ACCEL
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We empower individuals who have disabilities to live fulfilling, happy, and successful lives.
As part of our continuum of care, we also assist organizations, districts, schools and classrooms in implementing strategies that promote academic and behavioral achievement, social skills and adaptive behaviors that transfer to home and community settings.
10/01/2026
Meet Caroline, an occupational therapist at ACCEL. 💛
When she first met one of her students, he could only scribble briefly across the paper before pushing the pencil away. He couldn't focus long enough to copy even the simplest pre-writing stroke.
Most students spend years building up to writing letters. Caroline didn't want him to lose any more precious learning time, so she skipped ahead and set one goal: writing the first letter of his name.
She and the classroom staff got to work. They started with sensory breaks, joint compressions, and noise-reducing headphones so he could feel calm and ready to learn. Then they taught the motions with tactile boundaries to guide his hand, since he couldn't focus visually for long.
"The first time I saw that student write the first letter of his name all by himself, I literally jumped up and down and cheered."
Once he was regulated, his fine motor skills flourished.
Caroline says OTs wear many hats. She teaches skills like writing and cutting, adapts tools and spaces so every student can take part, and uses sensory strategies to get students ready to learn. What she wishes people understood:
"There is so much more to our students than meets the eye. The non-verbal students understand so much more than people give them credit for."
Thank you, Caroline, for helping our students do things no one thought possible. 👏
09/28/2026
Thank you, Cigna Healthcare, for donating 16 boxes of school supplies to our schools! 📚✏️
For our students, having the right tools in hand can change how a school day feels. Pencils, notebooks, and art materials mean every student can join in and practice new skills.
Your generosity helps our students walk into class ready to learn, and that's a difference we'll see all year long. Thank you for being part of our community!
09/26/2026
What's a DAF? 🤔
A simple way to make your giving go further.
1. How it works
Think of it as a giving account.
• You set money (or stock) aside — just for charity.
• It can grow there, tax-free, while you decide where it goes.
• You stay in control of when and where it's granted.
2. Perfect for a big year
Had a bonus, an inheritance, or sold something big?
• Combine a few years of giving into one.
• Plan the gift now — choose the charities later.
3. Give on your own time
• No rush — put money in today, pick charities over months or years.
• One statement at tax time, not a stack of receipts.
Stay behind the scenes if you'd rather not be on every mailing list.
A gift from a DAF could become:
🧡 A first word through an AAC device.
🧡 A new skill on the job.
🧡 A sensory room that changes someone's whole day.
Already have a DAF? ACCEL is one of the organizations you can recommend grants to. Send a message for more information.
What is occupational therapy? Caroline, one of ACCEL's occupational therapists, broke it down: habilitation l, modification, and sensory work. No matter what is happening in a session the main goal stays the same ☀️ making sure our participants have access to learn.
Keep a look out for our spotlight on Caroline and her job later this week!
We're hiring across Bista and ACCEL! We have open roles right now in our Phoenix, Tempe, and Marana clinics, plus opportunities with ACCEL's therapy and education programs in Tempe and Phoenix.
Creative work, a supportive team, and the chance to be part of real progress with our clients? That's a pretty good combo! If you're looking for a career where your growth matters too, we'd love to talk.
Open roles: accel.isolvedhire.com/jobs | More about us: accel.org
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A day in the life at ACCEL! 🌟 Our students in our K-12 program are growing, learning, and thriving in many different ways every day. We've seen awesome growth in physical therapy, hands-on science experiments, focused class time, refocusing in sensory rooms, building vocational skills in our voc room and delivering lunches, and cooling down in aquatic therapy.
Thank you for your support in making these opportunities possible!
🧡 We’re all in on DAF Day!
On October 8, people everywhere are increasing the impact of their Donor-Advised Funds by giving together, and we’re thrilled to be part of it.
If you have a DAF, this is your chance to join a nationwide wave of generosity and support ACCEL.
Every grant recommended through your DAF helps us empower people who have disabilites to learn, work, and live with dignity and independence.
📅 Save the date - DAF Day is Thursday, October 8, 2026
Want to learn more about DAFs? Use this guide: https://canva.link/doh13tzjwmxsfwy
Let’s show what’s possible when we give together.
09/11/2026
Kids learn best when they're happy! That's Bista's approach across our clinics in Arizona, Iowa, and Georgia where we meet every client exactly where they are.
Instead of trying to change a child to fit what's "expected" of them our interdisciplinary team of BCBAs, RBTs, SLPs, and OTs work together to build skills in a way that supports an independent life.
clinics in Tempe, Phoenix, Tucson, Chandler, and Urbandale are welcoming new clients. If you or someone you know is looking for relaxed, collaborative, and genuinely kind ABA we'd love help. Bista serves people who have ASD and other disabilities from 18 months old. Learn more at bistacenter.org
You might of hear of a sensory room, but you might not have heard of what they actually do.
For students with disabilities, everyday classroom environments — the lights, the noise, the stillness — can be a lot for the nervous system to process. A sensory room gives the body a structured way to get what it needs: movement through climbing, swinging, and sliding for vestibular and proprioceptive input, and full-body touch input through a tactile crawl.
While fun to engage with, this room is here to help students go into class more organized, regulated, and able to engage.
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85051