Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Evans, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCCS.
Natalie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey in therapy started many years before college or graduate school. In 1996, after my grandfather suffered a stroke, I had the opportunity to witness the effects that Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists had on my family. I was amazed at the level of dedication they had to restoring my grandfather’s functions and easing our family’s pain. At 16, I made the decision that I wanted to impact other families, just as my family was impacted by theses amazing therapists.
In 2004, I graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with my Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology and quickly began working as a Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant. My love for the children I treated confirmed that I had chosen the right field. While working in the school district, I felt that “something” was missing in the way I did therapy in this setting. I talked to my supervisor about the ideas that I had for how therapy would be more engaging and interaction for the students. She told me that she didn’t think speech therapy was for me because of the vision I saw for the students. She recommended that I become a special education teacher opposed to pursing a Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. I was crushed. However, I let the feeling of disappointment fuel my desire to create a setting in which I was able to engage children in effective, interactive and fun therapy, the way I envisioned therapy should be.
In 2011, I opened Puzzle Piece Kids as a single therapist in a one room office in Mesquite, Texas. In just 9 short months, I outgrew my space and needed the assistance of additional therapists to treat patients. I assembled an amazing team of therapists and was able to open a larger, more accommodating office in Mesquite, Texas. Today, we have two office locations and a home health agency that services 7 counties in Texas. We are always looking for amazing therapists to help us continue to offer our patients the best care available.
Has it been a smooth road?
Our road to success has not been a smooth one. There have been quite a few struggles along the way! We have experienced setbacks from insurance company denials of authorizations to organizing the perfect team. However, we have all learned from our many mistakes and mishaps and become a better company because of them.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Puzzle Piece Kids Pediatric Therapies story. Tell us more about the business.
Puzzle Piece Kids is a pediatric speech therapy company that specializes in early language development in young children with Autism and other behavioral disorders. Although language development is our specialty, we also provide all speech therapy services to patients up to 20 years of age, in office and in home. We are extremely proud to say that what sets us apart from other companies is our willingness to go the extra mile, not just for the patient, but for the entire family. Our therapy is based on the needs of the child so he or she can be successful, not just in our offices, but also in their homes, schools and communities.
At Puzzle Piece Kids, we believe that every child’s therapy session should be as unique as they are. We realize that every child is different and that we cannot treat each child’s needs the same way, even if their diagnosis is the same. Although the name “Puzzle Piece Kids” has been linked with our treatment of children with autism, our name actually celebrates each’s child’s individuality. They are all unique, just like puzzle pieces. No child is ever the same. Each child is different in color, shape, size, and individual ability. We take pride in realizing this, celebrating this, and treating each child according to their needs, not their label or diagnosis.
We also take pride in our support of our patient’s parents. We understand the sacrifice that are made to bring their children to therapy consistently and show them how much they mean to not only their children. But to our company, as well. Our “PPK” parents have inspired my book entitled “Help!!! My Kid Isn’t Talking” which will be available on February 23, 2018 on Amazon and Kindle and Parent Empower Program, “Connecting Kids with Communication”.
Contact Info:
- Address: Puzzle Piece Kids
502 W. Kearney Street, Suite 600
Mesquite, Texas 75149 - Website: PuzzlePieceKids.com
- Phone: 972-288-KIDS (5437)
- Email: Contact@puzzlepiecekids.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/@puzzlepiecekids
- Facebook: Facebook.com/puzzlepiecekids
- Twitter: twitter.com/@puzzlepiecekids
Image Credit:
Photo Credits: JB Greer Photography, Enoch Odu Photography
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