How I got started
April 28th, 2008
“It was November 2007, and I decided it was time to start my own special needs company. I had dreamt about it for years, and therapist friends kept asking me, “When are you going to start it? We need great tools to help our students.” To start this type of company, you must understand special children’s needs, and the products must be attractive and fun so the kids will want to use them. You also need money and time – neither of which I had. I also knew I needed help, so I asked my dear friend and fellow speech pathologist, Amy Mace, to help me create these products.
We named our company “Head 2 Toe Publications” because we want to emphasize the importance of working on the “whole” child. We are not just creating products to improve children’s communication skills; we also seek to improve their fine and gross motor skills. Amy and I have worked with children with many types of disabilities and with children as young as 6 months old. Every year it seems that more and more children are born with some type of disability. Are we as therapists over-diagnosing? We are diagnosing correctly? Are we diagnosing and treating early enough? We may never have the answers to these questions, but the fact remains that children born prematurely have a higher risk of having developmental delays, and 1 out of 150 children are born with autism. These children can benefit from early intervention and help in school. Amy and I have experienced firsthand the lack of products for early intervention -.i.e. the first three years of a child’s life – and we’re eager to help parents, therapists, and schools provide this assistance.
My desire for Head 2 Toe Publications is that we become a complete resource for therapists, educators and especially parents and/or caregivers. We want to provide tools to help children excel in ALL environments – i.e. home, school, community, etc. There is nothing that brings me more joy and fulfillment than seeing a child – especially a child with special needs – realize his or her potential. Amy and I are committed to doing our part to help make that happen.”
