Your child looks to you for safety, support and guidance. As their parent, you are their constant, their home.
You want nothing more than to give them the best opportunities to grow, learn, and succeed.
But parenting a child, especially with autism or a neurodivergent diagnosis, can leave you feeling uncertain, and even lost for solutions at times. You might find yourself wishing you knew how to be truly involved, to know exactly what you can do to make a real difference in their day-to-day life so they can be more independent as they grow.
You know the excitement of seeing small victories, from mastering a skillset, to communicating a new word, to simply getting through a morning, meltdown-free.
There is a way for you to be fully equipped to support your child’s journey, so you can create more of these victories, build better relationships within your family, and feel like the parent you were always destined to be – You deserve to be an Empowered Partner.
Who are Empowered Partners?
At Optimal Beginnings, an “Empowered Partner” is a parent who feels knowledgeable and confident in supporting their child’s growth and behavior management at home.
They are not just passive onlookers, but active participants in shaping positive outcomes for their family.
They want to be fully immersed in their child’s growth, rather than stand at the back of the classroom. They want to be a part of the conversation, not hesitating to speak up because the clinical language feels unfamiliar.
They are curious and ask questions so they can better understand how their child thinks, learns and behaves so they can best support them, both in the clinic and in the real world.
An Empowered Partner is the parent who says,
“Hey, yesterday we had a meltdown at Target. Can we talk through how I could’ve handled that differently?”
These parents already know they have the ability (and the passion) to give their child and family the best support possible. To help these parents feel fully capable and confident, though, they need an expert guide who can help them achieve this.
Empower Hour
The Weekly Call That Helps You Parent with Confidence
Empower Hour is a weekly, parents-focused group coaching session designed to help you learn practical exercises and solutions, tackle real-life challenges, and empower you in supporting your child’s neurodivergent diagnosis – both in school and beyond.
These sessions are exclusive for our Empowered Partners who want to know how to make the day-to-day life a little easier, manage behaviors without meltdowns and communicate with their child with patience, compassion and tons of love.
Who Will We Be Learning From?
Empower Hour sessions will be led by the incredible people on our team to help parents like you learn more about your child’s behaviors and how to create positive resolutions to challenges, whether it’s struggling with something physical, like tying their shoes, or navigating big emotions.
During these sessions, you may encounter expert advice from one or more of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Speech and Language Pathologists, and members of our Psychology Team (developmental psychologist and graduate counselor) to cover different subjects and areas of learning.
Of course, some of the best advice and solutions also come from the other parents in the Empowered Partners community. Don’t sell yourself short – YOU have a huge hand in helping other families gain insight through your own lived experiences!
What Do We Do in Empower Hours?
Children with autism or neurodivergence often experience the world differently, and our goal is to equip you with solutions that honor their unique way of life, while promoting independence and positive behavior.
Each session will give you tools and knowledge to better understand and support your child’s individual learning needs, whether it’s communicating, managing emotions, or making transitions, like grocery store visits and family outings, smoother.
The 10 sessions cover the following topics:
- Establishing Consistent Routines
- Managing Tantrums and Emotional Outbursts
- Addressing Impulsivity
- Fostering Attention and Focus
- Encouraging Independent Play and Self-Regulation
- Positive Reinforcement and Rewards
- Navigating Sibling Dynamics
- Managing Transitions and Change
- Building Emotional Regulation Skills
- Self-Care and Parent Burnout Prevention
They can also help you, as the parent, feel calmer in situations that may normally make you feel embarrassed and gain a closer connection with your child so you can get excited about their growth and development.
And, hopefully, you walk away not only feeling like the parent you knew you could be, but also with a strong support system beside you!
How to Know if Empowered Partners is Right For You
Every parent wants to help their child thrive, but the trial-and-error approach is exhausting and traditional parenting doesn’t always work, especially for neurodivergent children.
Maybe you’ve tried different things – giving reminders, setting house rules, offering rewards, using consequences – but your family always seems to be taking one step forward and three steps back. You know they’re learning a lot at OB, but transitioning this back at home isn’t the same.
It’s frustrating, and oftentimes, we as parents are hardest on ourselves.
Let’s be honest: The thought of needing parent coaching can feel awkward at first.
You’re the parent, right? You should know how to handle tough moments with your child.
But the truth is, this stuff is hard. And no, it doesn’t always come naturally. That’s okay.
Empowered Partners is for parents who want:
- A better understanding of why behaviors happen so you can address the root cause, not just the reaction.
- Solutions that break down the HUGE changes into small manageable bites that work in real-life situations, like mealtimes, playdates and bedtime.
- A trusted space to ask questions, gain support, and build confidence alongside other parents and professionals.
Wherever your child and family are on this journey, there is always room for gaining support, not only in the different ways to help your child progress, but also in having a community of other parents who have been where you are and understand the unique challenges you’re going through.
The best part? Depending on your insurance, this can often be an included benefit in your coverage.
We made sure to have these group sessions included in the authorizations obtained for your child’s services with Optimal Beginnings so you can learn alongside your child in their journey, without breaking the bank.
Ready to Feel Empowered?
As a parent, you already have an incredible drive to give your child the best possible future.
Now, it’s time to get the guidance and community support you deserve to turn that drive into successful progress and a stronger family dynamic.
Being an Empowered Partner means you are taking action, not only in your child’s development, but in your own growth as a parent, too, so you can feel fully confident and capable in your ability to support them.
With Empower Hours, you’ll have the support to track your progress and truly celebrate each goal, no matter how big or small.
Become an Empowered Partner today and start your journey toward a more connected and fulfilling parenting experience. Fill out the intake form on our website to get started.
At Optimal Beginnings, we advocate for your child’s success and create a program that supports their growth and independence development. To learn more about how OB can help your child and family, fill out an intake form to get started.