Meet Jenna Snyder, MS, OTR/L | Owner of Focus on Function & Occupational Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenna Snyder, MS, OTR/L and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with children with special needs. By the time I was 14 I knew I wanted to be an Occupational Therapist. Life throws us challenges and sidetracks us and it took me more than 10 years to complete my degree. Despite being an only parent throughout my college career I was able to finish my BS/MS degrees and begin to build the career I had always dreamed of.

Before I was an Occupational Therapist I was a behavior technician in the field of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). My professors constantly told me that behavior and OT did not belong together, and I stubbornly disagreed. I have always believed that OT’s are perfectly qualified to meet a child’s needs and behaviors, and my views on that have only become stronger. What I have learned, however, is that behaviorism is not an effective approach to reach a child (as evidenced by the research). Children need co-regulation and skill development, not isolation or reward charts.

I have too many acquaintances who still believe in behaviorism. After my years of training and working in the field with children who are all too familiar with the consequences of behavior techniques, I have grown more steadfast in my beliefs. Too many children have been traumatized by the ABA model and my practice helps them pick up the pieces and move forward. I hope for a day where no child is traumatized by a model that is supposed to help them, practiced by well-meaning people who don’t see the harm they are causing. Whether the harm comes from locking a child in a closet, tying them to a chair, or simply ignoring their “behaviors,” it is all doing immense damage to our children.

Every day I work towards making our world a better place by intentionally and purposefully loving and supporting our most vulnerable children and parents who just want to see their kids be happy and healthy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Thank you to my family for believing in my passion for educating parents and preschool teachers! Special thanks to my husband Josh for giving up his “man cave” so we could open a therapy gym in our home.

My mentors have also made it possible for me to create and grow this business, particularly Dr. Jennifer Allison, OTD/L and Dr. Mili Cordero, OTR/L. When others said that I would not succeed, Jennifer and Mili believed in the spark they saw in me and helped create opportunities for me to learn and grow.

Website: www.focusonfunctionga.com

Facebook: @FocusonFunctionLLC