Shanyce Jones is a leader in Behaviour Consultant and Interventionist working with neurodiverse children and youth in residential and therapeutic settings. After she had an opportunity to work with neurodiverse children and found her experience very rewarding. She has dedicated herself to providing her clients with the best intervention and treatment. She is the CEO and founder of Behavioural Connections, a top behaviour consulting practice supporting neurodiverse children and youth from age 2. Her mission is to open a fun and therapeutic facility to support neurodiverse children and youth in every domain, in Halifax and her home country of Bermuda.
Shanyce Jones, Behaviour Consultant and Interventionist
Tell us about yourself.
I am a prominent Behaviour Consultant/ Interventionist with 10 years of experience working with neuro-diverse children and youth in residential and therapeutic settings. I have always had an interest in working with children, and my interest increased when I had a summer job working at Child and Adolescent Services (CAS) in Bermuda. I worked with unique children that perceived the world in their own way but often were misunderstood or were unable to express themselves “typically”. This sparked my desire to want to give them a voice and a safe space to be understood.
Once I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology, I had an opportunity to work with neuro-diverse children in Halifax, Nova Scotia and found my experience very rewarding and fun. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in psychology specializing in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). I am currently on the road to becoming a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). I have always had the desire to become an entrepreneur from a young age. Since working for different companies I never felt appreciated and valued I was just another employee.
Can you tell us about the services you provide?
Behavioural Connections opened in July 2021, it is devoted to supporting neurodiverse children and youth from age 2. Furthermore, providing workshops for early childhood educators so they can feel confident dealing with challenging behaviours. Behavioural Connections also offers social groups for children who need support socially from ages 3-10. These social groups make learning social and communication skills fun through evidence-based activities. Additionally, we provide respite care for families; raising a child that is neurodiverse comes with many thrills but can be challenging at times. Many parents put aside their own physical and mental health, partners, friends, and interests to exclusively focus on their children. It is vital to keep in mind that to take the best possible care of your loved ones, you must take care of yourself first. Respite care can allow parents/guardians to take short breaks to go to their doctor appointments, go out with their spouse/partner or a friend, have time to rest, or do something just for themselves.
What inspired you to start your business?
Over several years as a behaviour interventionist, I noticed that there was a lack of resources for families and neurodiverse children. During 2020 and 2021, it was almost impossible for families to receive support for their children. The few resources that were available were limited because of wait times. Since I am qualified and have the experience to start my own practice, I took a leap of faith to open my own practice in 2021. There is a severe need for supporting neurodiverse children, especially early intervention.
What are some challenges you have faced developing your business?
Building a business is tough, it comes with various challenges but the biggest challenge I have faced was taking that leap to start my own practice during a global pandemic. It was a struggle because everyone had a genuine fear for one another. Our one-on-one sessions with our clients typically occur in their homes or in a school/daycare setting. This made it extremely difficult to do sessions because some families or daycares did not want outside people inside their homes/daycares, and even I was skeptical to go into homes/daycares. Our therapy is the most beneficial when done face-to-face because it is a lot of hands-on learning such as teaching play skills, peer interactions, and gross motor/ fine motor movements.
Consequently, for almost a year and a half, it was a fight to find clients. However, once the pandemic started to fade and people became more comfortable around each other then we really hit the ground running.
What are your future/goals for the development of your business?
Soon, I am planning to increase staff and have a space where clients can benefit from high-quality therapeutic experiences. Parents and children can come and have fun, and gain resources in every aspect including counselling, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy. Additionally, a sensory-friendly zone that will take into consideration any sensory needs of our clients. Furthermore, taking this concept to support families of neurodiverse children and youth in my home country of Bermuda.
