About Us
The Airplane Spoon is a developmental center that provides pediatric and parent support.
Our mission is to impact the lives of the children, families, team members, and communities we serve by empowering them to truly connect and create meaningful relationships.
PASSION FOR PURPOSE
We focus on finding or creating meaning in everything we do and are
CONTINUOUS GROWTH
We constantly challenge ourselves through self-reflection and collaborative feedback to reach the next level of team and family satisfaction
OUR VALUES
EMPATHY
We are present and connected with others so that we can better understand and share our emotions, which strengthens our relationships.
TRUST
We emphasize the importance of having a trusting relationship with our team members and families to create a safe space for open and honest communication
INNOVATION
We are in constant analysis, change, and evolution to ensure current, necessary improvements are made to keep us at the forefront of technology and future advancements
“Something I see as one of our biggest priorities and responsibilities is to create or rekindle hope in parents. Hope requires action and engagement. I hope parents realize that their actions, however small they may seem, will truly make a difference in their child’s life.”
— Sarina, Founder of The Airplane Spoon
Meet the Team
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Sarina (Nina) Murrell
CO-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR
COMMUNICATION & FEEDING THERAPIST
PARENT COACH -
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Cristina Paredes-Murrell
CO-FOUNDER
HEAD OF LEADERSHIP
EDUCATION SPECIALIST -
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Nicole Wright
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
CERTIFIED INFANT MASSAGE INSTRUCTOR
CERTIFIED LACTATION COUNSELOR -
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Mari Terasaki
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
AAC SPECIALIST
The Airplane Spoon Model
Parent Coaching Integration
Integrating parent coaching into therapy is a valuable approach that empowers parents to actively participate in their child's development. By providing parents with guidance, strategies, and resources, therapists enable them to reinforce therapeutic goals at home, creating a more supportive and consistent learning environment. This collaborative approach enhances the overall effectiveness of therapy, as parents become integral partners in promoting their child's progress and improving communication skills.
The Dual-Home Model
Our Dual-Home Model means that sessions are divided between your home and The Airplane Spoon House.
We have found this model to be extraordinarily beneficial for more targeted and generalized progress in both the child and parents.
By having sessions at The Airplane Spoon location, children are able to create new learning by associating their skills and development to a specially designed therapeutic space. Then, by bringing the sessions back to the home one week a month, children are able to bring their learned skills into their natural environment and home routines.
Our Trust-Based Approach
A trust-based approach to developing relationships in therapy emphasizes building a strong foundation of mutual trust, understanding, and collaboration between the child, family, and therapist. Unlike a traditional clinical model centered on compliance, which may prioritize completion of trials and not take into factor a child’s cues of readiness, a trust-based approach values the child’s autonomy and active participation in decision-making. This approach fosters a sense of partnership, allowing children and parents to feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns, ultimately promoting a more open and genuine therapeutic relationship that can positively impact the overall success of the therapeutic process.
