Run to Break Through – The Perfect Day

It was July of 2020. I had just read an article about Ryan Clifford who ran across Long Island to the Brooklyn Bridge and thought about how incredible of an achievement that is. Inspired by the stories of Dick Hoyt competing in races with his son Rick, I envisioned myself running while wheeling clients of…
What Would You Tell Your “Year-Ago-Self”?

To my favorite people on this earth, this post is for you. For the mommas and dads, the caregivers, the extended families, the close friends, the everybody in this community… read through. I hope you can find value in this as much as I have. Reflection is an essential piece of existence. If you don’t…
A Sibshops Special Update: Thank you for valuing Sibshops. Thank you for valuing Sibs.

Hi there! If you’re reading this I’m assuming you are a parent who has a child in the Sibshops program, someone who supports the Sibshops program, or a parent who is considering the Sibshops program for their child. Or maybe you are none of those things! Regardless of your positionally to the Sibshops program, I…
Let’s Talk Ableism: Disability Representation in Media

I’m Jess and I’m one of Breakthrough’s newest members! If I haven’t shared it with you already, I’m the sibling of two Autistic brothers and I actually found Breakthrough by coming to speak at a Sibshops session last year! I now am happy to have the opportunity to be a more formal part of Sibshops…
Sibling Needs Support: Part II

So in our first part to this duo blog, we discussed the challenges that we hear our sibs face, including fear, the need to be perfect, and frustration. However, alongside the unique challenges the sibs face, they also get to experience unique opportunities. This was also an aspect that was discussed in my two day…
Siblings Need Support Too: Part I

I’ve decided to do a two part series for our blog…mostly because this topic is something that is super important to Breakthrough and needed throughout the community. We need to have the discussion about the very special younger (or older) humans that grow up alongside the child with special needs. Having a child with special…
Why Are My Child’s Hamstrings So Tight!?

If you are a parent that is wondering why your child’s hamstrings are so dang tight then trust me you are not alone. This is absolutely one of the the most frequently asked questions we get here. So I am going to try and help you all understand a little bit more about this topic.…
Jfan-favorite Buffalo Chicken Dip

Well, we’ve made it through all of the holidays and celebrations! If you’re a football fan, then it looks like you have one more big party coming up— SuperBowl! Whether you’re hosting or heading over to a friend’s house, it’s nice to have a fan favorite dish that won’t stress you out to make. That’s…
Why Is Our Core So Important?!

As therapists we talk about the core all the time, whether we are talking about your child or talking directly to you, I’m sure you’ve all heard it before “it’s because of the weakness in your core,” but what does this really mean and why is our core so dang important?! We have had countless…
One Year Ago…

We have spoken with tons of parents over the course of this past year. I’ve been privileged to get to know you all a little better and see the ups and downs of parenting a special needs child. We know that some days are better than others but one thing stands true… you grow from…