About Us
You want to see that light in your child’s eyes. The one that tells you he’s happy, confident, and enjoying life.
Some days the flicker is there and others it’s just plain burnt out. You feel lost and hopeless, like her ability for success is bursting to get free but you just don’t know how to unlock it. At Sensory Stepping Stones, we’re here to show you there’s always hope. It is possible for your son or daughter to harness his or her potential and shine.
Here at Sensory Stepping Stones, there are a few things we know for sure:
Every child uses his brain and body to react to the world around him. The way he processes information and the environment and reacts to it depends on the way his brain has grown and developed throughout his life. Each stage of development builds upon the last, and if the previous stage was incomplete, the next one will be as well.
When this happens, your child must work harder to compensate. And, if the task is especially difficult, he may give up.
The thing is, successfully navigating these developmental and cognitive deficiencies doesn’t just happen. Your child needs expert assessment and unique intervention strategies to help her learn to regulate her systems internally without aid from external sources like medication.
Too often, parents and medical professionals confuse processing difficulties with Attention Deficit Disorder (hyperactive or not), Autism Spectrum Disorder or other medical diagnoses. So, what ends up happening is children are being treated for the wrong things with approaches that do not work for Sensory Processing Disorders.
Parents eventually realize that the traditional methods are not working and they start to lose hope that their children will ever have control over their emotions, succeed in school, or have meaningful friendships.
That’s where Sensory Stepping Stones comes in:
As trained professionals, we determine where your child’s processing insufficiencies lie and intervene on a foundational level so he or she is better equipped to handle the everyday challenges of the world. We focus less on your child’s diagnosis and more on how she is experiencing the world.
Sensory Stepping Stones is a center dedicated to providing both traditional and innovative programs to help your child. We combine multiple, evidenced-based treatments into a holistic approach geared toward aiding your child and your family to reach its full potential.
It is our mission to provide specific, holistic programs to enhance your child’s mental, emotional, physical, and functional performance so he or she experiences greater self-awareness, understanding, and growth. Our clinic insists upon creating an atmosphere that encourages your child to learn, discover, mature, and develop positive self-esteem.
At Sensory Stepping Stones: We are committed to helping every child become self-sufficient!
Perhaps you are dedicated to helping your child earn better grades in school, but you just don’t know how to get them to sit still and focus. We can help. In our sessions together, your child will learn the coping skills and strategies to pay attention in class.
Or, maybe your family is struggling with excessive meltdowns and tantrums. Walking on eggshells with your children disrupts the entire family system. When we work together, we will explore emotional regulation strategies from a foundational perspective to help your child calm down and self-soothe.
A more fun, flexible, and easy-going life is possible. When you schedule a session at Sensory Stepping Stones, we will work together in a supportive environment that will facilitate your child’s positive self-change.
Ultimately, life is about enjoying the moments, finding peace and relishing in happiness.
You’re ready to let go of the worry, doubt, and fear that surrounds your child. To move past the daily struggles, feel hopeful about the future, and enjoy your family life. You can have that by scheduling a free visit to Sensory Stepping Stones or booking your free consultation today.
Melissa Bianchini is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Children & Families Specialty. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Fordham University and has done post graduate work at Arizona State University in neuroscience, anatomy and physiology. As a social worker, Melissa has extensive experience in the fields of neurological processing, sensory integration, children and families, mental health, and addiction therapies.
Melissa has specialized in Sensory Integration as the Educational Director of a Sensory Integration clinic in Arizona and now as the Executive Director here at Sensory Stepping Stones, LLC in NY. She is dedicated to helping children, teens and adults with executive functioning issues, Autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injuries, sensory processing disorders, developmental disorders, attention deficit disorder, developmental delays and physical disabilities. She is certified as a provider for the Sensory Learning SM Program, a Master Level Clinician in Interactive Metronome with several specialties, a certified PlayAttention provider, a neurofeedback provider and an auditory and visual processing specialist.
Melissa works closely with individuals, parents and other providers in the area to help those be successful in school, home, and work and in everyday activities through the holistic and alternative therapies she offers at the clinic. She tries to emphasize the focus on what the person CAN do and not what they can’t do. Melissa is a strong proponent of early intervention for all ages and disorders and the necessity of looking at and addressing how a person is processing their environment and responding to it in a more functional way.
Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of New York. She graduated Advanced Standing from Mercy College with her Bachelors in Social Work. She then went on to complete her Masters in Social Work from CUNY-Hunter College. Nicole has over ten years of experience providing therapeutic services to children and families using a variety of treatment modalities. Nicole has extensive knowledge in working with children with dual diagnosis, ADD/ADHD, emotional and behavioral issues, developmental delays and learning disabilities. Nicole is committed to expanding her knowledge base and has recently included neurological reorganization, and providing a more holistic approach in the therapy she provides.
Laura Bacon is a clinically licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with 12 years of experience working with both children and adults. She received her Bachelors degree in Communication Disorders from SUNY New Paltz and her Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from New York Medical College. Laura is ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association) certified and is licensed in NY, CT, and DC. She is also PROMPT trained.
Laura’s areas of expertise include receptive and expressive language delay, auditory processing, word retrieval, executive functioning, social/pragmatic delay, articulation and phonological disorders, apraxia, oral motor, fluency, feeding/swallowing difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, and early intervention.
Laura believes that looking at the whole individual is key to the treatment process. By considering an individual’s speech, language, fine motor, gross motor, sensory processing, emotions, nutrition, etc., we are better able to address the individual’s unique set of needs and challenges.
Heidi Bonorato is the founder of Giving Retriever, LLC and a Canine Integrative Therapy provider. She has a keen understanding of the human-animal bond through personal experience as a child and professional experiences in Veterinary Medicine and Assistance Dog training. She is a graduate and a former instructor of Bergin University of Canine Studies, the only accredited academic institution in the world solely dedicated to advanced canine education and research.
As a Service Dog Training Instructor at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, she assisted in the establishment of the Warrior Transition Brigade Service Dog Training Program and co-authored the program’s Veteran Service Dog Training Curriculum.
Heidi has written in publications for the Journal of Army Medicine on Animal-Assisted Therapy in addition to co-authoring Occupational Therapy research and case studies to substantiate the use of Assistance Dog Training in the clinical environment. She has been featured in speaking engagements with Department of the Army and Pentagon officials on the benefits of Service Dogs in the therapeutic environment as well as National Geographic documentaries on Assistance Dog training and Early Puppy Education. She has trained numerous therapy and Assistance Dogs for disabled individuals including children, seniors and Veterans.
Inspired by her role as a mother and practical experience and insight into the ways in which Assistance Dog training can benefit a person with special needs and subsequently improve a family dynamic, she established Giving Retriever, LLC.
Irvine is a gentle, sensitive and intuitive Golden Retriever with extensive experience working in therapeutic environments. He was raised and trained at the Assistance Dog Institute where he was purpose-bred for Service Dog work. He began his training with Early Puppy Education at just 3 weeks of age and has since learned over 90 different skills to assist in mitigating a person’s disability.
He has worked with Disabled Children, At-Risk Teens and most recently the Wounded Warriors in the Service Dog Training Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His specialty skills include opening doors, turning on/off lights, retrieving dropped items and mentoring young Assistance Dog puppies.
Irvine is a co-founder of Giving Retriever, LLC and his role in the clinical setting at Sensory Stepping Stones is to facilitate the Therapeutic Application of Assistance Dog Training by teaching individuals the skills necessary to train Assistance Dogs.
When he is not at work, he enjoys chasing a tennis ball, hiking, swimming and sharing snacks with our Toddler.
