Clinicians, not lecturers
We still see kids every week. Every session draws from current caseload examples your team can immediately apply.
Professional Development
Training that changes how your team supports every child.
Workshops, in-services, and CEU-eligible trainings on AAC, bilingual evaluation, and neurodiversity-affirming practice, custom-built for schools, early childhood programs, and clinical teams.
- Custom-built for your team
- On-site & virtual formats
- ASHA CEU-eligible offerings
- Follow-up coaching packages available
ASHA-Certified • Bilingual • Neurodiversity-Affirming • Mobile & Teletherapy
Overview
What this service is and who it's for
Real change in the classroom doesn't come from a slide deck. It comes from training that respects what your team already knows, introduces evidence-based practices they can use immediately, and supports them long enough for new habits to stick.
Every training we deliver is built from active clinical caseload experience, not stock case studies. Whether you need a single in-service on AAC, a semester-long bilingual evaluation series, or a district-wide implementation partnership, we scale to fit.
Signs to Watch For
Your child may benefit if...
Every child develops on their own timeline. These are common signs families and teachers bring to us. None of them are a diagnosis, and none of them are your fault.
- Your team wants to feel confident implementing AAC in classrooms
- You have a growing population of bilingual students and need evaluation clarity
- Staff are shifting away from compliance-based practice toward neurodiversity-affirming approaches
- Your district is building or rebuilding its AAC/AT framework
- New paraprofessionals need practical communication training
- Early childhood educators want language-support strategies they can use today
- You want CEUs your team will actually use
- You need a bilingual PD facilitator
What to Expect
A simple, family-first process
- 1
Scoping call
20 minutes to understand your team, students, and goals.
- 2
Custom proposal
A written scope of work with format, duration, learning objectives, and pricing.
- 3
Delivery
High-energy, hands-on training on-site or via video, always tied to your real students.
- 4
Follow-through
Optional coaching, resource kits, and progress check-ins so learning becomes practice.
Why Hand in Hand
Care that meets your family where you are
Culturally grounded
Bilingual PD delivery, cultural humility woven throughout, and a genuine commitment to equity in service delivery.
Implementation-focused
We optimize for behavior change, not applause. Post-workshop coaching packages are always on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything parents ask us
Who are your professional development trainings for?+
Our trainings are designed for classroom teachers, special educators, paraprofessionals, related-service providers (SLPs, OTs, PTs), early childhood educators, ABA professionals looking to integrate more neurodiversity-affirming approaches, and school and district leadership teams.
What topics do you cover?+
Popular topics include: AAC 101 and beyond, aided language input and modeling, bilingual evaluation best practices, distinguishing language difference from language disorder, neurodiversity-affirming communication supports, culturally responsive service delivery, supporting Haitian Creole and Spanish-speaking families, early communication milestones, and coaching families as partners.
Are trainings CEU-eligible?+
Yes. Many trainings are offered as ASHA CEU-eligible or can be structured to meet district professional-development requirements. Contact us for a full list of current offerings.
Can you customize a training for our school or district?+
Absolutely. Most of our engagements are custom. We meet with your leadership team, understand your staff's current knowledge and needs, and build a training tailored to your student population.
How long is a typical training?+
Trainings range from 60-minute lunch-and-learns to 6-hour full-day intensives. Multi-session series (for example, a 3-part AAC training over a semester) are also popular and tend to produce the deepest behavior change.
Do you offer on-site and virtual trainings?+
Both. On-site trainings across NYC and Long Island are our specialty, and virtual trainings are available for teams across New York State and beyond.
How much does professional development cost?+
Cost depends on duration, format, audience size, and travel. Most single-day trainings for a school-sized team fall in a predictable range. We're happy to provide a written proposal after a free scoping call.
Can you provide follow-up coaching after the training?+
Yes, and we strongly recommend it. Standalone workshops create awareness; follow-up coaching creates behavior change. Ask about our post-training implementation packages.
Do you train ABA and behavioral teams?+
Yes. We regularly work with ABA agencies looking to integrate more neurodiversity-affirming, communication-first practices into their programs, and we bring a respectful, non-adversarial approach to that conversation.
Can you present at parent nights?+
Yes. We offer parent-facing workshops in English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish on topics like early communication, AAC, IEP navigation, and supporting bilingual language development.
Do you sell recorded workshops?+
Live-only at this time. Every training is customized to the specific team, so recordings would lose the coaching quality we care about.
What makes your training different from a typical PD day?+
We're clinicians who still see clients weekly. Every training draws from current caseload examples, not decade-old textbook case studies. We prioritize skills you can use Monday morning.
Can training count toward IEP compliance for AAC or AT?+
Yes. Documented AAC/AT training helps districts demonstrate implementation of IEP-mandated AT services and can strengthen a district's ability to defend service delivery in impartial hearings.
Do you offer trainings on selective mutism, apraxia, or specific disorders?+
Our core specialties are AAC, bilingual evaluation, early communication, and neurodiversity-affirming practice. For deep dives into other topics, we can consult and often co-present with subject-matter experts.
Can you help our district write AAC or AT policy?+
Yes. We consult on district-wide AAC/AT frameworks, screening protocols, and eligibility guidelines, especially for districts building or rebuilding programs.
How far in advance should we book?+
For custom trainings, 6 to 8 weeks lead time is ideal. We can occasionally accommodate faster turnarounds. Reach out and we'll be honest about capacity.
Do you support Head Start, EarlyLearn, and daycare programs?+
Yes. Trainings for early childhood programs are one of our favorite formats and often have the largest downstream impact on children.
Do you offer bilingual PD?+
Yes. We deliver professional development in English, and can co-facilitate or interpret sessions for Haitian Creole and Spanish-speaking staff.
How do we know staff actually change practice after a training?+
The honest answer: single trainings rarely change practice on their own. That's why we pair every workshop with practical tools, follow-up options, and, when possible, direct classroom coaching.
How do we get started?+
Book a free 20-minute scoping call. We'll listen to your goals, discuss your team's context, and outline options, no obligation.
Parent Resources
Free tools we'll send when you book
- PD topic catalog (PDF)
- Sample district-wide AAC implementation plan
- Bilingual evaluation best-practice checklist
- "5 respectful language shifts" one-pager for classrooms
Let's take the first step, hand in hand.
Book a complimentary 15-minute call with a licensed speech-language pathologist. No pressure, no paperwork, just answers.