Hi, I’m Jenna! I’m an Autistic Speech Language Pathologist and feeding therapist, mom of two autistic toddlers, and raising two Hinjew children (Hindu and Jewish).
Education
Long before I had kids and graduated from college, I spent my days teaching young children about the world around them and helping them become better communicators and eaters! I graduated from an intensive Master’s program in Speech Language Pathology from Adelphi University in New York, in January of 2011.
As a licensed, ASHA certified, speech language pathologist and feeding therapist, I have worked in many different settings (private practice, home based, clinics, and schools). While I have worked extensively with a variety of ages, my passion is birth-5 years. The main focus of my work has always been play therapy and real life learning.
Every year, I furthur my professional education through continuing education credits, self guided learning, real life experiences, collaboration with colleagues and professionals, and up to date scientific research related to my field.
Self Discovery and Parenting
As a professional in the field of speech language pathology, I never imagined I would have a child with speech, feeding, and sensory needs. My first born, started to demonstrate his first signs of difficulties at birth.
Even with all of his struggles, many doctors and professionals overlooked them. Overtime, he continued to not qualify for any services, following many assessments. Our journey, prompted friends and family to make dismissive statements like “he must be fine” and “there’s nothing seriously wrong.”
Over time, this required me to become his therapist, learning what I needed and sometimes paying for other professionals, like occupational therapists, to further guide me. After years of doing this, a failed developmental pediatrician visit, and a pandemic; I was directed to the DSM criteria for Autism. Not only did my son demonstrate deficits for every category for the diagnosis of Autism, but so did I!
If you’re wondering if this came as a shock to me? Well, you’re wrong. It’s not like I knew I was autistic before. But, coming across this self discovered diagnosis was liberating. It was validation for a lifetime of struggles that only resulted in mental illness, and dismissive medical professionals.
Neurodiversity Affirming Practices
In order to help my son, I had to shift my entire mindset. I had to let go of everything I had learned from doctors, professionals, family, friends, and society. Everything I knew and learned was based in behavorism. I quickly became anti-ABA, and started to unwind a lifetime of internalized ableism. For those of you just hearing these terms for the first time, well, thats for another post. But, I encourage you to do your own research.
In addition to Autism, my journey has deeply involved the following areas; sensory processing disorder (SPD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette’s Syndrome, pathological demand avoidance (PDA), and anxiety.
Mango League is here in many forms, to help fill a growing need for neurodiversity affirming education and practices. The neurodiversity movement grows more and more every year! Growing research supports the idea of different brain neurologies; the idea that being born with a differently wired brain does not mean disordered.