How do you truly meet a child where they are—and what happens when you “change the context” instead of trying to change the child? In this episode of In Conversation: A Parkside Podcast, host Andie Levinger sits down with Dr. Sima Gerber, professor of speech-language pathology at Queens College and a consultant to Parkside’s Speech and Language Department for more than thirty years.

Sima reflects on her path into the field, the moment that shifted her focus from adults to children on the autism spectrum, and what it really means to take a developmental, relationship-based approach. She and Andie explore the role of play, attunement, and mental health in supporting children’s growth—and why looking at the whole child across emotional, social, motor, and linguistic domains matters so deeply.

At the conclusion of the episode, Andie is joined by longtime Parkside speech therapist Jessica Scovel, who has been with the school for the better part of two decades and offers her perspective on Sima’s enduring influence on Parkside’s practice.

This episode is part of Parkside’s 40th Anniversary year. Learn more at parksideschool.org/40years.

How do you build a school that truly meets children where they are—and keeps learning integrated, consistent, and joyful? In this kickoff to In Conversation: A Parkside Podcast, host Andie Levinger interviews co-founders Albina Miller and Leslie Thorne about The Parkside School's origins, the complementary strengths that made their partnership work, and the “whole child” philosophy that still anchors the school 40 years later.

At the conclusion of the episode, Andie is joined by colleague Jessica Scovel, seasoned Parkside speech and language therapist, who reflects on the conversation and adds her perspective as a long-time practitioner at the school.

This inaugural episode of Parkside's first podcast has been produced as part of Parkside's 40th Anniversary year. Learn more at parksideschool.org/40years.