Pasadena Child Development Associates, Inc.

Welcome to
Pasadena Child Development Associates, Inc.

PCDA Training and Educational Programs

The staff is very well educated in helping kids with developmental disabilities and makes the child feel safe and secure."

PCDA provides training and educational programs for parents and professionals covering a range of topics about child development and developmental disabilities. We are proud to be accredited for continuing education courses for occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, nurses, registered dietitians and other professionals working in the field of children with special needs.

Training programs are offered in the following formats:

  1. 1-3 day Conferences presented by PCDA
  2. Conferences presented by PCDA staff, sponsored or hosted by another agency
  3. 2-4 hour Workshops presented by PCDA
  4. PCDA staff as speakers at other conferences, meetings or events
  5. On-going training series presented by PCDA under contract for other agencies
  6. On-going consultation by PCDA staff for school districts or agencies

PCDA supports on-going professional development for our staff through:

  1. Two week intensive training for new staff.
  2. Two-year curriculum of bi-weekly presentations covering a full range of topics.
  3. Once a month DIR® themed presentation
  4. Once a month Special topics or guest speakers
  5. Educational Stipend for Clinical specialists
  6. Scholarships for some staff to attend continuing education programs.
  7. Flexible scheduling to allow staff to pursue higher education degree programs.
  8. Most important, PCDA has an atmosphere of team learning, wherein there is an enthusiasm for learning and sharing of interdisciplinary expertise on a daily basis.

PCDA provides mentorship for DIR® certification through:

  1. Opportunities for mentorship with Dr. Diane Cullinane, ICDL Faculty
  2. Once a month group meeting of DIR® Candidates

PCDA supports student learning through:

  1. Hosting graduate students or interns in Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy, and Speech and Language therapy
  2. High school students may volunteer to assist in groups or summer programs.

For Parents, education and services overlap at PCDA. In the DIR® approach, parents are partners in the therapy services. Thus, they are offered information about the DIR®/FloortimeTM approach and strategies useful for their interactions with their child. In the "It Takes Two to Talk" program, parents meet together to learn about ways to stimulate their child's language development. In the "Food, Fitness, and Fun Program" the whole Family participates in an educational component about nutrition and health.

PCDA embraces its mission of education and training as a fundamental component of our efforts. We welcome opportunities to provide training, and welcome your support in these efforts.