Page 21 - CJA Spirit Spring 2021

“ ... sometimes

you can just get
caught up in this

cookie-cutter,
manda Wingertsahn we really wanted to do something
radiates positivity, different,” says Hormberg. one-size-fits-
Agreeting a child with a Hormberg and Wingertsahn were all approach to
brilliant smile. While she’s wearing the only two Blue Stars Therapy
a mask to help prevent the spread providers for about two years, but therapy, and we
of the coronavirus, it’s a specially after hiring their first employee in
crafted one with clear plastic in the 2018, they’ve continued to expand really wanted
middle that lets her smile shine and currently have 15 employees. In to do something
through. Helping children on the February 2020, they expanded from
different.
autism spectrum recognize and allows them to provide more therapy -BRIDGET HORMBERG ’09 ”
direct therapy in homes and schools
demonstrate facial expressions is a to opening the Blue School, which
big part of what Wingertsahn does
as a speech-language pathologist hours for those children who need it.
trained in the Early Start Denver “We put a lot of intentionality
Model, a play-based, child-led and thought behind it because we resume, they plan to add additional
early intervention for children from wanted it to feel like an extension classrooms to the Blue School’s
twelve months to five years old. of a family’s home. We didn’t want University City location, and already
“Autism is a neurological disorder. it to feel cold or sterile like a typical have a waiting list of students.
It affects one in 54 children in the clinic might feel,” says Hormberg.
United States,” Bridget Hormberg, “The emphasis on individualization Therapy in Quarantine ALUMNAE ENTREPRENEUR
occupational therapist, explains. “It’s of treatment plans, parent When the pandemic hit in
also a developmental disorder, which involvement and just fitting within March, both direct therapy and
means it impacts children in a variety the framework of whatever is actually classes at the Blue School paused.
of ways; no one child is impacted in happening in that child’s life, was Wingertsahn and Hormberg had to
the same way. So they might have a big driving factor in opening the quickly figure out how to continue
delays in social skills, communication Blue School.” When school can helping children whose lives
skills, but there’s a lot of hope for this
diagnosis and lot of proven therapies
that can help kids jump back on
track in terms of development.”
The two therapists had seen
firsthand how successful the
Early Start Denver Model was in
helping children with autism get
back on track developmentally,
but didn’t see that the highly
personalized, one-on-one therapy
needed to make these gains was
readily available in St. Louis. So in
2016, Blue Stars Therapy was born.
“We’ve worked in various settings,
school and outpatient, big clinics,
and sometimes you can just get
caught up in this cookie-cutter, one-
size-fits-all approach to therapy, and
At The Blue School, children learn through play.

SPRING 2021 SPIRIT MAGAZINE 19