July 2024 Amber Grant Awarded to Full Spectrum Learn & Play

We’re excited to announce the July $10,000 Amber Amber Grant recipient. Congratulations to Dr. Rebecca Pawlowski, BCBA, owner of Full Spectrum Learn & Play. She is the eigthth qualifier for the 2024 year-end Amber Grant ($25,000).

Recently, WomensNet Advisory Board member Jama Hernandez sat down with Dr. Rebecca for an exclusive interview. You can listen to their conversation and view the transcript below.

Video Transcript

WomensNet: Hi everyone. My name is Jama with WomensNet and we’re so excited to introduce our 2024 July winners. We’re excited to meet with our Amber Grant winner, Rebecca with Full Spectrum Learn & Play. And we also have with us Dot with CargoB. She is our startup grant winner. And then finally we have with us Debbie, with Swell Gelato for Dogs. And the category that we chose to highlight this month was animal services. Rebecca, can you tell us a little bit about Full Spectrum Learn & Play and maybe where you’re located?

Rebecca: We’re located currently in Tempe, Arizona. We are a program that provides behavioral therapy for kids on the spectrum. My background’s actually in speech therapy, so we really incorporate language into that development.. We’re also open to the public, meaning that kiddos who maybe don’t have a developmental delay or disability can come be a part of our program and join our classes, and our open play times. Really we’re a space for all.

WomensNet: And can you tell us a little bit about too, who or what inspired your business? I remember you saying that you were in the speech and language therapy field…

Rebecca: That’s originally how I started. I was a speech therapist in a multidisciplinary clinic. I worked outside of autism. So I worked with cerebral palsy, down syndrome, really any sort of delay or disability. And I noticed that a lot of my kiddos on my caseload were getting discharged from their other therapies because of behavioral concerns. And I didn’t know it at the time, but I was doing and using ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) practices without even knowing what ABA was. So the more I looked into it, the more I learned that a lot of what we do as parents and parenting is ABA- and it’s utilizing what the kids’ interests are and play-based to activities to mold your sessions accordingly. So, I went back to school and got my master’s in ABA and then since then got my doctorate in behavioral health.

I wanted to create a space that was providing these services for kids but keeps the compassion. I’m not knocking big business, but a lot of times when you get investors or businesspeople running your company you lose the quality and the compassion that comes with it. So I wanted to open a therapy center that was for everyone but that kept BCBA’s (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) as the front of the facility. And then since then I had a daughter of my own. She is adorable. She’ll be two in September. And what better way to introduce her to the world in which people can be different. People can communicate different. They may communicate with devices or pictures. I wanted a space that would also incorporate the socialization piece that we weren’t getting from the in-home therapy. And with this grant we’re hoping to do preschool licensing and have a fully accredited preschool program for neurotypical peers while we’re also combining that autism therapy piece.

WomensNet: What a special place! I can’t wait! Can you tell us what makes your business approach different than let’s say, other providers that are doing some of the same things that you’re doing?

Rebecca: What we hear, honestly when we get new staff who have worked elsewhere, is that we truly care. And I know a lot of people when they sell their business, they say they care. No, we truly are relationship first. We are people before we’re therapists, we’re people before we’re teachers. So I truly value the aspect of individual employees, but also kids as individuals. And then parents needing support too. As I mentioned, I’d got my doctorate in behavioral health. My dissertation project was on parent stress. And the project really emphasized that if you can reduce the parent’s level of stress, you can actually have better outcomes for your kids and their goals. And I feel that as a parent too. I know when my stress is through the roof, I don’t parent as I would want to. So truly, I think we adapt more of the compassion and relationship into our program, and we really genuinely care. We’re not tied to billable requirements and productivity because I’m able to make the schedule and truly we want to just do what’s right by kids and have fun doing it.

WomensNet: We love that, especially your work with parents. We know that’s a skill that’s going to take them even beyond the younger years and, and through the elementary, middle and high school years. And so to be able to get that under control is, is huge. Thank you. What’s the best way to learn more about your program and what you’re doing?

Rebecca: We have our website, which is www.fslearnplay.com. We’re also on Instagram and of course Facebook. We do post on Instagram frequently. You’ll be able to our themed activities and even some take home activities. We do sell sensory product on our website and we ship nationwide as well. Everything’s made in-house and it’s really designed for developmental growth. And so our Instagram is the same as our website, @fslearnplay.

WomensNet: Wonderful. Well, well there you have it. Our WomensNet July 2024 winners. Congratulations and we can’t wait to see what amazing things you will continue doing in the next few months and beyond. Thank you so much.