy Award-winning show Q***r Eye Season 8 Episode 4, will be there to meet with the community!

Event Highlights:
Engaging 5K Race for adults
Fun Run tailored for the little ones
🕗 Date & Time: April 20, 2024, starting at 8 am
All participants will snag stylish event T-shirts, and we've got free goodies for everyone! Plus, be prepared to claim awesome prizes if you outrun the competition. 🏆

Let's unite as a community to create a positive impact for the Louisiana School for the Deaf. 🤟❤️

Share if you are one of them!

Image description: This professional supports American Sign Language for Deaf and hard of hearing children. Share if you agree!

Have you ever taught your child something that backfired? 🤣

What an honor! The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) awarded me the Early Career Professionals Certificate of Achievement! My goals for Rise & Sign are simple: 1) advocate for sign language and neurodiversity affirming practices 2) educate parents who may not have access to speech therapy services and 3) ENJOY LIFE and connect with families! Most people don’t know that I only started Rise & Sign 6 MONTHS ago, but it’s already made a huge impact with 185k on Instagram, 150k on Facebook and 45k on Tik Tok! A huge thank you to for helping me take the leap to start my business. I am forever grateful.

Can’t believe we’ve got to 150k in just 6 months of having this page! Thank you all! 🥰

Want to learn ASL for your child from a Deaf instructor AND speech therapist? Learning ASL can help your child communicate better and reduce frustration! For parents, SLPs, OTs, PTS, teachers, daycare employees, etc! Anyone working regularly with children who can benefit from learning ASL.

In this class, we will discuss EXPERT strategies for using sign language in your home, with a curated list of the 100 most impactful signs to use in your daily routines! We will also cover how to introduce ASL to non-speaking children, autistic children, or children with developmental delays!

All participants will be given access to a recording after the class ends to continue practicing what you learned! If you can’t make it to the established time, you can still register and you will be emailed the recording of class when class ends! To register, CLICK HERE: https://square.link/u/TLdACaGM

Classes will be hosted through Google Meet.

Questions? Comment below or email me at [email protected]!

“Not having a village that everyone talks about” — a lot of people on this page talked about not having support and feeling alone. I wish there was more I could do about that, but what I can offer is a GROUP of likeminded families that are going through similar things, and professionals who care about kids with language delays. Come join us, for FREE, no strings attached. I’ll be starting to go LIVE in the group to answer questions and build your village as much as I can!

Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/383128484063808/?ref=share_group_link

What’s the hardest part about parenting that doesn’t get talked about enough?

What are the biggest MYTHS about raising children with language delays?

What's something your child's daycare does that has either helped or hurt your child's communication skills?

What’s a topic you’d love to see in a Live Q&A?