Gateway Pediatric Therapy, LLC

Master the art of haircuts even amidst sensory sensitivities! Check out this article for tips to create a smoother, safer hair-care experience - whether it's at home or your favorite salon. ✂️

Haircuts for autistic child: Tips for at-home haircuts Haircuts for autistic children can be a very difficult experience. Learn how to give sensory and autism friendly haircuts in 6 steps!

Building bridges, not walls. We're committed to impeccable communication with our clients and staff.

Honoring our Autistic Black Community this Juneteenth, we shed light on the often overlooked legacy of enslaved disabled individuals. Let's learn, understand, and remember together by checking out this article from the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network.

Juneteenth and the legacy of disabled Black slaves - Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN) Juneteenth recognizes the day when enslaved African-American people in Texas were freed two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Yet history has largely forgotten how many enslaved disabled people also were not liberated by the Emancipation Proclamation. Blog post by Tony Alexander, Policy Man...

June 18 is Autistic Pride Day! Let's embrace our vibrant community's individuality and pay tribute to the richness of diversity. Uniqueness shines here! 🌈🙌

Autistic Pride Day: June 18 Promotes Positivity & Diversity Every June 18, the autism community celebrates Autistic Pride Day. While it's lesser-known, its significance is that it is driven by autistics themselves!

Here's to the incredible father-figures who've enriched our journey. Grateful for the abundant love and wisdom they've shared. Wishing them all a joyous Father's Day!

As Father's Day approaches, Peter Canella discusses the transformative power of ABA therapy on his life and household atmosphere. Check out his inspiring story below.

Can you share a particularly meaningful moment or success story from your work as a BCBA that you attribute to your experiences as a father?

Everything about my work in ABA as a BCBA has made me a better father. Just being able to identify functions of behavior has made me a more understanding parent to my children. I use positive reinforcement strategies in my house on a daily basis. All of my children have opportunities to earn an allowance, along with extra time for playing their favorite activities. Let's not overlook pairing strategies that we use daily here. It isn't always about the intervention, but also the relationship built between one to the other. Whereas a BCBA my relationship with my client is on a professional level, there is still an element of bonding that occurs to create an atmosphere that allows our clients to understand that they are welcome here. As a father, my relationship with my own children is on a much more personal level, but even as much as we love our children, we still might overlook those opportunities to create those bonding moments through pairing with our own children in their favorite activities and games. In short, my experience as a BCBA has made me a better father in every way.

How do you navigate cultural or familial differences between your own family background and those of the families you work with?

I could say that because my wife is of Mexican heritage and I from Italian American heritage, that I've learned a lot from the different cultures on her side of the family, but honestly, I found that the culture I was brought up in and hers are pretty much the same. We have differences in food and music, but our cultural values are pretty much identical. My experience in working with diverse and different demographics actually comes from my service in the Marine Corps. Leading Marines as an NCO meant working with a very large and diverse set of people from all over the country. From different religions, to ethnicities, to races, and a variety of cultures, I have learned that most people just want to be respected. Not only have I experienced working with MArines from all over the nation, but had a lot of time out of the country and got to experience the cultures of numerous countries. Because of these experiences, I've never had any issues by simply treating people with respect, respecting their cultural boundaries ,and being reasonably accommodating to cultural norms of others.

In your opinion, what unique contributions do fathers bring to the field of ABA therapy, and how does fatherhood enhance your effectiveness as a BCBA?

Like mother's and other caregivers, any experience with children and understanding how to nurture and understand them, is going to be a very useful tool in the field of ABA. Granted, we have to separate that parental mentality from our duties because it is not our job to raise, discipline, or determine our clients values the way a parent's role is to do these things. It is instead our job to balance an empathetic role to our clients wants and to design a plan that helps our clients achieve these goals by reducing the barriers in their social and functional experiences. Also like a parent has a job to protect their child, we too have an obligation that all of our ABA strategies are in the interest of our client and to ensure they are being treated fairly and respectfully. Upholding the standards of the BACB is our job to protect the rights and welfare of the clients we work with. Above all though, I'd say the most important thing being a father has done is create a better understanding of how the parents of our clients feel when it comes to the safety and the progress of their child's development. When you understand the love a parent has for their child, it creates an empathetic and non-judgmental view of the parents who for the most part, only want what is best for their child.

Peter's story continues in the comments below. ⬇️

What questions do you have? Share them in the comments.

Dive into an unforgettable summer adventure with the whole family at John Ball Zoo! 🐾 Join their Wildlife Explorer Day on June 20th for World Ocean Day to celebrate biodiversity and meet your favorite sea adventurers 🐢🌊

WILDLIFE EXPLORATION DAY | WORLD OCEAN DAY | John Ball Zoo Members | FreeNon-Members | General Admission Swim on by, the beach is coming to the Zoo! Join your favorite ocean adventurers Ariel, Moana, Pocahontas and

Do you know why your child throws tantrums or engages in aggressive behavior? Our previous blog post uncovers the underlying reasons and offers effective strategies to minimize these challenging behaviors.

Understanding Causes of Challenging Behavior | Gateway Pediatric Therapy Understanding Causes of Challenging Behavior In today’s blog, we want to provide some insight as to why children might engage in challenging behaviors. We’ll provide some examples of these challenging behaviors, why they might be occurring, and then outline some strategies to help minimize these...

Share your own strategies in the comments.

Looking for an exciting event to kick off summer? Explore the Festival of the Arts, taking place this weekend, June 7 - 9, in Grand Rapids. Check out all the kids' activities that are happening below!

Youth and Adult Activities - Festival of the Arts Adult & Child Activities Get Creative! No matter your age, at Festival you’re surrounded by amazing opportunities to express yourself. Explore all our activities, conveniently placed around the Festival footprint, and let that inspiration shine! We can’t wait to see your creativity. Check the ac...

Our Grand Rapids clinic is full of busy bees setting up our new board. 🐝

As summer rapidly approaches, your child's daily schedule may change, introducing new social environments with the shift in the summer routine. We are revisiting our blog for tips on teaching your child social skills.

Tips on Teaching your Child Social Skills | Gateway Pediatric Therapy Social skills are widely considered one of the most important skill sets for children and adults to develop and maintain. These skills help us to communicate effectively, build relationships, and navigate through many activities that occur in day-to-day life. Being in social situations can be fun an...

Our Livonia clinic is relocating to a new spot a few doors down. Services at the new location will commence on June 10th.

Looking for a fun spring craft idea? Create adorable turtles using a paper bowl, green construction paper, colorful tissue paper, markers, and glue. 🐢

These spikey hedgehogs are an easy and fun craft! 🦔

A community-driven project aims to create a sensory-safe play space for children with autism in West Michigan.

We Rock the Spectrum: Sensory-friendly gym on its way to Grand Rapids A gym that caters to children on the spectrum will soon have a location in West Michigan thanks to a local mom.

Empowering the autism community and breaking down harmful stereotypes.

We are closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 27th.

Fernco is setting an example in the corporate world with their SPARK program. By providing employment opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum, they are promoting inclusivity and empowering those who face barriers to employment.

Michigan manufacturer launches autism employment initiative A Michigan manufacturing company has implemented a program to help those on the autism spectrum gain employment.

A special education teacher raised funds to make sure her students with autism could attend prom. The community's support made this unforgettable experience possible.

Local teacher raises money for autistic Carman-Ainsworth High School students to go to prom Saturday -- thousands of high school students including right here in Mid Michigan headed off to prom. This year three Carman-Ainsworth High School students -- all autistic are participated in

Did you know that recognizing early signs of developmental delays in children can lead to timely intervention and support? Learn from author Carla A. Moultrie's experience with her daughter and how identifying certain behaviors ultimately led to an autism diagnosis

'Ausome Girl' Is A Children's Book Helping Kids And Adults Alike Understand Autism | Essence Carla Moultrie created the book after her daughter was diagnosed with autism and she noticed a lack of educational resources for kids.

Let's dive into the magical world of 'Ausome Girl', a book that builds bridges of empathy and understanding towards autism. We love to celebrate those who are making strides towards a more inclusive world for our little ones. 📖

'Ausome Girl' Is A Children's Book Helping Kids And Adults Alike Understand Autism | Essence Carla Moultrie created the book after her daughter was diagnosed with autism and she noticed a lack of educational resources for kids.

Fostering inclusivity and understanding in our work environment.

Every act of kindness can make a huge impact. 🌟 Metro Detroit's Chuck E. Cheese locations showed us exactly that with their Sensory Sensitive Sunday event, alongside a splash of fun with a new trampoline zone.

Chuck E. Cheese brings trampolines, hosts autism event at metro Detroit locations Detroit's Chuck E. Cheese locations make updates including a trampoline zone and a sensory sensitive event.

Sparking hope for a brighter future! Fernco Inc. is launching their SPARK program this year, in hopes of opening new doors for those on the autism spectrum. Because everyone deserves a fair shot at employment. 💼🚀🌟

Michigan manufacturer launches autism employment initiative A Michigan manufacturing company has implemented a program to help those on the autism spectrum gain employment.

It is bright and beautiful in our Lake Orion office.

Autism is not a roadblock but a gateway to potential.

Rainy days may bring clouds, but they also bring a burst of colors! 🌸

It's Mother's Day and these Gateway moms deserve the absolute best!

We hope you're having a great time celebrating with your families. 💙