Join the Movement

The healthcare world needs what the ABA world knows, and the ABA world needs to understand medical realities. I've lived in both spaces and created solutions that finally bring them together

The Problem

Your team is losing 30+ minutes per anxious patient. What if they could gain cooperation in under 5 minutes?

DOES YOUR TEAM FACE THESE CHALLENGES?

Appointments running overtime due to patient anxiety
Staff feeling unprepared to work with neurodivergent patients
Procedures requiring restraint or sedation that could be avoided
Families canceling or avoiding necessary medical care
Team burnout from difficult patient interactions
Lack of standardized protocols for anxious or sensory-sensitive children

Your team is skilled at the technical aspects of care—but medical training rarely includes behavioral strategies for neurodivergent patients.

That's where I come in

The Solution

WHO I TRAIN

MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS: Pediatricians & Family Physicians Nurses & Medical Assistants Phlebotomists & Lab Technicians Pediatric Dentists & Dental Hygienists Hospital Staff & Child Life Specialists, Specialists (GI, ENT, etc.) ABA & EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS: BCBAs & Clinical Directors RBTs & Behavioral Technicians Teachers & School Nurses Special Education Teams Social Workers & Case Managers ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS: Practice Managers & Administrators Clinic Directors & Executives Hospital System Leadership Quality Improvement Teams

If your organization serves neurodivergent children, this training will transform your approach

WHAT YOUR TEAM WILL LEARN CORE TRAINING MODULES:

UNDERSTANDING NEURODIVERGENCE IN MEDICAL SETTINGS - Autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences - How neurodivergence affects medical experiences - Common triggers and how to avoid them - Recognizing distress vs. defiance

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES - Using concrete, literal language - Visual supports and social stories - Teaching medical vocabulary at appropriate levels - The power of choice and control

**BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES** -

Task analysis: Breaking procedures into steps - Positive reinforcement that actually motivates - Gradual desensitization protocols - Managing escalation and de-escalation techniques **SENSORY CONSIDERATIONS**

Creating sensory-friendly environments - Accommodating sensory sensitivities - Understanding sensory-seeking vs. sensory-avoiding

Modifications for lights, sounds, textures

TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE**

Preventing medical trauma - Recognizing past trauma responses - Building trust with anxious patients - Supporting families, not just patients

**FAMILY PARTNERSHIP** Collaborating with parents as experts- Asking the right questions before procedures - Empowering families to prepare at home - Creating individualized care plans

**PRACTICAL PROTOCOLS** Step-by-step procedure modifications - Visual schedules and timers - Distraction vs. coping strategies - Documentation and handoffs between staff

**REAL-WORLD APPLICATION** - Case studies and role-play scenarios - Problem-solving common challenges - Implementing strategies immediately - Measuring outcomes and refining approaches

**ALL TRAINING INCLUDES:** Customization for your specific patient population Interactive activities (not just lecture) Take-home resources and tools Implementation support

++Follow-up consultation ++

VIRTUAL TEAM TRAINING — $499 | 2 Hours via Zoom

Perfect for: Small teams, dispersed staff, or budget-conscious organizations
Includes:

2-hour live interactive workshop (up to 10 participants)
Screen-shared presentation with visual examples
Breakout practice activities
Digital resource packet (PDFs, templates, protocols)
Recording for absent staff
30 days of email support for implementation questions
Certificates of completion

Best for: Medical practices, small ABA clinics, and school-based teams

HALF-DAY WORKSHOP — $799 (Virtual) | $999 (In-Person)

Perfect for: Teams ready for hands-on, scenario-based learning
Includes:

4 hours of interactive training
Customized content for your setting and challenges
Extensive role-play and scenario practice
Comprehensive printed resource manual
Staff assessment tools (pre/post training)
Implementation toolkit with ready-to-use materials
60 days of email/phone support
Optional 30-day follow-up check-in call
CEU certificates (if applicable)

Add-ons:

Follow-up booster session (+$200)
On-site observation and feedback (+$250)

Best for: Larger practices, hospital departments, and ABA organizations

FULL-DAY TRAINING + IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT — $4,999 (Virtual) | $6,499 (In-Person)

Perfect for: Organizations committed to culture change and long-term results
Includes:

6–8 hours of comprehensive training
Pre-training needs assessment and customization
Morning: Core concepts & strategies
Afternoon: Case consultation, role-play, and protocol development
Complete implementation toolkit
Train-the-trainer components (your staff can teach others)
90 days of ongoing support (email, phone, video calls)
Two follow-up sessions (30 & 60 days)
Staff competency assessments
Custom-branded resources for your organization
Optional video library of demonstration clips

Add-ons:

Quarterly refresher training (+$999 each)
Annual retainer for ongoing consultation (custom quote)
Multi-location training discounts available

Best for: Hospital systems, multi-site clinics, and ABA agencies

INDIVIDUAL CASE CONSULTATION $247 per hour Perfect for: Specific patient challenges, implementation troubleshooting INCLUDES: One hour of focused consultation (virtual) Review of specific case details (de-identified) Strategic behavioral recommendations Practical implementation steps Written consultation summary 2 weeks of email follow-up support BEST FOR: Individual clinicians, specific challenging cases, one-time needs

WHY POKEPALS TRAINING IS DIFFERENT

Most training is either:

Too theoretical (doesn't translate to real clinical settings)

Too basic (staff already know generic "be patient" advice)

Not customized (doesn't address your specific challenges)

PokePals training is:

**EVIDENCE-BASED** Grounded in published research (Contemporary Pediatrics, ASCP Critical Values) and proven behavioral principles

**PRACTICAL & IMMEDIATELY APPLICABLE** Your team leaves with strategies they can use tomorrow, not theories they might try someday

**CUSTOMIZED TO YOUR SETTING**

I learn about YOUR patient population, YOUR procedures, YOUR challenges—then design training specifically for you

**TAUGHT BY SOMEONE WHO'S DONE THE JOB** I have has personally performed thousands of procedures on anxious, neurodivergent children—I know what works in the real world

**BRIDGE BUILDER** I speak both medical language and behavioral language fluently, translating between worlds that rarely communicate

**INTERACTIVE, NOT JUST LECTURE**Role-play, case studies, scenario practice—your team actively learns, not passively listens

**SUPPORTED IMPLEMENTATION** Training doesn't end when the session does—I provide follow-up support as you implement new strategies

Poke Pals provides educational coaching, training, and consultation—not medical treatment, therapy, or diagnosis. Services complement care from licensed professionals

Professional Consultation Call

Testimonials

[I had the opportunity to work alongside Franchesca in a phlebotomy role and was able to observe first hand how well she works with patients of all demographics and backgrounds especially pediatric and neonatal patients and special needs patients of all ages. She is a very talented and highly skilled phlebotomist, and has a particular talent for making the otherwise unpleasant experience of blood draws a much more palatable and even positive experience for both the patient and their parents/guardians. I have had the chance to observe her work with so many patients who required special considerations to perform high quality blood draws while enhancing the patient's experience overall.

I particularly remember an encounter where a young adult patient with special needs arrived with his mother and a caretaker for routine blood work. Now this patient was non-verbal and very strong, and previously it had taken a significant amount of time (often around an hour) for myself and some of the other phlebotomists to work with him to allow us to draw his blood. However the first time Franchesca had the opportunity to work with him, she calmly worked with him at his own pace and quickly built a rapport with him and made him feel comfortable to the point where he immediately let her draw his blood. Her ability to build this rapport with her patients was one of the driving factors that made this encounter the smoothest and most efficient one this patient had ever had. His mother and his caretaker were blown away by how easy that experience was when Franchesca drew his bloodwork. There are many similar instances that come to my mind when considering how professional and effective Franchesca is at providing the highest quality of care for all her patients, but especially those young children and special needs patients who are unable to understand or are just plain scared to get their blood work done

John, UVA Medical Center