Grant a Gift Welcomes Jamey Proffitt, M.S./CCC-SLP as New Speech Therapist
Jamey Proffitt, M.S./CCC-SLP
Speech Therapist
Grant a Gift Autism Foundation-Ackerman Center
Please help us welcome our NEW Speech Therapist, Jamey Proffitt, M.S./CCC-SLP! Jamey received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Speech Pathology/Audiology from West Virginia University and her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
She moved to Las Vegas in 2013 and has had the opportunity to work in a variety of treatment settings including the Clark County School District, home-based therapy, and multiple private practices. She is trained in Behavioral Therapy Techniques, Picture Exchange Communication System, and has worked specifically with the Autistic population for the past 3 years.
In 2022, Jamey collaborated with a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to create and implement an Early Learner Program targeting the diagnosis and treatment of autistic children ages 1-5 in recognition of the need for increased knowledge for parents of Early Intervention Services, resources, and therapies that will most benefit their child.
A Speech-Language Pathologists scope of practice umbrella is massive. A short list of areas speech therapy treats; Augmentative and Alternative Communication reading/writing, Traumatic Brain Injury, dyslexia, reading comprehension, auditory processing, feeding, and swallowing, play skills, speech sound disorders, behavior management, fluency, and so much more! The variety is almost endless.
Many parents who first bring their kid to speech therapy are often overwhelmed or unsure how to adequately help their child. Parent education, and often providing comfort, is such an important component. Part of the process is helping parents understand why their child has delays and to better help their child grow their skills, at home, outside of speech therapy.
From her own words on why she loves speech therapy:
The little victories are the best!
I love when a non-verbal kid first imitates a sound or when they produce a target sound(s) we’ve been working on during our sessions.
I love when a child, who has no interest in others, suddenly responds to their name or makes minor requests to help make their needs known.
I love when a kid conquers irregular past tense verbs (and sentence structure in general).
I love when a teen, who barely talks to others, starts to enjoy my company and slowly opens to me.
I love when I can help find a way for a child to communicate, whether verbally, using ASL signs, PECS, or a speech generating device, to reduce their frustration level because they can’t interact verbally.
I love when a kid can answer simple questions, yes/no questions, and make choices.
I love when a kid can follow directions, whether a simple “come here” or a complex 3 step direction, both always make me smile.
IT’S FUN!! Whether playing on the floor with little ones or joking around with teens, I get to be my dorky self. People often hear laughter when walking past my room. Keeping things breezy is key!