In this episode, Rob Gorski sits down with Melissa Schiefelbein, a board-certified behavior analyst, parent of a child with autism, and Clinical Advisor at AngelSense. Melissa shares her journey from being a concerned parent to becoming a professional in behavior analysis. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of raising a child with high needs and how assistive technology, like Angel Sense, has transformed their lives. This episode delves into the importance of understanding behavior principles, promoting independence, and the role of technology in enhancing safety and autonomy for children with special needs.
Key Points:
Introduction to Melissa Schiefelbein: Her background and journey into behavior analysis.
The Role of Behavior Analysis: How understanding behavior principles empowered Melissa to better support her son.
Challenges with Traditional Schooling: The impact of her son being put on the wrong bus and subsequent safety concerns.
Assistive Technology: How Angel Sense has provided peace of mind and independence.
Promoting Independence: Strategies for helping children with special needs become more independent.
Parental Empowerment: The importance of parents learning behavior principles and being involved in their child's development.
Real-Life Applications: Everyday situations where behavior principles can be applied.
Technology as a Bridge: How GPS tracking and other technologies can help parents feel more secure while promoting their child's independence.
School Integration: Addressing concerns and solutions for using assistive technology in schools.
Share Your Story: We’d love to hear from you. Share your experiences with us.
Guest Bio:
Melissa Schiefelbein is a board-certified behavior analyst and a dedicated parent of a child with autism. Her personal experiences have driven her to become an advocate for understanding behavior principles and using assistive technology to promote independence and safety for children with special needs. Melissa currently works with Angel Sense as a clinical advisor, helping other parents navigate the challenges of raising children with high needs.
Mentioned in this episode:
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thank you for taking the time to be here. I really appreciate it. Take a moment, introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about who you are, and we'll talk about your family's journey. And then some of the things that you are doing with the experience that you have gained.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for for having me. This is incredible. my name is Melissa Schiefelbein, and I am a board certified behavior analyst. but more importantly, I'm a parent of a child with autism. I actually didn't even consider a field in in behavior analysis until my son was diagnosed at two years old with autism.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
very high needs, nonverbal. so obviously we were getting into all these different therapies and interventions and myself, I just didn't know what any of them meant. So I didn't quite sit right with me. So I went and became a board certified behavior analyst. And, part of that journey, is now I work with Angel Sense as a clinical advisor.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And I first got like introduce to them because my son, who is non-verbal, we've been, like I said, going to all these different therapies finally took the chance and let him go to this. Like ABA based preschool, first day of school. He gets put on the wrong bus. He ends up at another school where no one knows who he is or where he's supposed to be, or and he can't tell them and they don't know how to interact with him.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And it took over an hour to find him. So it was the worst day of my entire life. And just everything with school be on that. You know, he, was having trouble in that classroom. He had a paraprofessional who, like, restrained him. So my my anxiety was super up when it came to just letting him go anywhere.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
but. And, when I got my Angel Sense, I really just changed everything. Now, he just celebrated his 12th birthday, and he's super independent. He's in mainstream education. He's very verbal. So he's we've just had quite a journeys.
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Rob Gorski
Wow. So, Okay, well, I have a couple questions. Just.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah.
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Rob Gorski
Off top. So did you find. Well, my my assumption would be that by diving into the field of behavior analysis, did that help you to better understand your son? Did it kind of like, did you feel like more empowered to be able to provide him with, like, that structure or that kind of thing that he needs to, to?
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah, I mean, 100%, because I needed to know when when you become a parent, you have this picture and like, you use the resources that you've been given, you use like, your parents and how you were raised and what the baby would say, and just what you can find online or TikTok or whatever. But when you're you're raising a unique child with unique needs, you find that you really don't know anything about anything.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And I said, okay, well, if I'm going to be in this position where I'm his parent and I want to be the one who's teaching him how to be independent and giving him the skills he needs to thrive. I need to understand how individuals with a special need learn. And, I think that's what really got me into behavior analysis.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
I would sit in on each of his therapies, and ABA was the one where I was like, this is really, you know, there. And he had a great bcba everybody has different experiences with ABA, I know. And, his bcba just made everything very natural. Like the he was working with him, building skills where he actually would use them.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And I thought like, well, I can I could do that. I just need to know that stuff that's like the clinical side that I don't really know. And since then have become a huge advocate of parents knowing that stuff, because it's one thing for your child to go to another person into a therapy and to build up skills that way, but it's quite another when you're the one that actually knows how to how to work with your child and build that relationship.
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Rob Gorski
Are you talking like parent led ABA kind of thing? Yeah, I.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Know there's there's a lot of stuff, out there now that wasn't available to me, you know, ten years ago. But, I am seeing like a lot of parent led ABA parents is rbt's. I don't know that you even need to get that technical. It's really just understanding the principles of of behavior and understanding how to, how to help a learner who might not have a lot of language at this point and just really help them build up based on positive reinforcement and some of those other behavioral strategies that, that are taught in that, in that field.
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Rob Gorski
Well, and then and then, you can, you can find everyday life situations to use as those teaching moments. Right? So that it's not like, I mean, not that it's not rigid or whatever, but like, do you know what I mean? Where it's applicable to everyday life, which I think is basically what parent let ABA is.
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Rob Gorski
My understanding when I've talked to people about it is it's the parents learn that concept and then they just find ways in everyday life to apply that so that their kids can gain the skills they need to overcome challenges and learn to navigate the world in ways that aren't like, super aggressive or, you know what I mean?
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Rob Gorski
Like, it's just a really cool experience. And then the parents feel empowered. And so that's kind of a cool thing too, because then, you know, parents want to be able to, to help their kids. And when you gain that skill set, it makes a difference.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
I don't feel so powerless. It will. That's really what what I wanted to do is just to not feel powerless, not feel as though my child's story had already been written for me. And yes, kind of follow along. so what I love about what you just said is so there's, there's like typical services and typical ABA where they, you know, you have an assessment and then a treatment plan is made and then all of those services that follow are a part of the treatment plan.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Great set up. I know it is very effective for a lot of people. But then there's this other type of of behavioral intervention where it's just like you said, it's every day stuff and it's real life stuff, and that's really what kind of got it for me. And that was not something that wasn't an option for me, at the time.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And that's why I got into the field. Not everybody has to go spend thousands of dollars at a university that, you know, that everyone has to for. It's just, but understanding in everyday situations, you know what? What is it? What approach do I take to help teach my child and what I really love about what I'm doing now?
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Melissa Schiefelbein
with angel senses, you incorporate and like assistive technology so that you're able to back up a little bit and you're able to provide a little bit more independence for the child, even if they are really high needs. But you you have that safety component. So you're able to promote more independence. Because there's one thing that I have learned, and any set up is even when the parent does have the knowledge and and even when I've had the knowledge, I'm still there facilitating.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And if I'm still there facilitating, he never quite learns to do it on his own. So there were plenty of instances where my son would stumble upon and, you know, something that challenging. And he kind of be like, and it's like, okay. But I'm thinking like, what happens if I'm not here? Or if he's with another caregiver or like, I really want him to have the skill.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
so I'm, I'm loving how this, like, assistive technology part is able to kind of take the physical presence out. So you're still able to give guidance and keep him safe, but he is able to do more on his own.
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Rob Gorski
Well, and I just want to build on that for a second. And that I think it's a great segue. one of the things that I've learned, especially with my my oldest, Gavin, who's 24 now, and he just moved out almost, almost two months ago now.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Oh, wow.
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Rob Gorski
So there's a whole we're still in that adjustment phase and all that stuff I'm sure. Well, and he he was one of those kids that was never supposed to be able to do anything like that. He was supposed to be, you know, he was destined for residential placements and long term care and like, all of that stuff. and he is thriving.
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Rob Gorski
I mean, he is it's not without struggle, but but, you know, like, you like you said, you know, our kids futures aren't pre-written. You know, when you get your diagnosis, that's not a predictor of what the future is going to be. I mean, they're always going to be autistic, has autism is always right. But, where they are in life, the challenges that they're facing or the skills that they have, those are going to change and grow and evolve over time.
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Rob Gorski
And it's not going to be that same. Whatever I do, I keep telling parents that, like, it's that diagnostic process, that first report, that first conversation you have when you're learning all this stuff, it's just a it's just like a baseline, right. So you start here and this is where we measured. This is how we assign, resources and need and build for us how we measure progress.
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Rob Gorski
but what you mentioned about the independence, what I've learned is, like with Gavin, his, like, independence for him is not necessarily independence from all things. It's independence from me. It's his parent being able to get the help that he would get from me, from someone else. Because it's not the same thing. And and that was something that really I didn't learn until just this journey with him, as an adult.
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Rob Gorski
And I think a lot of times as parents, we forget that, you know, independence is different for everybody. Just because, you know, he, you know, doesn't drive and he does have transportation just because there's accommodations at work or there's, you know, he's he's living in an environment where there is usually a staff person there. that's that's independence for him.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah.
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Rob Gorski
You know, and it's because he's, it's not me that's doing this stuff for him. He's doing it on his own through somebody else. And that's freeing, you know.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yes, it it's so freeing. And I'm glad you you mentioned that in that way because a lot of times when I'm working with parents and I, you know, say, okay, we're showboating for independence, we think of like, independence as this really big abstract kind of concept where it's like, if I'm thinking independence and think they're living on their own, they're driving themselves to work, they're doing this.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
But just as you said, independence means so many different things for so many different people. And like some of the parents that I'm working with, an angel sense, it's it's like, okay, we're getting it to where they can go and get items in the grocery store on their own and bring them back to the cart, like, that's independence because you're teaching them this critical skill, but you're you're still you're still around or you're like you said, you're entrusting them to go into the care of someone else or get support from other people.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And if you think about independence, I mean, nobody is completely independent, even us. Like we go to work and there's other people there supervising us, or we go to you know, you go to a restaurant, there's a manager making sure that nobody's standing on a table. And yet everybody gets guidance from.
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Rob Gorski
So I feel like I need supervision.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
I mean, we all do.
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Rob Gorski
So but leave me to my own devices.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Same like you. You. When you're around your kids for a certain amount of time, it's just all bets are off. But, but what you had mentioned, it's not always you. That's really, really huge. Especially with the type of families that we have and with who we are, because we a lot of times feel every time like it has to be us because we know our child best and that's our instinct to keep our child safe and that's great initially, but it does kind of trap us in what we call the vicious cycle, where it's, you know, if if I assume only I can take care of my child, then I'm not allowing him opportunities
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Melissa Schiefelbein
to go kind of practice. Being with other people are doing things on his own. And. Yep. And if I stay in that cycle and I don't ever work on those things, then what happens is in turn that he can't he can't do those things because I never encouraged him and I never taught him. And again, sometimes it's because we we don't have the resources or we don't have that assurance that we can keep them safe.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
But nevertheless, being able to work with the parents that I work with and just find opportunities for that independent that's relevant for them and that is safe for them to exercise is really great because, you know, just like you said, independence is not you know, you're you're on your own doing your own thing every time. Sometimes it's just in your world where you are, where can you exercise a little bit more personal responsibility?
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And that's, that's a great way to think of it.
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Rob Gorski
Well, and as we're talking, I'm sitting here thinking like, you know, that independence goes both ways because the more independence your kids get, the more independence you get as a parent. That's one of the big things that I've learned, like I had I had just assumed over the last, for the last 20 years, honestly, it's only been the last few years, and I recognize this, but probably the last two decades, I have just assumed that Gavin was going to be living with me for the rest of my life, and I was going to have to worry about what would happen after I'm gone.
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Rob Gorski
And the concept of having an empty nest, like not having kids living with me, is such a foreign thing. Yeah, but it opens up so many doors that I had assumed were always going to be closed and locked and, you know, helping him gain his independence has ultimately helped me gain mine. I still have two more at home right now, but, you know, it's just a matter of timing for them.
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Rob Gorski
When they're ready to go, they'll go right and and it makes it just it makes such a big difference. And I think the way that we look at it and the way that we frame this matters, because I've had I don't debate people very often that come at me on social media or whatever. But I had this dad a couple years ago.
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Rob Gorski
It was a long time ago, about ten years ago, said something about his son never being independent because he was never going to be a, you know, a manager of at work where he's got people working underneath him. He's not going to be married and have kids and drive a fancy car and have like a penthouse apartment. He's not going to make six figures.
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Rob Gorski
And and that was how that dad defined success, right. And independence. And I just thought like, wow. Like that is that was such an eye opener for me because how we view independence and success, greatly impacts whether our kids are ever going to live up to that expectation.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Great point. Yeah.
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Rob Gorski
You know, so that was just, it made me think of that, what we were talking about this and then.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Things that have gone on since then, I mean, like, I think what we've seen both in the the autism community, but then also in life in general, is that success and independence means something different now. I mean, it does what he described as maybe even just like the 1% of people, but we're finding that things and success means so many things.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And you hit on something critical. The independence for the child means independence for the parent. And even just like one of the families that I work with, mom was just able to go for a 20 minute walk by herself and just that's huge. Like that's huge independence for them. So, yeah, it's it's just crazy when you help people open their eyes up to to what that independence can look like.
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Rob Gorski
Oh, yeah. It opens up so many doors and the power of reframing things. That's like the biggest superpower that I feel like I have as a parent is my ability to reframe things, because, you know, you could take a really bad situation and reframe the way you look at it, and it can help you to find new options, new possibilities, new exits or strategies and, you know, reframing what independence is and success is and letting it be dependent on what our kids are able to do and what they want in life makes all the difference in the world, and that's empowering for everybody.
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Rob Gorski
And I think that's a hugely positive thing. And one of the things that you had touched on and that I'm learning about is I'm is my oldest was transitioning into his, like independent living stuff was assistive technology. And I'm a big person, like, I love technology and smart home stuff and cameras and, you know, automation, all the things can make a big difference.
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Rob Gorski
They can be the supervisor for kids or be that bridge to help us. breathe a little bit easier and sleep at night because there's, there's a connection without having to physically be in the same room. And, and so one of the things that's a big thing for a lot of parents is knowing where their kids are, when they're not in the room or when they're not at home.
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Rob Gorski
And GPS tracking has been, it has changed the way that parents, I think, navigate some of those challenges and angel sense being the gold standard. I think at this point, how how have how have you found that to be beneficial, with your family?
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Well, that's a great question because there's several ways. I mean, innocence is incredibly unique, and I do believe it is the gold standard. This is coming from someone who actually uses it. because it's it's GPS monitoring, but it's so much more than that as well. It's actually been an assistive technology and a tool for independence. And I go back to my very first day of purchasing it.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
I bought it because my child was put on the wrong bus and was nonverbal. And I thought to myself, you know, I have two options here. I can say, well, he's never going to go to school. We're not doing this. And I think it was a few days later that the restraining incident happened, too. So I had every right to think, this isn't working out.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
He just can't do school. He's got to be with me all the time. And I thought, you know what, let's see if there's a way that he can engage in this human right of education and and go and, and just find that way to provide him with the safety and the tools to be able to go. But for me to have the peace of mind and what angels and stayed in, that was it made it so I always, I always say it's like it's as close as I can be to being with him all day, because it's just totally changed the way that I.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
I see his day, like I get to see when he leaves somewhere, when he arrives there, how fast he was going. I get to there's even like features where I can look, I can do indoor mapping in his school and see which rooms he's going into. There's the speaker phone that I can speak to him, or if he were to get on the wrong bus, I'd be able to call into it and talk to the people that he's with and say, hey, he really doesn't like to be touched.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
He, you know, it's helpful for him if he's in a quiet area. I can be there and, you know, wherever and then give you have shown my location to where I could drive to him in just like minutes because I have that route to where he is, where I am. So it's like, it just it changed everything for me because it wasn't just, you know, he left and I get to know where he's going.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
It's like, I, I've got all of these resources and tools to be able to help him have a successful day or a successful school experience. So it's changed my life. And then now, you know, as I, as I work with families, with Angel sense and angel, since learning, which is our skill building program, it's to where I'm helping parents have that same freedom and, like, use it in that way and think like, okay, we have this technology.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Maybe your child doesn't go to school, maybe they never eloped a day in their life. Maybe they are with you all the time. But how do we start to increase some of that independence? Because you have this technology that's going to help you enhance the independence for your child.
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Rob Gorski
I was telling you before we started recording, Gavin moved out about two months ago, and he he doesn't he's not. I mean, this kid talks like he narrates his life. So when he was at home, it was like constantly he was constantly talking. And so, like, I always knew that he was there. and since he's moved out, he has called me, like, twice, never answers the phone.
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Rob Gorski
He'll respond to messages, but like on his time frame, which can sometimes be days. And there isn't always that direct like back up line where I can, like, call somebody else to make sure that he's okay or to find out what's going on. And then I don't want to also, I also want to be like respectful because like when I was his age and I moved out, I wasn't calling my parents every day.
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Rob Gorski
Right. I was trying to forget that. Like, I was like, I'm on my own. Don't bother me. So there is some of that in in this write it all factors in because he's still a kid. Yeah. but I had a conversation with him, a couple weeks back, and he was telling me how he he took an impromptu trip to Pittsburgh.
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Rob Gorski
So, like, I'm in Ohio, so it's like a three hour drive and I knew nothing about it. Now he has lots of health issues. Most of them are okay right now, but but it's just because there hasn't been any issues lately. So maybe they're gone forever. Maybe they're not. We don't know. Yeah. and the fact that he left the state without me knowing, not that he needs permission.
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Rob Gorski
I don't mean to sound like that, but, like, if something were to happen or. You know what I mean? Like, I just, I, I feel like if he's leaving the state, I should at least be on the same page with him. Right? I don't think that's like invading his privacy or whatever. and he's like, oh, yeah, well, you know, I probably should have told you.
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Rob Gorski
And I'm like, yeah, yeah, and you probably should have told me, like, you don't need my permission to go, right? You're your own guardian. You do your own thing. But just, you know, if I were leaving the state as an independent adult, I would let my parents know. I mean, they would be part of the conversation, like, hey, I'm going to be leaving just so you guys don't worry.
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Rob Gorski
This is where I'm going to be. Whatever. But he doesn't think to do that. And, he's on Android. His phone is Android. I have an iPhone, so there's not really any overlap. It's like trying to keep tabs with that. But I have the the Angel since watch and it looks just like a smartwatch. and so I approached him a couple weeks back and I was like, hey, I want to swap out your watch for this one, and this is why I want to do it.
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Rob Gorski
It looks pretty much the same as what you had before, and you know, it'll track your heart rate and check your steps and things like that because he likes to track his steps. I said, but it'll let me know where you are and if there's an emergency and you can't get to your phone, you can just hold the button down on the side and it'll dial me up and we can have a conversation in real time in that moment.
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Rob Gorski
So there's just like that safety thing. And so if you forget to tell me that you're going to Pittsburgh, I, you know, I'll see that you left and you're going somewhere, and then I can send you a text or something and just find out what's going on. and he's like, well, that makes a lot of sense that, you know, made him feel more comfortable.
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Rob Gorski
And then I don't I don't have to be like, Like helicoptering all around him. Right? Like, I just it just makes me feel a little bit more comfortable with him being on his own and then trusting his care to other people, because that's a big thing, too, is trusting his care of the people. And so now, you know, as I'm sitting, sitting here, there's an alert that comes on my phone that he just, left, his, his duplex where he lives and is on his way to day service.
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Rob Gorski
Right. And when he gets there, I have it marked. So I it's labeled. Right. So I know that he arrived. I know how long it took him to get there. I know how fast the driver was going. And when he leaves to go home, I'm notified when he gets home and when he leaves and when he goes to work at the same thing, then.
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Rob Gorski
So it just kind of helps me to keep tabs on his day from a safe distance. And it just it just helps me, I guess, to feel a little bit more confident and less worry and he feels like if something were to happen, I'm right there.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Right? Right. And that's a game changer for parent and child, both. So I think a lot of times with with GPS monitoring or electronic tracking devices, I think a lot of people like the hairs on the back of their neck kind of prickle up. And it's like, well, yeah, you know, you have to respect their their privacy, their independence.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And it's like, absolutely, I, I, I totally and 100% agree with that. But it's also our, our job to make sure and keep them safe. And as you mentioned, you know, a young adult, especially one with special needs is probably not going to to think of all of those circumstances in which they might need your assistance and it might not be on the forefront until it's actually happening.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And then, you know, for so for my son, he's he's 12 and he goes to friends, he walks down the street to friends houses by himself or he, he participates. He's going to camp in about a, in a few days for about a week. And it's like it's it's not an effort to be more controlling. It's it's an effort for you to have more of those opportunities to go somewhere.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And I can still keep you safe because otherwise the communication piece might not be there. Or, like you said, being in the hands of other caregivers. They might not know how to interact with our with our kiddos. And it's just all of that guesswork is taken out. So you kind of I we've talked about it earlier, but it's like you get to be the helicopter parent without being the helicopter parent, because think of how intrusive it is when you know, if you don't know if your child is going to leave the state, or you don't know if your child's safely arrived to their friend's house, you're calling him.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
You're like checking on his whereabouts all the time. But it's it's a whole different story when you have this capability to communicate one another. And you, you just know where they are, where, where they're going. Sure. and so the way that I, I try to see it based on my experience is like I'm actually providing, you know, more, more independence for you because I'm able to like, it's have the peace of mind and that safety part, so you can go do those things instead of like, no one wants mom driving, like at 12, you don't want your mom driving you to camp or to the house, your friend.
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Rob Gorski
It's like an extension cord, sort of. In a way. It's knowing them. You're kind of untethered and allowing them like you're still connected, but you're giving them more length, right? And as as they adapt to that, they get more and they get more and they get more and and, you know, I mean, even as adults, like my girlfriend and I, we share our locations on our phones.
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Rob Gorski
That way, if there's ever an emergency, she knows where I am, I know where she is, and we can get to each other if that's what we need to do. Yeah, I think a lot of parents want that for their kids, but I do think there is there is a lack of maybe understanding about GPS tracking, like like you said, like it's people get like that.
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Rob Gorski
Oh, it's invasive, it's invading their privacy. I know there's potential issues with schools, you know, because of like two way voice. And so are there are there what are some of the hiccups? I mean, just so that we're transparent with people like, what are some of the hiccups when trying to use something like this with schools? And then what are the workarounds for that?
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah, that's a really great question because that is a question we get a lot is people want something like this for their child. I mean, especially like if they're going to a full day program or they're they're going to a program where the parent is not going to be there. It's just that we adolescents, it's just kind of that that common thing.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Because you're right, it is. An extension cord does allow you to provide support to your child, but then also allow them to participate and just, you know, the education and some of those like basic rights. So one of the questions we get all the time is if what if my school won't allow me to have it? Like sometimes schools are just and they don't even mine the GPS part of it at all.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
It's it's primarily the communication part. So the speaker phone, the parent being able to because you have the one way where you can just call in and listen to environment around, which is really great for like the bus or other times that you think that might be kind of contentious for a child. but then two way speaker where you're able to talk back and forth to your child.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So a lot of schools are just kind of like, well, we can't have that because there's other kids. And that, like, violates those other kids privacy. Because and a lot of times it's under the assumption that the device can record, but it cannot. so what happens in that time is we do have, we have a dashboard with school liaisons and school liaisons.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Their entire gig, is to be able to go to schools and kind of talk and negotiate and say, this is why the parent needs this feature. this is why they need angel centers in general. And then they come to they come to an agreement to the school can accept, you know, the child wearing it. And if they if they still, you know, they're adamant.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
They say we do not want any type of speakerphone functions while the child is in school. Then you can go into the app and you can disable them only while the child like you at set time. So when the child arrives at school and then when they leave, they can be turned back on. So it's always, you know, we're we're a very dedicated, company in the fact that, like, all of us are special needs parents, every single, every single person who works within Angel sense has like, our customer care support team and school.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
We all are parents, so we understand and we, we work with other, parents to make sure that they, they, they have the support and they have what they need, and they're able to use it in the way they want to use it.
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Rob Gorski
And so so you guys can help to find solutions to make the situation, tenable for the school. And you could even give them access like, like the parents could even give them access to the dashboard as, like a user or something like that, so that they can verify that things are disabled and they can monitor it. You know what I mean?
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Rob Gorski
Just to have that double check kind of thing. I mean, because I get I get the concern, you know, but I also, as a parent, like if I had a non-verbal kid who can't tell me what happened, you know, and they're on the bus and there's a problem or think about, interaction with law enforcement, or if a kid wanders off and you're trying to, like, you have, like, their location, but you don't know, is it is there traffic or.
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Rob Gorski
You know what I mean? Like, are there people around trying to talk to them? Like, there's there's all kinds of reasons, why you would you would want the ability to do that. And then having the ability to disable it in order to work around, legitimate concerns of, of schools and, and, teachers and whatever. There. That seems just like a, a really good.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah. It's like a, it's like a win win in a lot of times, like what you mentioned is like a teacher or an intervention specialist can be added as a guardian on to a child's app, so they have access to the app information as well. And we have, actually a lot of families who the school is really thankful for that because the child elopes from school or wanders from the classroom or wanders from an aid.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And, it's really helpful in that regard. And a lot of times, so we work with, with parents, but we also can work with schools as well. And how to teach independent schools, independent skills within the school. So it's like, okay, you have a child and maybe an inclusion classroom, and they're able to, start building up their ability to go into a mainstream classroom.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So you want them to start learning how to go to their own locker. You want them to start learning how to transition with the classroom without an aid being right there. And as a side note, you know, I've seen a lot of of kiddos who struggle with having that 1 to 1 paraprofessional support and then go to not having it and needing to be more independent in the classroom.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And it's been a real disaster for a lot of families, because it's really hard to fade that physical presence of an adult and go straight to the child doing it all on its own. And that's why Angel sense is really great to be in that, that like interim bridge. Yeah, it bridges that gap because you can still provide support without an adult being right there.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So we do help schools utilize it in that way as well. And it's it really is just a game changer because like you mentioned what you want for your kids or for students in your classroom is to have the maximum amount of independence. But it's so rare that you're able to go from being with them all the time, helping them all the time, and and then being there.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So what's that tether? What's that extension cord that can connect the two. And that's an assistive technology like Angel sense where you're able to provide that support and let the child do more and more and more on their own.
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Rob Gorski
so I two things that I want to say. Well, one thing I want to say that I, I had a question, and there really is no this is all along the same lines as, like a lot of a lot of the housing opportunities for, for people with disabilities or intellectual disabilities, utilize assistive technology, right. Smart technology in order to help, maintain independence and, safety and security and things like that.
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Rob Gorski
And so this is really no different in the sense that you're you're utilizing technology in a way that can improve the quality of life and safety and independence of your kid. And I realize there's people who just struggled to kind of wrap their heads around that. But I think that's and until you actually see the benefit for yourself, sometimes it's really hard to appreciate that.
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Rob Gorski
And just over the last couple of weeks, like I've been a fan of GPS tracking for years, I totally think it's necessary. I think it's a life saving technology.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Yeah, it's one thing to notice that, you know, your child's not somewhere that they have ever gone. And just quick call, check in like, hey, what's going on? Is everything okay? or, you know, there's an emergency and they're trying to find their cell phone. Cell phone might be dead, or they're they have to go find you as a contact.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
They have to, like, call you. They have to and then state the problem. We're just we're trying to provide a solution for that.
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Rob Gorski
With this. The whole world isn't getting your kids location right. It's you and whoever you give access to. Right? So that they are they are, but there is there is way more security in that sense. And and like, you know, I think I mentioned earlier like I, my girlfriend and I have iPhones, we share each other's, we share our location with each other just because we do a lot of driving.
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Rob Gorski
Like if something happens, it's just nice to know that they know where she knows where I am. So something happens so you can send people to help me or can come get me or whatever the deal is. And so we're essentially doing that with our kids, but they just don't have a screen. Right. You know, and it's just it serves a narrower purpose.
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Rob Gorski
But that purpose is just keeping them safe.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
yeah. Yeah. And letting letting them navigate the world. I think that's like a yeah, a really great way of putting it is we want we always have to consider. And it doesn't matter if your child is three, it doesn't matter if your child is 30. It you have to consider like what happens if something happens to me and you do I have supports in place for someone to to help my child supports in place for my child to, you know, navigate the world on their own, wherever they are.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
You know, we do we do a lot to work with families to help them get to their best point to where, you know, if if there was an emergency that that child is supported and they they have the ability to thrive. but I think like just to wrap it back around to the, to the beginning of our conversation, it's like it's pairing that technology with those behavioral principles in that, that kind of clinical knowledge and how to apply some of that, to the behavioral modification stuff to build skills.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
it's putting the two together. So that way you are decreasing the need for consistent surveillance or consistent, you know, support. So, being able to to bring the two together and help parents exercise that I think allows a lot of safety and security, but also like peace of mind for all parties involved.
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Rob Gorski
And I just want to add to that, I've, I've used, all of the devices that you guys have released over the years. the watch is by far my favorite. and for anybody out there, because my kids are the same way, if you're out there and you're like, well, my kid will never tolerate having something on the wrist, or they won't tolerate having something in your pocket.
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Rob Gorski
They're there. There's multiple options in which to kind of secure a device to the clothing or backpack or shoes or like whatever, whatever the situation is, and your kids can't remove them. You got to have a little special tool to to pull the stuff off. And so if you're worried about things like that, there are plenty of options to make it workable.
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Rob Gorski
You know, my my youngest is very sensory oriented. When he was younger and we were able to find a solution for him. Right. So if that if that's something you're concerned about, they can contact you guys and, and the other stuff was included in the kit, the different options for attaching everything else. my last question would be where can people go to find more information?
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Melissa Schiefelbein
so you can go to our web website angelsense.com and you'll be able to see the, the wearable devices that are available, as well as all the wiring options you're able to look into, like the school liaisons if you need that as well. and it always can. find contact. And as I mentioned, our customer support care team is all parents, so they're just they're so amazing.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
nobody has ever disconnected with a call with them. And it's just like they didn't get because we we all get it. We all experience it and know it. So, that would be a great place to find information. and, and endorsements and everything that's available. Like you mentioned, there's 100. I'm not exactly 100, but there's 20 different ways to wear it.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So,
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Rob Gorski
And it's not a one size fits all thing.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
It's it's not, but nothing, nothing ever is. I mean, and and what I love too about it is like, you can make your child a part of that decision. It's like, well, how how would you want to wear it? And I know my son has gone through, several different things. He went from I think he had like the, the GPS one, which is one of their first ones, and he had the belt.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
And as almost like the cellphone now it's like so, so tiny. Tiny put it in his pocket and then he saw the watch. It's like, I want the watch. And he he loves the watch now. So it's just like making your child a part of that. I always think like, you can I, I don't like the idea of especially for a sensory, driven child.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
It's like, okay, we can just, like, sneak it on him. It's like, well, we also could take the approach of, like, how do you want to wear it? You know, we could like secured in your pocket. That would be really cool. Or we can either there's like bike shorts now and there's a whole bunch of things that, that, that can help with that.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So it's really, it's really great.
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Rob Gorski
So Angel Centcom.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
Angel since.com.
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Rob Gorski
I'll have all that information in the show notes. People can click on the link and go check you guys out. I really appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
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Melissa Schiefelbein
So much for having me. And it's been amazing. I've been a fan for a long time, so this is a dream come true. Thank you for having me.
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Rob Gorski
Well, well, thank you very much. Thank you for doing everything that you guys are doing. And, yeah, we will be in touch.
