Opening the door to suite four: our founder’s story
“I opened my practice because I wanted to connect with families in the parish I was born and raised in, to provide resources to help empower them and maximize their child's development, and to provide a team of therapists to support them and their children,” -Michael Bagley Johnston said when she reflected on her journey from SLP to “opening the doors to Suite 4”, a.k.a. opening FUNdamental Pediatric Therapy.
Michael graduated with her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Louisiana Health Sciences Center-Shreveport and hit the ground running with serving families of DeSoto Parish. “I love children and human connection/social relationships. This is the initial reason I became a speech-language pathologist!”-Michael said as she reflected on her therapy journey. She has worked as an SLP in private practice, elementary schools, a health center for medically fragile children, and has provided early intervention in the home environment. Through these experiences, she realized that opening a multidisciplinary clinic no longer felt like a dream, but a priority. “Opening a multidisciplinary clinic was so important to me. I want parents to have access to specialists across all areas of development. I wanted to create an environment that focuses on quality treatment.”
Michael went on to explain that FUNdamental Pediatric Therapy is a multidisciplinary clinic, meaning that multiple types of therapy disciplines work under one roof: speech therapy, occupational therapy,and physical therapy. “I want FUNdamental to serve as a place where goals and milestones are met BUT also serve as a support system when families are faced with the unknown and hardships.” She went on to say, “I love that my clinic provides a safe, supportive space for parents and families. I love being a voice in my community and showing families that therapy isn't scary, it is empowering and beautiful.”
As FUNdamental continues to expand and serve the community, Michael prioritizes supporting parents that have concerns with their child's development. “As I always tell my parents, ‘you aren't supposed to already know all of this.’ We provide recommendations and strategies weekly to our parents so that they can carry over the skills we address in the therapy room. We also encourage parents to play a role in creating our treatment plan and goals. Our occupational therapists may work on a child brushing his teeth to create an easier morning routine at home, our speech therapists may work on a little one saying I love you for the first time, and our physical therapist may work on your baby walking to mama's arms for the first time. We always ask parents- what do you want to work on and how can we help you? If your baby is sick, you go to a doctor, if your baby has trouble with communication, you come see me. We are here to empower and support our families.”
If you would like to learn more about FUNdamental and how they can support your children, book a free consultation here: https://www.fundamentalpediatrictherapy.com/free-consultation
