Being an owner of We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym ~ Laguna Hills that caters to kids of ALL abilities, I've seen a lot of therapists with their clients. And what I realized is that there are therapists, and there is Deborah! She is one of a kind! Caring about each child like they are their own, giving them all the support they need, showing them the best ways of dealing with various situations, and being there for them. I'm very grateful to Deborah for a wonderful Music, Movement, and Social Skills program she brought to our gym. It gave a lot of children and parents a chance to get services they need. They all adore her, and always come back. Thank you, Deborah, for being there for all our families. You're truly a magician! read more

I learned about Deborah through Lana at We Rock the Spectrum and decide to reach out to her to get more information about her services. Our first conversation was wonderful, Deborah was kind and compassionate over the phone and didn't make me feel rushed like some places do when asking questions. You can tell she is passionate about what she does and loves to create new ideas for kids to explore. My son really likes when she visits us and really enjoys playing with her. Deborah goes above and beyond, even taking time to visit us after my son had a meltdown to check in with my son to see how he was doing after the fact. Deborah has so much knowledge on children with ASD and I am grateful for the information she shares with my husband and I. I would definitely recommend Deborah to others. read more

Ms. Deborah is the "child whisperer". Any meltdowns that happen with my son, she finds a way to calm him and teaches me how to work through it when she is not around. We have been going to Deborah for a little over a year and she is a life saver, a family saver and most of all she gave my son a chance of what people will say "normal" life. My son was diagnosed as autistic at 2 years old. We starting therapy with her soon after and he has thrive and learn to socialize with us and others. We recently took a family trip to the Houston and I was worried about the flight since he is sensitive to noise. Ms. Deborah prepared him and us for the flight. We not only have a smooth flight, but he also enjoyed himself. He adjusted to new environment much easier now as well. He says hi to strangers as well as we walk pass them. He actually says "hi friend". My son also goes to an early start pre-school through the school district. He started in the spring semester. The IEP had a year goals for him to meet. But through therapy with Deborah, Noah met all his goals in the 4 months he started the program. He now communicates his wants and needs with us instead of just crying or hurting himself because he is frustrated. Deborah is worth all the time and money we spent because my son will not only thrive in this crazy social world, but he will succeed in all areas of his life. She is truly a GOD send to Noah and our family. I don't know about your child needs, all I know is my son shown great stride after all the therapy with her. read more

See all

We found Deborah by word of mouth. My Autistic son was in need of an outside OT and a few friends mentioned how awesome she was, so we scheduled a consultation which took place in her clinic. This was in August of 2016. My 4 year old son was quiet, very stimmy (if you know anything about Autism, you'll know what this means) and very much "in his own head". In Deborah's clinic, you can cannonball pretty much anywhere in the room and you would be safe- but my darling boy had a very hard time opening up and playing in her clinic like most children would do. Deborah was very confident in her abilities and automatically fell in love with my son, which made me feel very good about our decision in continuing to work with her. Throughout these next few weeks, she also picked up on my 1 year old daughter having "regulation" issues. When she mentioned this to me, it had all made sense; she was melting down for every little thing and I was feeling very lost. This guidance led me to getting extra help for my younger daughter and also to utilize our therapy time between both kids and not just one. It is now March 2017 and in these few months so much has changed with my children. My 5.5 year old son is so much more outgoing, playful, generally less anxious and more sociable. My 2.5 year old daughter is actually following directions (never thought I'd see the day) and she's calmer, more focused, and has more patience. We have scaled back on tantrum behaviors by at least 70%, no exaggerations! All in all, my kids are just happier and more well-rounded and I truly believe Deborah has helped them to achieve these qualities. Gone are the days when I would drop off my kid at a sterile clinic and wonder if he is happy when I pick him up. Now, I'm learning as Deborah walks me through every step in her practice because she truly wants me to understand what she's doing so that I can apply the same techniques at home. And we totally do! We find ourselves asking *what would Deborah do?* when we're faced with a meltdown every now and then. My kids are literally ecstatic when its our therapy day. They look forward to seeing "Miss Deborah" so much, that my daughter runs to the door anytime she hears her name and my son will start off his morning by saying "First, school, then Miss Deborah!" Out of everything though, she loves my kids like no other therapist has. When she's with them both, I feel a very strong "no-one-else-exists-but-you-guys" vibe and I love it. read more

See all

Ms. Deborah is amazing. I have two kids who enjoys her sessions. She is brilliant, creative, and fun! The nature preschool(silverado children's center) that my son goes has her session every month, and my son loves them. I also take my girl to her social group that she does at 'we rock the spectrum'. read more

See all

My 2.5 y.o. toddler loves the Music, Movement and Social Skills class with Ms. Deborah so much! He is very excited, can't wait to join the class, and doesn't want to leave. This is the first class where he pays attention, follows instructions, and listens to a teacher for the entire hour. The teacher is very nice and friendly to all kids. I (mom) enjoy this class too. We take this class at kid's gym We Rock The Spectrum - Laguna Hills, and class includes one hour of open play before or after class, and we love it! read more

Deborah is amazing! She is a total gift from God. My son was diagnosed with autism 6 months ago and he was very aggressive and self-injurious. We met Deborah at her music and movement class at we rock the spectrum in laguna hills the week he was diagnosed. We have been doing therapy weekly with Deborah and his progress is astounding. He is a very happy, funny guy now. Our worst days now are what would have been our best days 6 months ago. Thanks to Deborah's child centered, relationship focused model we as a family are growing. My son is thriving and seeking out relationship and social interaction. His understanding of all things childhood related are now much closer to his pier group. He is thriving in a typical preschool. He is learning play and relationship skills along with core strength, fine motor advancement and self regulation. We still attend the monthly music and movement at we rock the spectrum. At first he couldn't sit through circle time and now he sits and interacts. We have not had any ABA Deborah is our only therapist. We are so happy with all she has taught us and the progress our son has made. read more

See all

We attend the Music and Movements program offered by Dr. Deborah at the We Rock the Spectrum. My daughter absolutely loved the class! As a parent, I took her Parent University class and really appreciated the information she shared with us. One can really see that Dr. Deborah is passionate about her field and those that she helps, as she puts A LOT of thought, time and effort into her classes. read more

Deborah has been working with our daughter for almost 2 years now. When we stated therapy sessions, she had just turned 4 years old, and was having a lot of anxiety issues. Loud noises, laughing and most social situations were very scary for her. When at the playground, she would not engage other kids at all and usually would not go on any of the equipment until there no one was on it. We were really disheartened and felt that she was missing out on the basic joys of childhood because of her fears. Now our daughter is almost 6 years old and with the help of weekly sessions with Deborah, she has made great progress. She has participated in a dance recital and has gone to baseball games, Sea World, and many other places that once seemed impossible. Most importantly, she was able to smoothly transition from Day Care to Kindergarten while improving her social interactions with other kids. Besides being a dedicated therapist, Deborah is an extremely kind and compassionate person. We would recommend her to anyone in need of her services. read more

Whether it's private sessions or one of her classes at We Rock the Spectrum Laguna Hills, I absolutely cannot recommend Miss Deborah more! Very thankful to have found Canyons By the Sea!! read more

Deborah has been so helpful with our three year old. She is different than most other OTs you will find in that she educates you to resolve the difficulties your child is having. She has been helping us for 2 months, and we now have many tools we can use as needed. Plus our daughter loves her and is so excited to see her each week! read more

Debra is a very well educated therapist that has greatly improved our son's life. She gives great care and compassion with every situation and has greatly aided our parenting abilities through demonstration and instruction. We all love seeing Debra every chance we get. read more

It you are looking for an Occupational therapist who is friendly, caring, empathetic, look no more! Deborah offers a thorough evaluation through observation and parent feedback. She provides meaningful interactions by being a detective of my son's issues. When he is frustrated, she asks meaningful questions and gives a more appropriate way to maneuver through his frustration. In addition, I appreciate how she sends other links to assist me when she discerns other solutions to problems beyond the timing of the session. Deborah coaches me in how to be more playful in my interactions with my son. She assists me in being able to come along side of my son to connect with him when he doesn't want to participate. Deborah explains the purpose of what she is doing and why she is doing things a certain way. The best part is that I have become a better parent as a result of our 10 months with Deborah! Deborah Graves goes above and way beyond with her services! read more

Deborah is brilliant!! I had my son at Healthbridge for services and they could NOT get him to sit through a session. We were there for 6 months!! When my son found Deborah, everything changed. For the first time I could see a therapist look at my son and actually see them processing what he needed to self regulate. In no time, Deborah got him to sit through a session and actually reap the benefits to his OT. I don't know where we would be without her. It's been 2 years and I cannot shout her praises enough. She has helped us tailor things in our home for my sons needs, help us navigate social situations in public, and taught me more than I would ever have learned if I were to just drop him off at some clinic and get a 2 minute synopsis after the appointment. I now know what my son needs and is seeking. I am a more confident mother in public. And my son, who is only 3 1/2 knows what he needs to self regulate and does it himself or asks for a specific activity. Tears of joy! If you are like most of us with special needs children, outings are never fun. But with Deborah, they have become enjoyable and stress free. Ok. It's never stress free. But it sure beats life without her. I cannot imagine where we would be if we never found her. Thank you Deborah! read more