As We Grow Counseling Helps Children & Young Adults With Special Needs

Game Nights hosted by As We Grow Counseling have been an effective way of improving the social well-being of children and young adults with special needs. (Photos: Charmaine George)

For 14 years, the licensed therapists at As We Grow Counseling have helped people of all ages in Wesley Chapel and the surrounding areas tackle relationships and personal growth.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Melissa Amaya started the practice in Seven Oaks in 2007, when her son, Ethan, was born. He has special needs and was often at therapy appointments five days a week, so starting her own practice gave her the flexibility to care for him.

Now that he’s older, Melissa has found another way to help him and others like him meet some of their unique challenges.

As We Grow Counseling is offering opportunities for kids and young adults, ages 4-21, with ADS, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities and other unique needs to socialize and learn life and social skills.

“One of my son’s disabilities is autism,” says Melissa, “so I was trying to find a group to help him learn social skills, like how to start conversations with other kids and about unwritten social cues, and also life skills, like how to do laundry and go grocery shopping.”

When she couldn’t find such a program, she decided to tackle it herself, and began offering groups in June.

“I need to do what I enjoy and what comes from the heart,” Melissa explains. And she asks, “Who better to start these than someone who is a clinician and competent in this area, who also is a mom who has a child with special needs?”

Melissa earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from Monmouth University in New Jersey, and then her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with a specialization in Family & Child Therapy from Fordham University in New York City in 1997.

When she first went to college, Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and advertising. However, when she went to work in the pharmaceutical industry, she quickly realized she wanted to do work that was more meaningful to her.

She says As We Grow Counseling helps people in many ways throughout their lives. “You grow as a couple, as an adult, or even as a senior citizen, but you’re still growing and learning.”

As We Grow sees people of all ages for therapy, from kids as young as age three up to adults, including couples and individuals.

The practice currently has 20 clinicians who all work part time. Melissa says most are doing teletherapy, but some clinicians are beginning to return to in-person counseling sessions. They work during the day, in the evening, and on weekends, including both Saturdays and Sundays.

Groups & Special Events

While she believes that individual counseling can be effective for kids with special needs, she recognizes that they often already spend big chunks of their time at appointments such as physical, occupational and/or speech therapy, so she recognizes the benefits of the social and life skills groups.

“When we do the groups, they learn so much from their peers,” she says. “It’s a more comfortable setting for them.”

Groups are offered for children ages four to 19, broken down by age group, and kids with any disability can participate. There is one group just for girls, while other groups are mixed.

Jeanne Harrison (left) and Melissa Amaya

“It helps them with confidence building,” Melissa explains. “A lot of kids with special needs also have anxiety, which prevents them from fully interacting with their peers, getting a job, and even advocating for themselves at school — just to ask for help if they need it. These are skills they need everywhere in life.”

And then, to practice the skills they are learning in their groups, As We Grow Counseling now offers Game Nights and special “bonus” events.

Jeanne Harrison (left) and Melissa Amaya

These might be cooking classes, pottery painting or going to Pinot’s Palette or Main Event. A field trip to an Escape Room was held for October and an outing to Grand Prix Tampa for go-karts and miniature golf is planned for Saturday, November 13, and an outing to watch a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game is coming up on Tuesday, December 14. 

While the special events require an advance RSVP, Game Nights do not. They are for ages 5-21 and include crafts, dancing, a movie, indoor badminton, corn hole, pizza and even visits from therapy dogs, when they are available. 

Melissa heads up Game Nights with an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher, Jeanne Harrison, and the support of volunteers. 

Upcoming Game Nights will be held Fridays, November 19, and December 3,  at the Seven Oaks Community Clubhouse, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The cost is $20 per child.

Parents are welcome to stay but can choose to drop their children off. Kids can come to all of the activities, or just the ones that interest them or fit their schedule.

The social skills groups have limited space and are generally paid by insurance. As We Grow Counseling takes all major insurance plans except Medicaid and also accepts the Gardiner Scholarship. 

“There’s a huge need,” Melissa says. “The biggest hurdle I have is getting the word out to people.”

Shonda Brown is mom to Ahmari, an 11-year-old with high-functioning autism and ADHD. She recently noticed that he has struggled with some issues, such as feeling resentful of the differences he has noticed between himself and other kids.

“It’s a blessing to have found something in the midst of a storm,” says Shonda, who also has been a therapy patient of Melissa’s for several years. 

Ahmari started middle school this year, which Shonda admits was a little scary, especially since she was exhausted from the daily phone calls she was getting last school year. But, her son’s involvement in the As We Grow programs has been beneficial.

“I just talked with his school counselor and she says he’s doing great,” Shonda says. “I haven’t gotten one call from a teacher, and he has six teachers now! He also has outstanding grades.”

She thinks some of the growth she’s seen is because, at Game Nights, he’s around both guys and girls of all different ages, and they are showing him maturity. 

“He started off quiet and now he’s raising his hand and loves to sing and dance,” she says. “It allows him to be him in his own element without having to worry about any judgement.”

Shonda adds that she really appreciates the hour or two she gets to herself while Ahmari is at his skills group or Game Nights, whether she uses it to go grocery shopping or just sit in her car and enjoy the peace and quiet.

“It’s amazing,” Shonda says. “I hope Melissa can branch out to more parents. I don’t know where I’d be without (As We Grow Counseling) and without her.”

As We Grow Counseling is located in Seven Oaks at 2240 Twelve Oaks Way, Suite 101. To learn more about the opportunities for children with special needs, call Melissa on her cell phone at (813) 442-2971. To make an appointment, call (813) 838-4807. Or, to learn more about the practice, visit AsWeGrowCounseling.com. 

Kids Are All Smiles When They Visit Dr. Duga & Dr. Feeney

Dr. Paul Duga has built a large, loyal following in his more than two decades in New Tampa, where a fun atmosphere is a hit with kids…and their parents.

Deanna Crawford was enjoying dinner with her best friend Julie Simon 20 years ago when she first met Paul Duga, DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery). Dr. Duga, who recognized Julie as the mother of three of his patients, came over and chatted for a bit. 

“This guy comes to the table, she introduces him and he was the nicest, jolliest guy I think I’ve ever met in my life,” Deanna says. “I was like, ‘Who was that?’”

“That’s the kids’ dentist,” Julie said.

“Well, he’s going to be my kids’ dentist, too,” said Deanna, even though she didn’t have any children at the time.

Guess how the story ends?

Eight years later, Deanna showed up with her son Tyler, who was 2, for his first dental appointment.

“He made a great first impression,” Deanna says, chuckling. “I don’t think I’ve ever even told him that story.”

Tyler is now 14, and about to have his braces removed. Deanna’s daughter Ella Grace, 7, is a patient as well. And, well, not that Deanna is bragging or anything, but — zero cavities!

Deanna’s choice was simple — she wanted someone who would make her kids feel at ease, maybe make them laugh or smile, and make a trip to the dentist something the kids would look forward to, rather than dread.

Since opening his pediatric dentistry office more than two decades ago, that’s the one philosophy that has always guided Dr. Duga.

“We provide one-on-one, private, patient-driven care,” he says. “We provide dentistry that is safe and healthy, and also non-threatening, so kids don’t grow up with an irrational fear of dentists.”

For veterans of the office, there is nothing threatening about Dr. Duga, Dr. Feeney & Associates Pediatric Dentistry, located in the Somerset Professional Park in Tampa Palms, off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at Amberly Dr.

Duga and his partner, Shawna Adams-Feeney, DMD (Doctor of Medical Dentistry), both have engaging and outgoing personalities, and mix in a fair amount of fun and humor to take the edge off any patient’s visit.

Dr. Shawna Adams-Feeney’s happy demeanor takes the fear of sitting in the dental chair away for even the youngest children. (Photo: Charmaine George)

The dentists also are reassuring, important in these heightened safety-first days of a pandemic. Dr. Duga assures parents that their kids, and their teeth, are always in good hands.

While some modifications were made because of Covid-19 — such as adding Plexiglas barriers at the front desk — Dr. Duga says there were no drastic changes because his office always considered most of the health and safety precautions as standard practice.

“As far as social distancing is concerned, our office was almost designed for it,” Dr. Duga says. “Our floor plan allows us to keep families all separated and safe.”

He recognizes, however, that many people are even more anxious these days, so the staff does everything it can to counter that.

“We always try to maintain a spirit of positive-ness,” he says. 

About The Doctors

While Dr. Duga established the practice in 1998, he says working with Dr. Feeney — as he has since she joined the practice in 2005 and became his partner in 2009 — gives children the option to choose the dentist with whom they feel more comfortable.

“I really appreciate having Dr. Feeney here,” he says with a smile. “If a kid is struggling to connect with me, maybe the next visit he or she might want to go to Dr. Feeney. We do everything we can to keep the children comfortable.”

Both doctors are Board-certified pediatric dentists.

Dr. Duga earned his DDS degree from the Marquette University School of Dentistry in Milwaukee, WI, and then worked as a general dentist in Milwaukee. He went on to earn his Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans.

Dr. Feeney (pictured above) earned her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, after receiving her DMD degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston.

Parents like Deanna will bring their kids to a dentist at the first sign of teeth.

The doctors encourage parents of their youngest patients (they treat children from age 1 up to about age 18) to bring their kids  in every six months to maintain good dental health.

Drs. Duga and Feeney provide examinations, cleanings, sealant placement, tooth repairs (such as fillings and crowns), as well as cosmetic whitening and orthodontic alignments.

“We do continuous growth evaluation, bite evaluation, and provide guidance through early orthodontic care,” explains Dr. Duga. The practice also offers braces and Invisalign invisible aligners for its patients, although they do also refer some patients to orthodontic offices, when needed.

For a child who has special needs or is too young to cooperate, a parent can choose sedation dentistry. An anesthesiologist comes in to safely manage the sedation, so the dentist can focus on fixing the teeth and getting them healthy.

“We do accept dental insurance, but we’re not an insurance-driven office,” says Dr. Duga. “Insurance is a contract for paying bills, not health care.”

The staff will gladly help parents of patients and potential new patients understand their insurance benefits.

Happy Patients

Kids like the perks, too, such as fun in the lobby — including video games and TV screens on the ceiling and headphones in the chair, so they can watch while laying down. Plus, they get to pick the flavor for their toothpaste and receive a coin at the end of each visit, which they can exchange for a small toy.

“I’ve seen kids since they were one or two and now they’re going off to college,” says Dr. Duga. “You get to know these families. It’s been a wonderful thing.”

Deanna couldn’t agree more. She lived in Land O’Lakes when she started bringing her kids to the dentist, but now lives in Spring Hill. She jokes that she drives past “a million dentists” on the way to Dr. Duga, but when her dad asked her why she doesn’t find someone closer, the answer was simple.

“Why do I need to when I know what I’m going to get with Dr. Duga?,” she told him. “I’m happy and my kids feel safe and happy there. What else do I need?”

The pediatric dental office of Dr. Duga, Dr. Feeney & Associates is located at 15293 Amberly Dr. To learn more about the practice, visit DrDugaDrFeeney.com or call (813) 631-1100 to schedule an appointment or to find out more about your insurance/payment options.

Quail Hollow Girl Donates 70 Backpacks To Local Shelter

Rachael Mendohlson, an 11-year-old who lives in Quail Hollow, says her life is pretty idyllic.

“I’m blessed and lucky to live on a beautiful ranch with my parents and sister,” she says, where she helps care for 40 chickens, 20 cows, five cats and two rabbits.

That’s why, when she heard about a kid her age in Kansas who provided gifts to children staying in a homeless shelter, she thought she could do something similar in her community.

Rachael asked her dad, Lane, to help her get started.

Lane sought out a family shelter in Pasco County and found out that Rachael’s timing couldn’t have been better, as the county’s very first shelter that accommodates families is opening this month in Port Richey.

Rachael’s plan was to pack new backpacks with toys and activities so that kids arriving at the shelter would be greeted with a bag full of new items just for them.

To fund her idea, she planned to use one dollar from every dozen eggs she and her sister sold from their egg business.

That’s where Lane stepped in again, offering that his company, Vantagepoint AI, would pay for the backpacks and toys so that Rachael could have enough funds to make an impact quickly, making a donation that would pay for 70 backpacks, along with toys and activities to fill the backpacks.

Rachael and her sister, 8-year-old Abby, sorted the toys by age and packed all of the bags themselves, including items such as coloring books, colored pencils, a book, fidget toys, and magnetic drawing toys for the younger kids, while choosing items such as a watch and a hat for older kids.

“Being a girl and going to school, I know Pop Its fidget toys are very popular,” she said, “so I made sure to include a lot of those.”

In early October, Rachael was invited to bring her donations to the new shelter and speak to invited guests at the shelter’s opening ceremony.

She said that if she can do something good to bring someone else happiness, that’s what she wants to do.

“I hope a kid will see the backpack and think, ‘Oh my gosh, someone really cares about me,’ and that will give a little spark to make someone happy,” Rachael says.

Lane says he wants to pass on what learned from his parents to the next generation. “I want to instill those values of gratitude and giving people a hand when they need it in my own daughters,” Lane says. “It’s so important that they grow up that way.”

It seems he’s doing just that, as Lane says that Abby has expressed interest in finding her own way to give back, thanks to her inspiring older sister.

“Giving back is my way of saying thank you,” Rachael says, “because I’m grateful that I have such an amazing life.”

Host Your Next Event At Omari’s Grille At Lexington Oaks GC!

Chef Anass El-Omari

When classically trained chef Anass El-Omari and his wife Susana Herrera purchased Lexington Oaks Golf Club about three years ago, I was excited about the prospect of having another real restaurant in Wesley Chapel.

And, although Anass at first revamped the existing golfer-oriented menu at the golf course’s restaurant, which he re-named Omari’s Grille, he ended up scaling back his everyday offerings of fresh fish, pasta and filet mignon, and has kept the menu smaller and simpler since reopening Omari’s after the Covid-19 pandemic shut it down for a few months in 2020.

But now, while Omari’s regular menu is still mainly comprised of burgers, sandwiches, wings and other fast, simple foods favored by the golfers who frequent his completely renovated golf course, Anass has brought back some of the dishes I loved on his original Omari’s menu as specials on Friday evenings.

Anass loves both cooking and talking about cooking. So, in conjunction with this article, we recorded our second “Cooking With Anass” segment that was released a few days before this issue arrived in your mailbox, where he made an amazing Cajun pasta (above), with both Andouille sausage and top sirloin steak in a semi-spicy cream sauce that’s as good as anything you’ll find in any fine dining establishment.

“Good food is actually really simple to make,” he said as he set some hot oil on fire before sautéeing the steak and sausage together. “The key is knowing what ingredients and how much of each to use. I love sharing my secrets.”

And, I love tasting his recipes, because Anass is a true culinary artist who serves up some of the best food in our area, even if many locals still don’t know it. So, whether you want to start with authentic Colombian empanadas, crispy calamari or shrimp tempura salad, or enjoy a great grilled chicken caprese or salmon teriyaki entrée, you can’t go wrong at Omari’s. 

Great Events, Too! 

Now that things have gotten a little more normal in this Covid-crazy world, people are again looking for great places to host events like weddings, quinceañeras, baby showers, anniversary parties and even memorial gatherings and you can’t go wrong if you host your next event for 20-80 people at Lexington Oaks.

Omari’s offers a complete appetizer catering menu — featuring burger sliders, mini-croissants stuffed with chicken and tuna salad and more — as well as a sit-down dinner menu for events, so you can serve London broil with mushroom sauce, orange chicken and a variety of shrimp dishes, plus a dessert bar. Anass and his staff also can custom-design pretty much anything else you’d want to serve.

And, while the indoor space currently is limited to 80 people, Anass says he plans to extend the room out to the existing patio area, so that up to 120 people could fit in the air conditioned, indoor space. And, there is an additional covered outdoor space that can fit another 60 or so people.

“I think Wesley Chapel really needs an event space like this,” Anass says, “and the food will always be good. “Plus, we have the area down by the water (photo above) for weddings (as in the photo above) and the people love it.” 

Omari’s Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club (16333 Lexington Oaks Blvd.) is open Wednesday & Thursday, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m., 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday. For additional information, call (813) 929-4217, visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com. Or, call the golf course’s main number — (813) 907-7270 — to talk to a catering specialist about scheduling, and designing a menu for, your event. 

Ditch Your CPAP With Sleep Apnea Treatment From Dr. Jay Nelson

Dr. Jay Nelson has sold his dental practice and now focuses dental sleep medicine and specifically helping those who suffer from sleep apnea at his Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine practice located off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. (Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Nelson)

After decades of practicing dentistry, Dr. Jay Nelson, D.M.D (Doctor of Dental Medicine), has sold his dental practice in Lutz to focus exclusively on dental sleep medicine.

It’s been his passion for more than a decade, since he first took a course that he says sparked his interest.

As his knowledge, expertise and dental sleep medicine practice have grown over more than 10 years, it led Dr. Nelson to sell his dental practice, located off S.R. 54 in Lutz, in January. He had originally opened that practice in 1987, about the same time he moved to New Tampa, where he still lives.

In April of this year, he opened Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine on Foggy Creek Rd., in the Cypress Creek Professional Center off of S.R. 56 (less than a mile east of I-75).

The move to the new office allows him to focus fully on treating those who suffer from sleep apnea “We’re actually saving lives,” Dr. Nelson says.

Building on what he learned while earning his D.M.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia, Dr. Nelson has since earned advanced certifications from professional organizations such as the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics (ACE) and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM).

Frances Cameli (left) and Betsy Ramos both worked with Dr. Nelson at his dental practice and have now joined him at his Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine office.

Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine is the only facility in Florida and one of the first 20 dental offices in the U.S. to be accredited by the AADSM.

Recently, Dr. Nelson was one of only two dentists asked to speak before the 21st annual Current Concepts in Sleep medical conference, where he taught virtually to a national audience.

His team at his new office includes Frances Cameli, who worked in his previous practice for more than 10 years and serves as the dental sleep manager in the front office, while Betsy Ramos, who also came from Dr. Nelson’s previous practice, serves as the office’s clinical assistant.

Dr. Nelson offers a free consultation to people who wonder if their snoring might be a sign they have a serious underlying condition. And often, it’s not the patient who suggests they visit Dr. Nelson, but those who have to sleep within earshot of them.

“We save marriages, too,” Dr. Nelson says, referring to those couples who sleep separately because of the disturbances from snoring.

To find out if you’re at risk for sleep apnea, Dr. Nelson suggests using Google to search for the “STOP BANG” survey questionnaire. It asks questions about snoring, tiredness and other risk factors. There also is a similar assessment (that requires personal information to be entered) on the Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine website: SleepBetterFlorida.com/take-our-quiz. 

Sleep apnea is a condition affecting more than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year. It causes patients to stop breathing for brief periods of time during sleep, which can lead to drowsiness that increases risk for auto and other accidents, as well as an increased risk of overall mortality, strokes and cancer.

“If you have symptoms of sleep apnea,” he says, “get tested or get treated.”

Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition, so those who see Dr. Nelson will be referred for evaluation at a sleep testing center, as well as to their primary care physician for diagnosis.

The standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea has been to pump a continuous stream of air into a patient’s nose or mouth while sleeping. This method — using a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (or CPAP) system — is effective, but many people find the CPAP machine cumbersome and uncomfortable to use, Dr. Nelson says, resulting a high failure rate, usually due to patient non-compliance.

“We know that 50% of people who start on a CPAP give it up within a year,” explains Dr. Nelson, “so we provide an alternative to that.”

Instead of the unwieldy, scary-looking CPAP machine, Dr. Nelson makes an FDA approved oral appliance that is adjusted to position the tongue and jaw to allow greater airflow to the lungs while sleeping. 

“Many people find the oral appliances more comfortable than the CPAP,” Dr. Nelson says, explaining that those who have been diagnosed with mild or moderate sleep apnea can begin using an oral appliance, while those who have severe sleep apnea should start with the CPAP. If they are not able to comfortably use the CPAP, they then become a candidate for an oral appliance. Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine does offer both types of appliances.

Ed Sapiega is one of Dr. Nelson’s patients, who first came to him about three years ago. Tired of the hassle of lugging his CPAP machine around while he traveled, Ed was thrilled with the appliance that Dr. Nelson made for him.

“I had lived with a CPAP machine for years,” Ed says, “The noises it made prevented my wife from sleeping almost as much as my snoring did.”

Recently, Ed’s original oral appliance broke, and he went back to Dr. Nelson for a new one. However, he found out that since he first became Dr. Nelson’s patient, an even better device (above) has become available.

“It’s quite fantastic,” he says. “It’s easy to use, and there’s no pain and no strain. I didn’t have to go through a process of learning to sleep with it.”

He says that while he was very happy with his first device, times have changed, and his new one, while from the same company, is much better.

“Compared to the CPAP, it’s very convenient and extremely effective,” Ed says. “Dr. Nelson is very good with these devices and keeps very current. I’m extremely pleased.”

Ed adds that Dr. Nelson was able to accommodate him very quickly, and he has nothing but good things to say about him. “He’s a very pleasant dentist and professional to deal with.”

Because the treatment is for a medical condition, Dr. Nelson and his staff help patients navigate the confusing world of medical insurance and accept Care Credit, which offers payment plans for those who have out-of-pocket expenses.

Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine is located at 26907 Foggy Creek Rd., Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. To make an appointment or for additional information, visit SleepBetterFlorida.com or call (813) 733-4169.