Featured in SHOUTOUT DFW
Rachel Schneider, founder of PRE BOX, LLC, had the opportunity to be interviewed as part of a local story feature in SHOUTOUT DFW. Rachel discusses the process of starting a business and how her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist inspired this unique sensory play box for neurodiverse children. The Q&A style article reads:
Q. Rachel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business
A. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I would often have families bring in their sensory boxes and ask how they should be using them. I noticed many of the items in these boxes are toys we used in therapy. While I viewed these items as "tools" to help elicit language and develop new skills; most parents were unaware of the power of play. Then I thought, what if I added my therapeutic knowledge into these boxes with the toys and gave parents a chance to interact with their children in a way that was both fun and functional. I also felt that the other sensory boxes were missing out on a key opportunity to prepare kids for new experiences using the five senses. So I packed my knowledge and training into a box that not only teaches parents how to use these items in a functional way, but also helps ease children’s anxieties surrounding new or difficult experiences.
Q. What should our readers know about your business?
A. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist, specializing in working with children who have communication disorders, autism spectrum disorders and apraxia. Starting my own sensory box company definitely had many hurdles, the first being that I typically negotiate with toddlers, so the adult business world was a new arena for me. It was a lot of trial and error and knowing that mistakes are really just an opportunity to learn. I want parents to know, you don’t have to struggle with the anxieties of new or difficult experiences. There are a variety of tools available that children and parents can use to help navigate life’s adventures.
Q. Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A. For daily activities, here are some of my favorite spots:
- The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
- Smoky Rose (lunch and live music)
- Klyde Warren Park (food trucks and playground for kids)
- The Dallas World Aquarium
- The Rustic (brunch)
- Sadelle’s at HP Village (brunch and shopping)
- Maple Leaf Diner (breakfast)
- Dinner options: Mexican, R+D Kitchen, Terry Black’s, Roots Southern Table, Mi Cocina (for a Mambo Taxi), Uchiba, and Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse
Q. Shoutout DFW is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A. Stacy Wright who founded Stacy’s Sensory Solutions was a huge help and support from the very beginning!
