Joy Therapy and Learning Center

New team member spotlight! We are so excited to welcome a new Occupational Therapist to our #JoyBringer crew! McKenzie MacAllister graduated from Brenau in 2013 with an OT degree. Since then she has worked in a variety of settings but most recently has been in the school system. McKenzie lives in Dawsonville with her husband and 2 boys. She enjoys spending time with her family and crafting. McKenzie is looking forward to working with your child(ren) and hopefully bringing just a little bit of joy to your life. We are so thankful she has chosen to continue in that dream with us! What a joy it is to welcome McKenzie to our team!

Joy Therapy and Learning Center is expanding and looking for caring and enthusiastic Pediatric Speech Therapists to provide services to children in the home, teletherapy, and or in the clinic setting. An incredible opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary clinic with dedicated therapists who share a love for their field. Responsibilities include the diagnosis and treatment of the pediatric population with a variety needs including autism, feeding disorders, speech and langu...age delay of children. What's great about Joy Therapy Mentorship Program for New Graduates or Therapists New to Pediatrics Competitive Compensation and Benefits Highly Experienced Supervisors Who Offer Exceptional Clinical Training Company is Directed and Owned by a Speech Language Pathologist and Physical Therapist who have a passion for helping children and providing training for providers who share our commitment to these families. Both Contract and Salary positions available. Rate is dependent on experience. Job Type: Full-time/Part-time Required education: Master's Opportunites for Clinical Fellowship Year

One of our favorite things EVER is watching our #JoyBringers accomplish a task and shoot us that awesome I DID IT grin! We play, we teach, we laugh, we learn...but ultimately our biggest goal is to show our kids that they CAN do hard things! Happy Wednesday, friends! Keep pushing! Keep fighting for that joy!... Music Credit: Song: This is Me Artist: Kaela Settle and The Greatest Showman Ensemble Album: The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack . . . . . #momlife #momsofinstagram #pedsot #earlyintervention #occupationaltherapy #pediatricspeechtherapy #sensory #otmom #pttips #homeschool #dpt #schoolot #teachersofinstagram #pediatricot #schoolpt #pediatricphysicaltherapy #parenthood #pediatricoccupationaltherapist #funforkids #physicaltherapist #parenting #sensoryintegration #balanceactivities #sensoryplay #pediatrics #sensoryprocessingdisorder #pedipt #physicaltherapyforkids #pediot

DELAYED OPENING TOMORROW (February 16th) Joy will be delaying our opening until 10 am tomorrow morning due to possible icy conditions. If your child‘s appointment is affected by this delay please contact our office at 770-240-0163 upon opening to reschedule your appointment. We are so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Please stay safe and warm!

Not sure how your Wednesday is going, but we hope it’s as joyful as this little guy! Our kiddos at Joy love the ball pit so much! They’re not only a load of fun and full of bright colors; they provide a bundle of soothing proprioceptive feedback that can be helpful for sensory regulation and calming. We hope your day is full of joy and sunshine friends! HAPPY WEDNESDAY!... . . . . . #momlife #momsofinstagram #pedsot #earlyintervention #occupationaltherapy #pediatricspeechtherapy #sensory #otmom #pttips #homeschool #dpt #schoolot #teachersofinstagram #pediatricot #schoolpt #pediatricphysicaltherapy #parenthood #pediatricoccupationaltherapist #funforkids #physicaltherapist #parenting #sensoryintegration #balanceactivities #sensoryplay #pediatrics #sensoryprocessingdisorder #pedipt #physicaltherapyforkids #pediot See more

If you need some book recommendations to add to your child’s library, these come highly recommended by one of our SLP’s, Hayley! These are part of a series written by Jory John and Pete Oswald. In The Good Egg, children will learn about the good egg who is so worried and concerned about other people and circumstances that he cracks his own shell! He’s been so concerned about other people being good that he forgets to take care of himself. He learns all about healthy bounda...ries and coping strategies. In The Bad Seed, we see a bad seed on a mission of self discovery. He shares about how his past trauma has affected his behavior. He also shares how the perceptions of other people and the way they talk about him make him feel. In the end, the bad seed decides to change what he can change and work hard at being his best self every day. We love when authors take the time to make such difficult topics so fun for children to learn about and discuss! Have you read other books in this series? Let us know your favorites!! . . . . #momlife #momsofinstagram #pedsot #earlyintervention #pediatricspeechtherapy #pediatricspeechtherapy #sensory #otmom #slplife #homeschool #dpt #schoolot #teachersofinstagram #pediatricot #schoolpt #pediatricslp #parenthood #pediatricoccupationaltherapist #funforkids #speechlanguagepathologist #parenting #sensoryintegration #speechtherapy #sensoryplay #pediatrics #sensoryprocessingdisorder #pedipt #pedislp #pediot

Making Balance Fun!! Here, one of our PT’s and one of our #JOYBringers are working on single limb stance. Using the single leg marches as a form of motor priming, the patient prepares the brain and the body to lift her foot and toss the stuffed animal into the bucket to challenge her dynamic balance and core stability. As defined by Stoykov, Corcos, and Madhavan, priming is a no conscious process associated with learning where exposure to a stimulus alters the response to ...another stimulus. Essentially, the first task assists in altering or improving performance on the second task. Pretty cool huh?! . . . Reference: Stoykov ME, Corcos DM, Madhaven S. Movement-Based Priming: Clinical Applications and Neural Mechanisms. J Mot Behav. 2017;49(1). doi:10.1080/00222895.2016.1250716

Happy Friday, friends! We hope you’re staying warm and staying dry this week! We thought we’d share something to warm your heart as you step into the weekend! Our therapy staff does an excellent job helping our kiddos communicate their needs in all sorts of fun ways. Here, our JoyBringer is learning how to use picture cards to communicate with her OT. This helps with emotional regulation for kiddos with sensory processing difficulties who aren’t verbal just yet. Just because... our kiddos can’t use their voices quite the same way we do, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be heard! What are some strategies you find helpful when teaching communication strategies?

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Stay safe and stay joyful! Love,... Your Joy TLC Family See more

Christmas gifts from our kiddos are even better when they come with a little bit of JOY! A huge thank you to all of our sweet #JOYBringers who brought in gifts and kind words this week. We could not be more grateful to have such generous and loving families with us here at Joy! Merry Christmas everyone!

We hope the Monday of Christmas Week brings you as much joy as these inversions did for our little #JOYBringer in the sensory swing! Inversions provide a unique vestibular experience for kids with sensory processing deficits, allowing an opportunity for them to regulate sensory input more efficiently and assist with calming the nervous system. Hey fellow therapists! What’s your favorite way to incorporate inversions into treatment sessions? Let us know in the comments!... ___________________________ *As always, safety first! Joy TLC incorporates these activities with kiddos under direct supervision with trained rehabilitation specialists. Do not leave children unattended during such activities.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Joy! As the holidays are approaching quickly, we are reminded of all that we have to be grateful for in spite of this whirlwind of a year. Huge thank you to Nicole from Lavigne Design Paint Parties for helping us make our first holiday gathering in our new building so special! If you need anybody to help lead a painting party, she’s your gal!... Happy Wednesday, friends!

Who doesn’t love Friday?! With the holidays approaching, there’s so much to be joyful about. Today, we are grateful for: Our Joy Staff: they work so hard every day to take great care of our kiddos and their families... Our Facility: we’ve been in our new building for about two months now - can you believe that?! We’ve had so much fun getting settled in our new space and it truly feels like home! Our Kiddos: we might be a little biased, but I’m pretty sure our kiddos are the best little JoyBringers ever! We love seeing them every day! Whether it’s in the clinic, in a daycare, or in their homes, they always bring us joy! Our Caregivers: words cannot express how grateful we are for all of our parents and caregivers! You play a vital role in therapy, and we appreciate all you do for us and for our kiddos! So tell us! What makes you joyful today? What are you grateful for today?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We hope all of our #joybringers had a day full of peace, joy, and love! Words cannot express how grateful we are for our staff, our kiddos, and their families. We choose joy AND thanksgiving today and always! Stay safe, Joy Family! We love you!