Ty is very professional , has a great sense of humor and is extremely patient. Ty is easy to talk…read moreto and very knowledgeable. I highly recommended them to any family who has a child with big emotions or trouble communicating and wants to talk to someone or get some help understanding or dealing with those feelings.

From the owner: Peak Communication Therapy offers programs and services for kiddos 1-8 years old with delayed…read morespeech, language, and social communication skills. Services include individual and group therapy, parent workshops, and inclusive kids’ social-emotional and sensory/behavior regulation programs. All offerings are provided in home, daycare, and community settings in Bend, Oregon. We use a holistic approach, considering all areas of development that may impact a kiddo’s ability to communicate. Communication is a high-level skill dependent upon the ability to attend, regulate emotions, socialize with others, and solve problems effectively. So, strengthening these foundational skills is essential for kiddos to reach their potential in developing speech, language, and social skills. At Peak Communication Therapy, all services are family-centered and child-focused, designed to be motivating, interactive, and effective. Areas of expertise include:
 Developmental Language (vocab, ask/answer questions, follow directions, grammar, sentence structure), Social Communication (how/why we use language to interact)
, Executive Functions (attention, problem-solving, emotional regulation, behavior/impulse control, memory)
, Early Intervention (Birth-to-3 years old)
, Parent Coaching, Home Program Development.

We took the Childbirth Education class with BABI and it was so much more than we expected. Dakota…read moreis a wealth of knowledge and the class provided so much intel from experience, information we could not have gotten through books alone (I've read a few in prep for childbirth and I learned things that were just completely obsolete in them). Dakota also has knowledge of what to expect at St Charles Birthing Center, so it will support you whether you're home birthing or birthing at the hospital. The class gave us both - birthing mom + partner - practical things to do before, during, and after childbirth, and the class was worth every penny. I loved the mix of Hanai/in person and Zoom, and being able to meet other couples in a similar stage. I'd absolutely recommend any class with BABI to those going through their first pregnancy, and even subsequent births. We feel empowered knowing we have the tools and knowledge to make smart decisions for us and the baby.

I cannot stress how incredible helpful Bend BABI has been in educating us on labor, delivery,…read morebreastfeeding, newborn care and pretty much everything else we had questions on as we enter this brand new chapter in life! Dakota is AMAZING and extremely knowledgeable. She put our minds at ease over all the uncertainties that come with going through labor for the first time and being a first-time parent. If you are having your first child, I HIGHLY recommend this incredible course! 6 classes for a very fair price. Every single topic that you could think of was covered. I feel so much more excited and prepared going into labor and parenthood. Thank you SO much Dakota!!!

Dakota is amazing. She is the true reason we were able to have the natural child birth with no…read moreepidural in the hospital that I was hoping for. Without her guidance we would have been lost! She helped my partner and I every step of the way through labor. If we have a second child, we will hire her right away!

Dakota was my doula for the birth of my second baby. As as second time mom, I was on the fence…read moreabout hiring a doula since I had already experienced labor.  I am so happy that I chose to have Dakota at my birth! Dakota set a gentle, mellow mood throughout the birth. She used essential oils and music to keep the hospital room as homey and relaxing as possible. She gave gentle coaching as needed, helping me to move through positions and stay calm. She helped my partner to take care of himself, too, which meant that he could be there for me when I needed him.  Dakota was invaluable in helping us meet our goal of a peaceful birth with no medical interventions. Dakota is wonderful when things are going well, but she is also incredible when things go wrong. Towards the end of our birth, my baby's heart rate dropped dramatically.  The OB realized that my placenta was detaching and I needed to push my baby out FAST. Dakota quickly switched modes from gentle to focused coaching -- she helped me to breathe and push efficiently but calmly, and my sweet baby came out safely two contractions later.  Without Dakota's help, I don't know if we would have had as good of an outcome.   Dakota helped us to have a hospital birth that felt like a home birth.  She provided amazing support before, during, and after.  I feel very lucky to have had her help and support.  I can't imagine a better doula.

What a great place. We are so lucky to have this business in Bend Oregon. We were able to donate…read moresome left over Ipe decking that many DIY Cave customers will enjoy and turn into beautiful projects.

Diycave is a gem! I can create just about anything there due to their well equipped shop. They have…read morean amazing wood shop, metal shop, 3-D printing, sewing and more! I love that I can use all their equipment and I don't need to buy expensive equipment to finish a project. The people there are super nice and helpful. They have fantastic classes. I love this place!

I contacted Madeline when I was 6 months pregnant because I wanted to have an unmedicated natural…read morebirth. This was my second baby, and with my first I didn't have a doula and tried to have an unmedicated birth but had various complications. It left me somewhat traumatized, I wasn't sure I could do it the way I wanted, and very fearful for another "emergency" situation. My goal with hiring Madeline was to overcome this fear and have a healing and successful ideal birth. And she facilitated that perfectly, beyond my expectations! I knew I needed help with pain management #1, and felt confident in Madeline's approach to help me with that. What I didn't expect was how extremely comforting and helpful she was in the weeks prior birth. I was able to text her questions, worries, concerns, and she always reassured me and calmed my nerves. She was always there for me when I needed her. I ended up having my dream birthing experience - completely unmedicated and natural, and I very much credit this to Madeline's assistance and calming presence throughout the birthing. She helped me through every contraction, and created a relaxed environment. She came to our home for multiple visits, including a post-partum visit, and she provided an awesome "peanut" ball, essentials oils, and other very helpful tools. I would emphatically recommend Madeline for any woman looking for emotional and physical support during birth and prior. She's the best! If I have another baby - I am definitely hiring her asap! My husband and I are both SO grateful for her. She is knowledgable and passionate about what she does. You'd be very fortunate to have her assistance with birthing - thank you Madeline for making my dream birth a reality!!!

I was researching birthing classes in Bend and came across Madeline's in-home classes. I had also…read moremet her at the Find Your Tribe new moms meetings and thought she was really kind. I paid $75 for 3 hours of in-home classes where we learned what to expect at the hospital (paperwork, what vaccinations/shots/procedures they'll try to give the baby, what I can say "yes" and "no" to, how to make a birth plan), what to physically and mentally expect during labor and postpartum, and how to reach her with questions if needed. She even helped me get more info on labor and delivery with Gestational Diabetes. My husband also felt at ease with her and we really appreciated her coming to our house so we didn't have to make an extra trip out. She even sent us a really sweet card of encouragement and thanks afterward. Thanks so much, Maddy! I'd recommend her in a heartbeat.

Alex did a wonderful job on my nails. She really listened to what I wanted and delivered paying…read moreclose attention to detail.I love the polka dot art. To top it off she was pleasant and friendly.

Victoria-- you slayed girl!…read more Amazing job. You made my whole salon experience so enjoyable and I absolutely LOVE my braids! Great listener and very easy to get along with. I look forward to my next appointment with you.

Note - I did work here before moving out of Oregon and felt pretty strongly about my job, the…read moreorganization and the role we played in the community both local and on a national level. That being said, my review is not based on my employment but rather my experience as a donor at this location. The staff working here is amazing, truly some of the best blood collection staff I had the pleasure to have assist me when donating. The collection supervisory team is on the ball in furthering training for those working on the collection floor here and really they do a great job juggling the staff, donors and or compliance needs which are far more than you would imagine. In my time donating here over 2018 and 2019, I never had a bad experience with my donation and it's process. The team - each phlebotomist I had take care of my donation did an exceptional job. I have had bad experiences where it feels like they needed to fish for my vein due to me not having enough water that day or being prepared myself for the physical act of donating, not once did I encounter an issue with the collections team at this site. They operate at a high level as a donor and I was blessed to see them do the same thing behind the curtain. The volunteer staff who greet you, check you in and process you through to collections are also AMAZING. All incredibly nice, caring and giving people. They have a great team here, when I am in town again I will book an appointment and donate plasma or platelets again.

I try to give blood as often as possible. HOWEVER, I have been here a few times to donate and the…read morepeople taking the blood do not exude knowledge or ability. One guy actually made it hurt- quite bad- not like I've ever had before. I had a pretty bad bruise for a few weeks. GO GIVE BLOOD and know that it's a brave and amazing gesture- you will save 3 lives!!

We've been with Seahorse Academy for 4 years. We've had all our kids in their swim lessons,…read moreincluding one of our kids who has autism with limited verbal communication. We tried community pool classes previously, and though our kids learned swim skills, they found the group experience more intimidating and less engaging since the instructor's attention was divided. Growth felt slow. Even though the classes accommodated our son with autism through having 1:1 special-needs helpers, the inconsistency of aides and instructors made it challenging for him and us, so we took a break for a season. It became stressful for all of us, and he wasn't gaining much skill in a group setting. Four years ago, we had a summer vacation planned that would involve a lot of beach time and swimming, so we felt the urgency to get our youngest ones water safe! They liked being in the water, but didn't have any basic safety skills mastered yet despite prior group lessons. We found Seahorse Academy, and thankfully, a couple spots opened up not long after being on the wait-list, and we have done private and semi-private lessons regularly ever since Seahorse was at the Bend golf club. Amanda has been so kind and encouraging and welcomed all our kids, including our son with autism. It was a relief to see her patience and care for him. She got to know each of our kids, met them at their level and kept lessons fun and engaging while also guiding them to gain skills and confidence. Our older kids did the swim team once they mastered skills, and our younger ones continue to take private lessons. Having the same instructor each week who knows them has made a big difference in our kids learning and maintaining skills. Thankfully, Seahorse's location on Greenwood has been more convenient for us, too, and we appreciate Amanda's attentiveness to keep chlorine levels safe and the pool clean. There's always something fun for my kids to play with or engage in while they wait their turn for lessons, plus changing stations, bathrooms, and a shower. Swim lessons like theirs can be pricey, but it's been a worthwhile investment in this season toward their safety and building an important life skill.

We had positive experiences at Seahorse Academy and genuinely wanted to continue. Unfortunately,…read moreafter I emailed the owner Amanda with straightforward scheduling questions, two months passed with no response despite multiple patient follow-ups. She finally responded when I held off paying an invoice, and rather than acknowledging the delay, she responded dramatically and defensively, made ridiculous accusations about my intentions, and abruptly removed my daughter from the schedule entirely. Despite my request for a conversation to repair/start over, she once again never responded. I had prepaid for my son's next session and was owed several makeups from Amanda's own cancellations (which I had also reached out about multiple times), but given the hostility, we decided we'd rather walk away and absorbed the loss. I later learned from other local parents that experiences like mine are not uncommon. Before enrolling, I'd encourage prospective families to read reviews carefully and also spend time on the website itself. Even the FAQ page, written by the owner, should give you pause.