PLAY Project Consultant, Developmental Specialist, Autism Advocate, PLAY Project Supervisor
Hi parents! I’m Brenna! I am a Developmental Specialist by trade, and have a special passion for autism. I have spent the last 12 years working with children/adolescents on the spectrum, and loving every single minute of it. I have learned through my experiences that every child is different, every family is unique, and every situation has its celebrations and challenges. I truly feel I have found my calling within this role, and I am excited to continue helping families in the early years.
My long-term goal here at Shine is to continue to empower families to help their little one by being their best teacher/therapist. As a parent to little people who have their own unique challenges, I KNOW what it’s like to want to understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses. I truly believe YOU guys as parents reading this are the #1 therapists in their life, after all – you are who is with them around the clock. I am devoted to doing whatever I can to help support and educate you, ((all while keeping it fun)) as you educate me on your little one!!
I am SO excited to be providing PLAY project to central Illinois! I am a 309 native, but just returning to the area after living in Ohio for the past 13 years. My husband and I were actually born and raised in the small town of Henry about 40 miles north of Peoria. After I graduated college, I briefly joined my husband on his military base out in New Jersey, and then headed to Ohio to help take care of his 2 little babes (my bonus babes!!). We then had 2 additional children making a house full! I am beyond excited to be getting back to my roots, and helping my community with an area that I feel needs more awareness and education.
In 2014, I was blessed with an opportunity with the county I lived in to provide Developmental Services to families through home visits. I saw a wide array of families with Developmental Delays, but was again always drawn to the families on the spectrum. I think mostly because I see the crucial need so early on for families to understand and be their child’s best advocate, and also because I seem to connect well with these little babes. Our team also knew that I had a strength here, and most families on the spectrum would end up on my caseload. I received my certification through PLAY project in 2016, and providing these services became my passion!
What I love about PLAY… it WORKS. All of the families I have been blessed to be a part of the past 5 years would have rave reviews on this therapy versus other therapies. It takes on a unique approach of understanding the child as a whole instead of just focusing on the behavior and trying to get the child to do the desired outcome. It helps you as parents understand why your child is reacting the way s/he is, and get to the root of the meltdown first and work to prevent potential future meltdowns. PLAY project also happens in the home, which is a HUGE benefit for this child who typically likes things to be predictable!! We utilize the things in your environment, that will be there for the days to come, to really get to your kiddos level and make improvements in the areas of sensory regulation, personal/social engagement, and communication.
Thank you so much for reading my BIO! I hope we can connect and I can introduce you to this incredible way of “therapy” 🙂