August 2026 Newsletter
For the past few months, I've been meeting weekly with two colleagues on the East Coast. We share the same clinical framework, DIR Floortime, and we're building a project and presentation together. It has been one of the genuine pleasures of this year to spend time with people who understand this work as deeply as I do. Through these conversations, I've been reminded that even when we share the same framework and values, the way that work comes to life is shaped by the people, relationships, and environments around us.
We agree on the theory. We understand development in many of the same ways. Yet we come from different professions, work within different funding systems, and serve families whose daily routines look different from those of the families I know here in Southern California. Even parenting norms feel different. The framework is the same, but the work itself takes on a slightly different shape.
We often assume that once we know something well enough, it should simply transfer from one place to another. We expect that what works here should work there, that understanding should be portable, and that skills should travel intact from one environment to the next.
As children return to school this fall, let's remember that skills don't always transfer automatically from one setting to another.
As clinicians, we have gradually shifted from talking primarily about milestones to talking more about capacity. Capacity recognizes something important: our abilities don't exist independently from the world around us. They are shaped by relationships, environments, expectations, stress, support, familiarity, trust, and experience.
A child who navigated school successfully in May may need time to regain that footing in August. Another child may discover that they have outgrown supports they once needed. Neither child has become a different person. The context has changed, and context matters.
The older I get, the more I see this is true for all of us.
Knowing a person deeply doesn't mean we know who they will become in a new season of life. Knowing ourselves doesn't guarantee that we'll respond the same way under new circumstances. Even the strengths we rely on most can seem to disappear for a while when the people, expectations, or environments around us change.
Perhaps development has always been less about acquiring skills than about creating the conditions in which those skills can emerge.
As another school year begins, I hope we can remember that adjustment takes time, and that the conditions we create around children can make all the difference in helping their capacities emerge. Wishing you all the best as school begins this month!
Meet the Newest Additions to PCDA’s Reception Team!
We’re excited to welcome Jennifer Rodriguez and Semmy Huang Zhu to PCDA!
Jennifer is currently studying Criminal Justice with a minor in Law and Society and brings experience connecting students and community members with helpful resources. She is passionate about creating welcoming, supportive spaces and looks forward to helping everyone who walks through PCDA’s doors feel at home.
Semmy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a focus in Entertainment Arts and is currently completing prerequisites for a Radiologic Technologist program. She looks forward to supporting the PCDA team and contributing to a positive environment for our clients, families, and community.
Please join us in giving Jennifer and Semmy a warm PCDA welcome.
So many games, so many ways to connect! PCDA’s Young Adults explored Odyssey Games’ community game library, discovering new favorites and new ways to spend time together.
PCDA’s Young Adults recently visited Odyssey Games in Pasadena for an afternoon of fun and exploration. During their visit, the group spoke with Odyssey Games employee Nicole, who shared about her role, what she enjoys about her work, qualifications for working in the gaming space, and the community events hosted at the store. She also offered personalized recommendations for games the group might enjoy.
The Young Adults then had the opportunity to explore Odyssey Games’ library, where community members can choose from a variety of games to play with friends for free. Together, the group tried new games, navigated the rules, and connected with one another through play and shared experiences.
The outing supported the Young Adult program’s goals of exploring different career paths while discovering new hobbies and ways to engage with the community. Several group members shared that they would like to return to Odyssey Games with friends or with one another as a place to spend time together.
Thank you to Odyssey Games and Nicole for welcoming our Young Adults and creating a fun, inclusive space for exploration, learning, and connection!
After a summer break, PCDA’s Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is back! We invite PCDA parents and caregivers to join us virtually on Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 pm via Zoom to reconnect and help shape what’s ahead for our parent community.
During this meeting, we’ll begin planning our Fall Parent Learning Series line-up and welcome your ideas and input on topics and resources that would be most meaningful to PCDA families.
August 27 @ 6:30 pm - Fall Learning Series Planning Meeting
📅Zoom Link
Supporting exploration every step of the way! PCDA’s Young Adult facilitators lead participants through community experiences, including a recent weekend outing to a resource fair at Pasadena City Hall, where the group explored local resources and opportunities together.
PCDA’s Young Adults group is a 24-week class for individuals ages 18 to 21 that provides a supportive space to explore what adulthood can look like. With guidance from supportive facilitators, participants explore employment and leisure interests, community mobility, self-advocacy, money and home management, meal preparation, and other everyday life skills alongside their peers.
Recent outings, like the group’s visit to Odyssey Games to learn about career opportunities and explore new games together, give participants a chance to put these skills into practice while discovering new interests in their community.
Throughout the program, facilitators encourage Young Adults to take an active role in planning activities, solving problems, and shaping the class around their individual goals and interests. These experiences help participants build confidence navigating their communities, explore potential career paths, strengthen social relationships, and practice advocating for their own needs.
Most importantly, the program creates a supportive community where young people can make new connections, participate in meaningful activities, and explore adulthood alongside their peers.
Every day at PCDA, children, teens, young adults, and families have opportunities to learn, explore, build relationships, and feel a greater sense of belonging. The Circle of Care helps ensure these opportunities remain available throughout the year.
With monthly gifts starting at just $10, Circle of Care members provide steady support for the therapies, programs, community outings, and shared experiences that make PCDA such a special place. This reliable support also helps our dedicated clinicians, developmental interventionists, and staff continue meeting each individual with care, encouragement, and understanding.
By joining the Circle of Care, you become part of a community committed to creating more opportunities for every individual to participate, discover their strengths, and thrive.
To learn more about becoming a Circle of Care member, contact our Development team at development@pcdateam.org.
At PCDA, every opportunity to learn, explore, connect, and participate is strengthened by a community that believes in our mission. Your generosity helps children, teens, young adults, and families continue to access the individualized care, programs, and experiences that support them throughout their developmental journeys.
Whether it’s through a one-time gift, a monthly Circle of Care membership, or an item from our Wish List, every contribution helps PCDA create more opportunities for individuals and families to feel supported, welcomed, and part of a community.
Thank you for being part of PCDA and helping us continue this work together.