Jillian completed her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Northern Texas. Jillian previously worked in a private practice in Nanaimo two years. She has a special interest in assessment and treatment of phonological, voice, and language disorders. Previously, she spent time with EBS Healthcare in Texas, where she was a pediatric school-based SLP working in early intervention. She has additional training in gestalt language processing and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). Jillian has taken the ESDM (Early Start Denver Model) intro course and uses her training to weave in the neurodiversity-affirming elements of the program into her practice. She believes in modeling and teaching self-advocacy skills to encourage her neurodivergent clients to inform others of their strengths and interests.
While at Victoria Speech and Language Centre, she has created multiple trauma-informed self-advocating communication stories that address the double-empathy problem between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Her favourites encourage neurotypical kids to make space for others and neurodivergent kids to maintain their boundaries in communication. Her therapy goals and objectives for her autistic clients focus on perspective taking, explaining motives for communication, inclusion of AAC options in communication, and enforcing personal boundaries around body autonomy. Jillian has a warm smile and genuine warmth about her that makes connecting with her clients a breeze.