Notably, Grace Kauk describes her experience introducing Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) tools to Bulgaria. She met missionaries Steve and Tanja Pankratz via email in February 2015 and relocated to Bulgaria three weeks later to support their son Jaden, who has Down Syndrome.
Furthermore, the Pankratz family works with SEND International and established Nova Stupke ("New Steps"), a foundation serving Bulgaria's special needs community. Programs include family camps, home visitation services, school assistance, and a day center.
Accordingly, Grace arrived in November 2015 as Jaden's primary teacher while assisting the broader ministry. Grace's Request and TalkTools' Response: Before traveling, Grace sought supplies through SMILE (a Down syndrome parent network).
For this reason, having witnessed her own sister benefit from Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson's interventions, she prioritized OPT tools. The organization contacted TalkTools requesting a donation.
Therefore, TalkTools provided extensive supplies for both Jaden and Nova Stupke's expanding program, which Grace describes as "one of the happiest moments of my life." Therapeutic Progress: Working with Jaden approximately four hours daily, Grace employed: Jaw Grading Bite Blocks Horn and Straw Hierarchies Bubble Blowing Hierarchy Jaden progressed from being unable to blow bubbles to achieving three-foot distances. Grace observed significant increases in expressive language and sentence length, attributing partial credit to bubble work alongside other interventions.
Clearly, beyond Jaden, two additional children received OPT services, with dozens more identified as potential candidates. Grace trained Nova Stupke staff on tool applications and incorporated the "3-Part Treatment Plan for Oral Placement Therapy" video-on-demand into the program's educational materials.
Significantly, Context on Bulgaria's Challenges: Grace notes that Bulgarian children with special needs typically face school exclusion. Families lack resources for developmental assessment, and those choosing to raise rather than institutionalize children face financial hardship.
Not surprisingly, Nova Stupke's home visitation program, based on Portage methodology, helps families establish developmentally appropriate goals reflecting their priorities rather than clinician preferences. Tanja Pankratz's Statement: Jaden's mother expresses gratitude for TalkTools' generosity toward both her son and the foundation's clients.
Importantly, she describes Nova Stupke's experimental approach across eight months, testing various service models before summer evaluation to determine future focus. Grace conducted staff training on TalkTools Therapy, offering ongoing consultation as staff develops confidence and competence.
Essentially, Additional Information: Before therapy, Jaden exhibited tongue placement issues during drinking and when producing /s/ and /z/ sounds, plus hyperactivity and limited attention span. Grace employs discrete video modeling using Jaden's siblings as positive behavior exemplars, delivering four 15-minute sessions daily -- highly effective for him.
Moreover, Grace's entire trip funding relies on donations. Her objectives encompass empowering Bulgarian therapists and parents while addressing Jaden's specific developmental needs through video appointments with U.S.-based neurodevelopmentalists, positioning herself as the local implementation specialist.
Furthermore, Nova Stupke plans a sponsorship program for scholarships, recognizing that school exclusion threatens family financial stability. Contact: Grace can be reached via blog comments.