November 2022 Special Needs Living Akron/Canton

EMPOWERING CHILDREN

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: WINGS OF CHANGE THERAPY

BY SARAH SMITH

Wings of Change Therapy Inc. (WOC) is a therapeutic day center for children and youth. Wings of Change combines academics and therapies in one place for a collaborative approach. WOC uses a top-down and bottom-up approach, focusing on the child’s strengths and skills to empower them to participate fully in their lives. The company believes in building relationships with the children and families that they serve. WOC provides educational services without any additional cost to the families through the Autism and Jon Peterson Scholarships. In addition, outpatient services for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy are provided. WOC can also bill through private insurance.

WOC uses a collaborative approach to everything it does. Each student has his own team of several therapists, an intervention specialist, a lead teacher, and a direct support professional. Together, this team of professionals works to cater to the student’s individual needs, providing each child with his own unique experience. Each staff member recognizes and builds off the child’s strengths and teaches necessary skills where needed. WOC works with families from all walks of life and develops strong relationships with each of them, knowing that partnership with families and continuity of care and practicing skills at home is how children grow.

“Wings of Change has impacted my child’s life, as well as my family’s life, in drastic ways,” said Priscilla Hamby. “In August 2021, my 6-year-old was having trouble creating word structures and had a hard time with understanding so many different things. My family and I saw a change in her behavior, speech, and understanding in a matter of a month. She was talking more, trying to create sentences, and mimicking her siblings as well as her father and myself, something we had not experienced before she started school. The staff is fantastic, understanding, and more than willing to work at the pace any child needs. It’s a great environment for the disabled community. It’s also a great place for resources for families who need help understanding their loved one’s disability.”

Jordye Joyce, President and CEO of WOC, knew from a young age that she not only wanted to work with children but that she also wanted to be in business for herself. She discovered occupational therapy and fell in love with the career.

“I remember thinking, well, now what?” Joyce explained. “I want to work with children, but I am meant to be an occupational therapist. One day I was home watching the Morning Exchange, and I saw a pediatric occupational therapist, who eventually became a mentor. I was so excited to see that I could be an occupational therapist and still work with children.”

Joyce attended Cleveland State University to study occupational therapy. During this time, her love of the profession and passion for research grew, as did her dream of being an independent practice owner. After graduating, she worked as a school-based therapist and recognized the need of something more for families and children. She found that the families wanted a voice, a place that saw their child as a capable individual and a place where they felt valued. After taking graduate classes, Joyce founded WOC in 2010 and soon hired two graduate students from CSU to join her. The team started seeing clients in their homes under the Autism Scholarship. From there, Joyce credits faith, hard work, and dedication to growing to 33 employees, four school contracts, and nearly 60 center-based clients in daily programming. This fall, WOC will be expanding its services by providing outpatient therapies.

“Wings of Change has answered a prayer of giving my grandson abilities in functions that I was told were impossible by others,” stated Laura Fortunato. “They are not just about therapy for the child but also, they become a friend to the family and to the child. Wings of Change is a God-given gift with great special staffing.”

Wings of Change Therapy, Inc. is located at 703 S. Main St. in Akron. More information can be found at www.wingsofchangetherapyinc.com or by calling 234-334-0044.