Compassionate Pediatric + Neurodivergent-Informed Care
Why We Exist
Mission: To reduce trauma and increase emotional safety during pediatric blood draws, dental visits, and vaccinations, especially for neurodivergent and anxious children.
Problem: There is no standardized training for how to support these populations during these procedures. Children are traumatized, parents are distressed, and providers are unsupported.
Our Solution: The Poke Pals Method™ uses visual supports, trauma-informed scripting, and behavior-based tools to turn medical moments into calm, collaborative experiences.
Who We Serve:
- Pediatric clinics (including specialty clinics)
- ABA centers
- School-based health programs
- Parents and caregivers
Poke Pals was born from a simple truth: no child should be traumatized by the very care meant to help them. So we changed the approach.
I’ve seen it too many times:
- A child held down, screaming.
- A parent crying, apologizing for their child’s panic.
- A provider doing their best with training that never included how to support neurodivergent kids.
What should be a routine part of care becomes a moment of trauma — for everyone in the room.
And the worst part?
Everyone walks away thinking that’s just how it has to be.
But it doesn’t. And it shouldn’t. And with Poke Pals — it won’t.
We believe:
- That children with autism, ADHD, anxious, and sensory-sensitivity deserve gentle, informed care.
- That caregivers deserve support — not shame.
- That phlebotomists, nurses, parents and providers deserve training that works in the real world.
- That trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming healthcare should be the norm — not the exception.
Poke Pals exists to make blood draws and medical procedures safer, calmer, and more compassionate — one child, one provider, one training at a time.
Because when we treat kids with respect, patience, and preparation, we’re not just collecting samples, cleaning teeth or giving vaccines.
We’re building trust. We’re preserving dignity.
We’re showing every child that they deserve care that feels like care.
PokePals is not about mastering a procedure, it's about mastering the experience of care