Relationship-Based
Dr. Zumbahlen's training in dynamic assessment helps her learn about each client's capacity to form a relationship. She uses this relationship with the client to make fine distinctions among disorders in relatedness (e.g., social anxiety, pragmatic communication, autism spectrum disorder) and concentration (e.g., to differentiate bona fide ADHD from alterations in coping or mood), and to gain insight into the child's development in the context of broader relationships (e.g., the family, school, and community).
Process-oriented
Unlike many clinicians, Dr. Zumbahlen's developmental background allows her to go beyond simply assigning a diagnostic label and listing a common set of recommendations. She emphasizes how the client’s behavior may have developed over time in order to understand the interactions between biology and the environment. She looks for organizing principles underlying diagnostic labels. This focus on the developmental process helps families connect the dots in their loved one’s development, and in turn, develop a roadmap for therapeutic interventions.
Developmentally Appropriate
Dr. Zumbahlen uses the DIRFloortime® Model. This means that she tailors her services to each client’s neurodevelopmental level (i.e., readiness for intervention) and sensory-motor needs. This approach helps families prioritize next steps and appropriately target intervention at home, school/work, and in therapy. By organizing recommendations in relation to important foundational skills, Dr. Zumbahlen helps families, educators, and mentors understand the roadmap to rehabilitation and meet children where they are.
Observational
Dr. Zumbahlen's specialty in systematic observation allows her to capture essential information about a person’s functioning by watching the client at school, work, or home. This tool is essential for evaluating infants or pre-verbal individuals. Dr. Zumbahlen uses naturalistic observation to generate practical recommendations tailored to each client’s natural settings. The goal is to establish a better fit between the client’s current neurological organization and the environment.
Family Centered
Dr. Zumbahlen draws upon her 30 years of experience in the field, as well as her personal experiences as a mother, to connect with families in an authentic manner. She understands that asking for help is a sign of strength: to make life better. She aims to treat the whole person, including the family.
Non-judgmental
A developmental philosophy emphasizes one’s drive for growth and balance. Within this framework, atypical behaviors are believed to serve an inherent function for the person exhibiting them (e.g., compensating for an underlying vulnerability). Negative behaviors are addressed by treating the neurological vulnerability and actualizing personal strengths.