ONE YEAR of SHINE!
- annaksturgeon
- Jul 22, 2024
- 3 min read
WOW. I can't believe it's been a whole year of Shine Behavior Services. The idea for Shine started from piecing together various parts of jobs throughout my career that I truly loved with obvious holes and lack of services that I had continuously encountered throughout the years. Whether I was working in ABA clinics providing direct services, providing autism evaluations or behavior support in school systems, the feedback was generally the same -- Parents felt confused, lost, unsure of what to do next and just wanted someone to actually HEAR them. They wanted to do the best they could for their children, but they felt unsupported and unguideded in their decisions. They were told to "wait and see" or "figure it out on your own" or passed around from specialist to specialist without any clarity on next steps.
Another driving force (and most important to me personally) in the creation of Shine Behavior Services was the desire to continue doing what I love professionally while being able to pour myself fully into my own children. Anyone who works in any kind of service field understands how you can give so much of yourself to those that you serve that you come up short at home, and unfortunately that was becoming true for me. I had a deep desire to build a career around my home life and not the other way around as I had for over 10 years, which was scary and had a lot of unknowns. I had dabbled here and there with Shine services over the years, but last summer 2023 my family and I decided to go all in.
Since last summer so many incredible opportunities have come my way and I couldn't be more grateful. Some of my favorite memories have been:
networking with Katy Women in Business and making wonderful friends and incredible professional connections
meeting incredible counselors and healthcare providers that I now consider friends
(a special shout out to Amy Oxner and Pat Bramlett with AP Counseling. What started as a networking coffee date turned into my dream office rental scenario which allowed me to serve so many more families)
Working alongside Houston Coroporate Speech Pathology and Growing Speech to develop an ABA program (speech, OT and ABA all offered within one company!)
being the Keynote Speaker for First3Years Spring Conference
speaking at Region 3's Early Childhood Intervention spring training
becoming a Special Needs Ministry volunteer director with Kinglsand Baptist Church and attending the Disability and the Church conference in Orlando
starting monthly Shine and Harmony Special Families Meet-Ups with my good friend Meghan (@_rolling_with_the_robbs_)
helping individuals as young as 16 months up to 20 years of age get the diagnostic evaluations they needed to gain access to necessary services
working hard to develop the balance that I was craving (with the invaluable help of Annie Grassi's small group of business women + moms --> @annie_grassi @unrefinedjoypodcast
spending summer days with my kids
being a consistent parent volunteer at my kids' schools
and so much more.
The past year has had it's share of hard times too, of course, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to give this my all and see where it leads. Thank YOU for being a part of this journey with me. I hope to continue serving Katy and Houston families for years to come!
If you have utilized Shine Behavior Services in the past year, I'd LOVE to have your feedback so that we can continue to grow and develop our services. Please take 1-2 minutes to fill out this quick feedback form - it would mean so much to me!
Upcoming Events!
July 30th at 7pm is our first Q&A with a BCBA! Our first topic is "What is ABA?" - we will discuss what behavior analysis is (and isn't) and what kinds of questions you should be asking when looking for potential providers. Have a question or topic you'd love to have answered? Register and share here:
Our first SATURDAY Special Families Meet Up is coming up! Mark your calendars for August 10th at Hooray Indoor Playground in Katy for community and FUN! Coffee and pastries will be provided.
More details on pricing to come - please register now so we can get the best group rate possible!
As always, if you are in need of a time efficient and compassionate autism evaluation or family guidance as you navigate your child's autism diagnosis, therapy treatment or support needs, we would LOVE for you to reach out to us: asturgeon@shinefamilyservices.com or visit www.shinebehaviorservices.com
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