Alexandra Jones, MS, CCC-SLP

Speech Pathologist

Alexandra (Alex) Jones received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Augustana College and Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Eastern Illinois University. Alex grew up in Chillicothe and went through the parochial school system here in Peoria. During her schooling, she focused a lot on research involving ethics and therapy with various culture groups. With this research, Alex was able to travel and present work nationally, internationally, and locally. Following the completion of her schooling/research, she returned to Peoria to use my skills in her hometown. Alex currently works full-time in 2 autism-only classrooms at a local school district and works as needed at a nursing home. She has treated individuals with a variety of disorders including Apraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Articulation Disorder, Voice Disorder, Social Pragmatic Disorder, Receptive/Expressive Language Disorders, and Fluency. Alex has experience with Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) and providing AAC treatment for individuals who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, Apraxia, and various degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and MS. When she is not working as an SLP, Alex teaches workout classes 2-3 nights a week. She enjoys traveling the world, going to concerts, playing piano, and spending time with family and friends.

An 8-week program for children age 4-5 with sensory processing differences

Children with sensory processing differences have difficulty with regulation, which sometimes makes it difficult for them to interact with the world around them. Our Sensory Explorers group targets regulation in order to build engagement! This group is led by pediatric occupational therapist Mackenzie Baldock and developmental therapist/PLAY Project Consultant Brenna Thompson, both of whom specialize in using developmentally appropriate strategies to support children so they can learn new skills. Group meets once/week for 60 minutes.

Wondering if this class is appropriate for your child? Some characteristics of kids who benefit: easily frustrated with play, repetitive play, difficulty sitting/keeping still to engage in play, refuses to allow others to engage in play, unable to be messy, overly busy, quickly overwhelmed in a busy environment, picky eater, difficulty tolerating grooming/dressing/diapering routines, struggles with transitions/following a group plan/routine. 

Goals of the group include:

  • Child participating in a variety of sensory play activities
  • Engaging socially with others in the group
  • Providing a non threatening environment where children can experience new sensations with the support of a pediatric Occupational Therapist and PLAY Project consultant
  • Providing personalized resources to caregivers, so they better understand the sensory system and learn strategies to assist their child with regulation outside of group
  • Opportunity to meet with other local families
 
 

GROUP MEETS for 8 weeks:  Caregivers must stay on the premises to support their child and learn helpful strategies. Children will separate from caregivers for the session; caregivers can socialize at our coffee bar in the lobby (we will also provide a few toys for siblings to play). Caregiver education is a key component of this program. 

 

OPTIONAL Summary Report available at close of session. This 2 page report will summarize your child’s participation in the class and provide helpful sensory strategies to increase their participation in activities. This report could be given to teachers in classrooms & daycares or utilized to help educate other caregivers about ways to help your child participate. This option includes a 30 minute Zoom meeting with Brenna and MacKenzie to review the report and discuss your child’s progress in Sensory Explorers. COST: $100 due at sign up