Meet Jenn Robinson of Robinson Speech Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Robinson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been a speech-language pathologist since 2017, working in private practices in The Valley and with school districts. Last year, I decided to make the jump to having my own private practice, providing travel speech therapy to families at their child’s home, schools, or day cares. I really value collaboration with families and other therapists, as well as a therapy approach that is child-led and neurodiversity-affirming. By starting my own practice, I have the flexibility to ensure that each session is in alignment with these values, rather than with the unrealistic productivity standards that are so common in this profession. It has been a big learning curve, but it’s so worth it to connect with children and their families to help them on their communication journey!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest difficulty with starting my own practice was learning how to be a business owner, from the logistics of getting a business license, website, etc., as well as marketing. I am not naturally the most entrepreneur-like person, but it’s important to get the word out and let families know about my practice! It’s also been a learning experience to have boundaries and to learn to say no – if a family is located too far away especially.

We’ve been impressed with Robinson Speech Therapy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I specialize in child-led, neurodiversity-affirming speech therapy for children. I am bilingual so I provide therapy in both English and Spanish. What sets me apart is that I never walk into a session with a decisive plan of what the child needs to do – instead, I follow their lead and incorporate their interests, while teaching them along the way. This makes the therapy session so much more worthwhile, as the child is intrinsically motivated to participate and learn. I’m also trained in the Natural Language Acquisition framework for Gestalt Language Processors, which is how a lot of neurodiverse children tend to learn language. I have many years of experience supervising other therapists, and coaching graduate students as well as parents. My goal is for therapy to be approachable and for parents to feel empowered that they can become experts in their child’s communication journey, too. Later this year I plan to start expanding my practice and offering other services as well, such as Occupational Therapy, Early Intervention, and Physical Therapy, with a focus on collaboration between each child’s therapists!

What do you like and dislike about the city?
The best thing about our city is the diversity. To switch from English to Spanish between sessions, to connect with families in their homes, and to be in a city where the weather is always nice for commuting is invaluable. It’s also nice that our Regional Centers help families find free speech therapy services for children under 3 years old, and I am vendored with the Tri-Counties Regional Center.

One thing that is difficult about our city is how far it sprawls. I have to turn down some families for services because it doesn’t make sense logistically for me to drive over an hour one-way to a session.

Pricing:

• $100/30 minutes
• $150/45 minutes
• $200/60 minutes

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.robinsonspeechca.com
• Instagram: robinson_speech_therapy
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-robinson-slp/
• Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=www.robinsonspeechca.com

Image Credits
Leigha Smith Photography