Therapy That Focuses On Connection
What We Believe In
Development:
Growing Together Through Continuous Learning
Development is our relentless pursuit of growth, where curiosity fuels us and transforms both practitioner and practice.
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Every Monday, our entire team comes together for professional development that goes beyond continuing education requirements. We dive deep into case studies, explore new research, challenge our assumptions, and learn from each other's insights.
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Our commitment to development extends to our rigorous DIR® training and accreditation. Our therapists receive ongoing supervision from DIR® Expert Training Leaders through our mentorship program, ensuring that every session meets the highest standards of fidelity to the DIR® model.
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Through our DIR® Expert Training Leaders and Mentorship Program, our therapists engage in reflective supervision that helps them develop deeper self-awareness, clinical reasoning, and relationship skills. Our investment in this level of supervision directly benefits every family we serve, creating therapists who are deeply connected to their work.
Self-Compassion:
The Highest Form of Self-Regulation
Self-compassion is our foundation for sustainable, effective therapy. We recognize that when therapists practice mindful awareness of their own emotional states and respond to challenges with kindness, they model the emotional regulation we want to see in the children and families we serve.
Shared Joy:
The Secret Ingredient in Effective Therapy
At KC:DT, shared joy isn't just a nice side effect—it's an essential ingredient in effective therapy. When a child experiences genuine joy in connection with another person, powerful developmental pathways become accessible in ways that compliance-based approaches simply cannot achieve.
Why Not ABA?
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Why Not ABA? -
Many families wonder about the differences between DIR® and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). At KC:DT, we believe DIR® offers a deeper, more complete approach that's grounded in extensive research across child development and neuroscience. What sets DIR® apart is that it's fundamentally affirming of neurodiversity and disability, we celebrate and support each child's unique way of being in the world rather than trying to change or "fix" them. Our goal is simply to help every child flourish in their own authentic way.
The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network has published research highlighting concerns about traditional behavioral approaches like ABA, including ethical issues and limited evidence for long-term effectiveness. There have been extensive longitudinal studies completed that also show limited evidence for long-term effectiveness of ABA. DIR®, on the other hand, aligns with current ethical guidelines for supporting autistic individuals. While some approaches focus mainly on changing behaviors, DIR® goes much deeper to understand the "why" behind what we see, allowing us to create truly supportive interventions that help the whole family.
Most importantly, DIR® recognizes something beautiful and essential: that shared joy and warm relationships are at the heart of how children's brains develop and grow. When children feel truly understood and celebrated for who they are, that's when real learning and development can flourish.
