We are so excited to announce our collaboration with the Love Andrew Autism Foundation! The partnership between the Wellnessed Boutique and the Love Andrew Autism Foundation is a natural development that has grown out of the love and friendship between myself and Andrew and his family.
I first met Andrew when he was just 3 years old and his parents were starting a home based, child centered, play therapy program for him. I was brought in as a play therapist to assist with his program. He was one of the most encapsulated children I had ever worked with. Therapists and myself would rotate in and out of his playroom taking turns joining him in his world and he seemed to barely notice.
I spent hours joining him in the activities he preferred to engage in, looking at himself in the mirror, drawing pictures, and chanting while drawing in the air around himself. After a while he started to notice me and the other therapists more and more and even started engaging in things we introduced to him. Gradually he was ready to leave his playroom and engage fully in the world outside!
He is now a young man getting ready to enter high school in the fall. Like all incoming freshman he is looking forward to the new experiences high school will bring with anticipation and a little nervousness.
His mom, Nicole, and I started introducing aromatherapy to help Andrew deal with anxiety and self-regulation during school. We found it to be so helpful to him that we decided to develop more products that other kids could easily use in a school environment to take care of their sensory needs. And the Star Essence line of products was born!
Nicole and her family had already started the Love Andrew Autism Foundation which helps create The Star Room™ . The Star Room is a scientifically proven, calming, therapeutic environment in the school created for children with autism, and includes those students with behavior disorders and physical disabilities.
Students with sensory processing challenges experience high levels of anxiety and stress, which can interrupt learning and lead to disruptive behavior. When students are feeling overwhelmed, they can check into the supervised Star Room, choose an appropriate tool or technique to help “de-escalate,” spend some time winding down, and then return to the classroom ready to learn.
Find out more about the incredible work being done by the Love Andrew Autism Foundation by visiting their website at http://loveandrew.org
Every item sold in our Star Essence line has been carefully researched using all natural non-toxic materials. You can feel good about giving these tools to your child, knowing you are helping them learn effective ways to help themselves deal with sensory issues or anxiety. We have created four specific essential blends for the Star Essence Collections, which are the Relax Collection, the Focus Collection, the Awesome Collection and the Energy Collection.
In addition, a portion of proceeds from every Star Essence item sold goes directly to the Love Andrew Autism Foundation and helps children with autism.