LAPLACE — Kale McClendon was having a rough day.

After a morning of swimming with his mom, Kristen Carrier, 2-year-old Kale wasn’t ready for his weekly therapy session with Lindsey Vicknair and Maria Stelly.

Lucky for Kale (and his mom), Vicknair and Stelly have endless patience.

Gently, calmly and quietly the two women urged Kale, who was born premature and has some developmental delays, to use words or Baby Sign Language to ask for his cup.  They gave him play dough as a sensory tool to calm himself.

Through it all, Kale made progress.

It was all in a day’s work for Vicknair, an early intervention specialist who has spent several years working in the Ascension and St. John the Baptist Parish school systems.

The 27-year-old mother of two recently took a leap of faith, resigning her position with the St. John school system to launch her own business, Cribs to Classrooms, to provide intervention services to the children of the River Parishes.

“I really believe in this,” Vicknair said. “I think it’s going to be a really good thing.”

Some children are developmentally delayed, some just need a little help catching up while others may lack socialization skills. That’s where specialists like Vicknair step in to help.

Cribs to Classrooms, a mobile service for now, will help children 18 months to 6 years old with speech therapy, occupational therapy and developmental therapy.

Public school systems do provide such services, Vicknair said — and that’s what she did for the last few years — but there are some children who need more than what is offered and younger children who have to wait until they enter the system.

Parents who wish to obtain special services for their children now have to travel to New Orleans or Baton Rouge.

“We don’t have anything in the River Parishes,” Vicknair said. “We aim to change that.”

As needed, Vicknair, Stelly and occupational therapist Diane Robichaux will visit homes for hourly sessions, like Kale’s, to help children develop their communications and motor skills. The cost is partially covered by insurance.

“Every child has basic goals that we work on,” Vicknair said. “We work with the parents too. They’ll sit in on the session. It’s awesome to see how the parent interacts with the child from when you first start the sessions to later, how they’re talking to their child.”

Carrier said Kale has made significant progress with Vicknair and company’s help.

“I don’t know what they did, but he’s talking a lot more,” Carrier said. “I have seen a lot of improvement with him.”

In addition to her mobile services, Vicknair is offering a series of early intervention play groups for children 18 months to 3 years old and 4 to 5 years old to be held at Wee Care in LaPlace. The themed sessions will include literacy, music, movement, sensory activities, free play and snacks.

“Anyone can come,” Vicknair said. “You don’t need to have a diagnosis of any kind.”

Vicknair is working to open a fixed location in the fall, where play groups will be held and services will be offered to help supplement what the schools provide.

“In the summer and during holidays, what happens?” Vicknair said.

“So many families have special needs children and it’s hard. Sometimes I leave after an hour therapy session and I say, ‘God bless them.’ It’s not easy for some of these kids with sensory issues. We want to help and give them services.”

Vicknair can be reached at 504-495-2988. Email cribstoclassroomsllc@gmail.com to register for the playgroups. Visit the Cribs to Classrooms Facebook page for more information.

By Lori Lyons