Child's disabilities lead mom to new business

By: KATHRYN GILLICK - For the North County Times
Video media focuses on 'role-modeling; the use of real people, places | Thursday, February 7, 2008 8:24 PM PST ∞

CARLSBAD ---- When one North County woman decided to take control of her disabled son's education by making DVDs showing what he was supposed to learn, she never imagined that the videos featuring him and other children as teaching tools would turn into a business.

Lucile Lynch's son Conner who has cerebral palsy, ADHD, apraxia of speech and other disabilities had been in a special program for children with disabilities and was failing first grade. When school officials wanted to run more tests for any additional disabilities, she said, she did not want to subject him to more testing.

"I decided to just bring him home to watch what could hold his attention," she said.

She found that her son, 9, was drawn to anything that was visual ---- especially TV, movies and computers. As she researched visual learning methods, she said she learned that children with disabilities often have a high response to video role-modeling ---- watching themselves or other children doing what it is that they are supposed to do.

So Lynch bought a broadcast-quality video recorder, taught herself how to use it, and began producing videos for her son focusing on social skills, reading and spelling and then handwriting. Then, she said, she began making similar DVDs for parents in the community whose children also needed additional help.

News of the DVDs spread by word of mouth, and soon demand increased to the point that Lynch said she thought she could sell them to a larger audience. So she approached Harmony Pyper, an occupational therapist who had worked with Lynch's son when he was a toddler, with the business proposal. The two founded Steps4Kids in 2005.

Lynch said most of the company's DVDs are personalized for children who need help on specific tasks, and are often filmed in the child's home using people and items familiar to them. The DVDs use little animation, focusing instead on real places and people, which Lynch said increases the child's retention rate.

She said the company produces about one personalized DVD per week.

In addition to the personal DVDs, Steps4Kids released a commercial video in 2007 that focuses on handwriting. Lynch said the company's goal is to release two more commercial DVDs by the end of the year, concluding the writing series.

Eventually, she said, the company plans to release DVDs teaching math, basic literacy and speech skills.

Although Lynch first started making the videos for her son and other children with learning disabilities, she said they can help all kids, especially visual learners.

"I like to say that the DVDs can give them an early start or a kick start, whichever they need," she said.

Scott Steingrebe, a San Diego resident, said he started using the commercial handwriting DVD with his two children almost three months ago. Steingrebe said he and his wife were afraid their 4-year-old son was falling behind the other students in learning to write letters, so when they heard about the DVD from other parents they tried it.

"It's definitely helping him," Steingrebe said.

He said the couple's 7-year-old daughter's handwriting has become more legible since using the DVD. Both children attend San Diego Montessori School.

"It's something that's more conducive to the children enjoying learning," he said. "When they see other children doing it correctly it's easier for them to do it."

Lynch said the DVD is used in many schools around the North County area and some in Texas and Oklahoma. They are sold on the company's Web site at www.steps4kids.com and soon will be available through Amazon.com and SpecialKidsZone.com, a Web site that carries products for kids with special needs.

Financially, the company currently operates at a break-even level, Lynch said.

"We pretty much use everything from the commercial DVD to support the personal DVDs," she said.

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