Students in the spectrum are often provided therapy to ‘act normal,’ instead of tailoring therapy to meet the needs in a respectful and dignifying setting that promotes growth-mindedness. 

Positive Development is a company changing the way developmental autism specialists treat and interact with autistic individuals by providing a safe environment where play is always welcomed.

“We meet the client wherever they are developmentally and interact with them on their level,” Positive Development states. The goal is to create strong relationships ‘based on fun, positive interactions and support.’

Positive Development hosted a webinar September 28, 2022 for College students interested in pursuing a career in developmental education. During the webinar, Dr. Jennie Trocchio, autism educator, speaker, developmental therapist and Vice President of Clinical Operations at Positive Development, provided information on the importance of this field. Also, emphasizing “if you’ve met one child on the autism spectrum, you’ve met ONE child on the autism spectrum.” A misconception that all autistic people are the same, exhibit the same behavioral issues, something further from the truth. 

Although it is important to pay attention to the behavior it can not be the sole focus— Developmental Autism Specialists at Positive Development are trained to focus on the whole child. There are common or expected neurodevelopment challenges that require attention— sensory sensitivity, speech delays, learning disabilities, emotional self-regulation, motor planning. 

In order to understand the child or individual’s behavior, first you need to put yourself in their shoes. It is through empathy and sympathy that you, the specialist, advocate, family member, clinicians, parents, will be able to realize ‘there’s more to the story.’ 

Positive Development focuses on the family as well. They don’t just get a therapist but a team at their disposal to alleviate some of the burden and help them navigate their child’s condition. 

Joining Dr. Jennie Trocchio were Megan Alicea and Kortne Bajor, Developmental Autism Specialists sharing their training experience. During that time Megan and Kortne discussed individual reflective supervision and how they were guided and continued to receive support.

If you are passionate about developmental education, Positive Development is currently hiring in select locations. They are willing to train and support you to be successful. For more information click here.