Announcements

Happy 2011! We hope that you had a fun and restful holiday break. Keystone is excited about all of the upcoming changes for the clinic in the New Year. We look forward to sharing many new experiences and successes with you and your family.

Employee Spotlight

Each month we will spotlight an employee here. The staff here at Keystone work diligently to provide the most effective and up to day empirically based treatments available. What better way to recognize these efforts than to spotlight an individual’s interests and activities. This month’s employee spotlight will shine on...

How long have you been with Keystone?

I have been with Keystone for a little more than two years – I started in December 2008.

What is your title and what does it require of you?

My official title is the "Director of Assessment and Doctoral Training." As part of that, I oversee all things concerning psychological evaluations and I am responsible for training and supervising the pre- and post-doctoral psychology residents. In addition to the responsibilities of this position, I also am a licensed psychologist and perform many of the activities that a psychologist might typically do, like testing, report writing, therapy, behavior treatment, school consultation, etc.

What do you like about your job and what is most challenging?

There are so many things that I like about being a psychologist, that I don't even know where to begin! As cliché as it sounds, the best thing is that I am in a position where I can make a difference in someone's life.

The biggest challenge that I face is figuring out how to best serve each client with the resources and time that I have. There is always more that I want to do to for my clients than I am realistically capable of and sometimes it is hard for me to reconcile with that.

What is your favorite thing to do on your time off?

I have a two-year-old son and I love to spend time playing with him whenever I am not working!

If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go?

I would love to go back to the Mediterranean if I could! I have been to Florence, Italy, but would really like to explore the rest of the country. I think it would be amazing to go to Greece as well!

What or who influenced you to go into this field?

I have always enjoyed working with children since I was young myself, but I really didn’t realize my calling for Psychology until I was in High School when I took an AP Psychology course. I found the subject fascinating and was hooked! I was also influenced by my mother, who is a kindergarten teacher, as I was able to see how rewarding it was to work with children and families and to make a difference in a child’s life.

If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be?

It would be really neat to have dinner with Mahatma Gandhi. I just really respect his philosophy on life and admire his peaceful stance of standing up for what is right.

Sensory Friendly Films

The AMC Regency movie theatre will be participating in the monthly “sensory friendly films” series. Sensory friendly films are a way for families affected by autism and other disabilities to enjoy films in a safe and accepting environment. During these special showings the lights in the theatre will stay on and the sound will be turned down. No previews will be shown and families are welcome to bring their own gluten free/ casein free snacks. Talking, singing, dancing and moving around are all allowed. February’s movie will be Gnomeo and Juliet and will be shown on February 12th at 10 am. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the theatre at 1-888-AMC 4 FUN.

Community Giving

Keystone recognizes the importance of encouraging community service and involvement where our employees and clients live and work. In December our employees were involved in many community giving projects including a toy drive, blood drive and food drive. All were a great success! We are excited about the many upcoming projects we will be involved in during 2011 and we invite you to join us. Some of the future events we will be taking part in are the 5k run for breast cancer, Autism Speaks Autism walk, Habitat for Humanity and a day at Catty Shack Ranch just to name a few.

Keystone Kids

This month Donny got a glimpse into the life of Patty and her son. Thank you, Patty, for sitting down and sharing your experiences and insight with us!

How long have you been with Keystone?

1.5 years.

What therapies does Brady receive at Keystone?

ABA Therapy and Feeding Therapy

How has therapy helped Brady?

His behavior has improved dramatically. His language and communication skills have also shown tremendous improvement.

Tell me a little about your family?

We are a family of 4. Brady is 4 years old and he has an older brother Joe who is 6. We moved to Florida about 5 years ago from California.

What are some of your favorite things to do as a family?

We are a family who enjoys outdoor activities. We love spending days at the beach and pool. We enjoy playing sports as well as going to sporting events. The zoo is another favorite family activity.

What have been some of your biggest challenges and gains?

The biggest challenge is the unexpected and sudden meltdowns, especially when in public when his communication improved the meltdowns became less frequent. Therapy at Keystone has given us (his parents) tools to help Brady understand new and different situations that could be a cause of frustration to him.

What has Brady taught you as a parent?

Brady has taught me patience. He has made us understand how crucial consistency is in parenting.

KEYSTONE BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS STAFF