Collaborative Minds Consulting

10/14/2026

In Loving Memory of My Sticker-Bombed MacBook Pro 💻🕊️

February 9, 2020 – October 13, 2026

I am not ok…

Purchased just weeks before the world shut down, this MacBook became so much more than a computer. It carried me through the uncertainty of the pandemic, countless hours of virtual speech therapy, frozen Zoom screens, technical difficulties, and the challenge of connecting with children through a screen.

It also helped me build my private practice from the ground up. It witnessed late nights, endless research, professional growth, difficult decisions, new ideas, and moments when I questioned everything.

And then there were the stickers.

Each one represents a belief, a lesson, a shift in perspective, or a moment of growth. Some reflect what I learned; others represent what I had to unlearn.

These stickers weren’t just decorations. They became a timeline of learning, resilience, and survival, and a visual record of how my professional philosophy and personal journey evolved.

This laptop helped me find my voice, build a business, challenge old thinking, and connect with people I might never have met otherwise.

So today, I’m saying goodbye to more than a computer. I’m saying goodbye to a piece of my history and a silent witness to a chapter of my life that changed me forever.

Rest in peace, old friend. You helped me survive a pandemic, build a dream, and become a different version of myself.

Your replacement may be faster, lighter, and have a better battery, but it will never have our memories. ❤️

Cause of death: Six years of carrying way too much, literally and figuratively. Meredith Avren Jessie Ginsburg | Sensory SLP ♾ Sam CCC-SLP | SLP Grad Student Advocate PlaySpark™ | Apparel, Resources, and Education apple Autism Level UP! Alexandria Zachos | Echolalia and Child Led Therapy Elyse Myers Rebecca Yarros Phuong Lien Palafox Hannah Boeck | Helping SLPs, OTs, PTs & Coaches Thrive

10/01/2026

🚨 WHAT IS THE BEHAVIOR REALLY SAYING?

Before we correct a child’s behavior, I want us to PAUSE.

Are they overwhelmed?
Are they looking for connection?
Have they been masking all day and finally reached their limit?
Could something as simple as a too-tight shoe be bothering them?

Behavior can be a clue.

I had such a great conversation with Nikki on All the Abili-Tea about something I talk about often in my work:

Instead of immediately asking, “How do we stop this behavior?” what if we first asked:

“What is this child trying to tell us?”

When we get curious about what’s underneath the behavior, we have a much better chance of understanding what a child actually needs.

🎙️ All the Abili-Tea with Nikki
📻 WRHU 88.7 FM
▶️ YouTube & Spotify

I’d love for you to listen and tell me what resonates with you.

10/01/2026

“Tell me what you need.”

It sounds supportive.

But for a child with a PDA profile, even the expectation to self advocate can sometimes become another demand.

Think about everything we may be asking a child to do in that moment:

Recognize what is happening.

Figure out what they need.

Access language.

Explain it to another person.

Respond to a prompt.

And do all of that while they may already be overwhelmed.

This is where declarative language can help us shift the interaction.

Instead of always directing, questioning, or prompting, we can share information, notice what is happening, reduce pressure, and give the child time to process.

Supporting PDA does not mean removing every expectation.

It means becoming more thoughtful about how demands are presented, which demands are actually necessary, and how we can preserve autonomy while supporting communication.

Sometimes supporting communication means teaching a child new words.

Sometimes it means using fewer of our own.

My newest blog explores PDA, self advocacy, declarative language, executive functioning, and the demands we may not even realize we’re creating.

Read the full blog through the link in my bio.

09/30/2026

What if teaching self advocacy becomes another demand?

For a child with a PDA profile, even well intentioned support can sometimes create more pressure.

“Tell me what you need.”

“Ask for a break.”

“Use your words.”

“Tell me when you’re ready.”

We may see these as supportive prompts. But for a child with significant demand sensitivity and a strong drive for autonomy, they may feel like one more expectation to meet.

This is where changing our language can matter.

Instead of:

“Take a break.”

Try:

“The quiet space is available.”

Instead of:

“Tell me what you need.”

Try:

“I can see something isn’t working right now.”

And then pause.

Declarative language can reduce direct pressure while creating space for noticing, processing, planning, problem solving, and initiation.

Supporting a child with a PDA profile does not mean removing every expectation.

It means becoming more thoughtful about which demands are necessary, how we communicate them, and how we preserve autonomy while supporting communication.

Sometimes supporting communication means teaching a child new words.

Sometimes it means using fewer of our own.

I’m exploring this more deeply in my newest blog:

PDA and Self Advocacy: When Even Asking for Help Can Feel Like a Demand

Read the full blog at the link in comments.

Looking for individualized support for your child with a PDA profile? I offer family consultation and coaching. Schedule a free consultation through the link in my bio.

09/29/2026

New Blog Post !

09/29/2026

09/28/2026

Listen now on YouTube and Spotify

🚨 WHAT IS THE BEHAVIOR REALLY SAYING?
Be a Detective Before a Disciplinarian

Before correcting a child’s behavior… PAUSE.

Are they overwhelmed? Looking for attention or connection? Masking all day and then breaking down? Could something as simple as a too-tight shoe be bothering them?

Behavior can be a clue.

Join me for a great conversation with Christina Beta, a neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist with over 25 years of experience in special education and founder of Collaborative Minds Consulting.

We’re talking about looking beyond what a child is doing and asking:

“What is this child trying to tell me?”

🎙️ All the Abili-Tea with Nikki
📅 Monday, September 28 at 4:30 PM
📻 WRHU 88.7 FM
▶️ YouTube & Spotify

Be a Detective Before a DisciplinarianBefore correcting a child’s...

09/27/2026

Struggling to get your child's creative writing off the page and into the reader's imagination?

Try this. Most students describe what they can see. Full stop. That's it.

But strong GCSE English Language creative writing uses all five senses, and examiners notice the difference immediately.

Here's how to build it in.

Pick a setting, an abandoned house, a busy market, a stormy beach.

Get your teen to write down what they can see first, that's the easy one.

Then push further. What can they hear?

A creaking floorboard, distant shouting, waves crashing. What can they smell? Damp wood, spices, salt in the air. What can they touch or feel? Cold stone, rough fabric, wind against skin.

Taste is trickier but works brilliantly for food, weather, or fear, the metallic taste of adrenaline, for example.

One sentence per sense is enough.

They do not need to use all five in every paragraph, but training the habit means their instinct shifts from just seeing the scene to living inside it.

This is one of the fastest ways to lift a Language Paper 1 creative writing response from average to genuinely immersive, because it gives the reader a full, layered experience rather than a flat description.

Follow for more tips 💕

FYI, I'm running another session on supporting students in a couple of weeks. Comment Support and I’ll send you the details

Think Dyslexia? Think Screening? Think support? Think Dyslexia Support Services.