About

Joleen Fernald, PHD, CCC-SLP

Joleen R. Fernald, PhD, CCC-SLP was awarded Board Specialty Recognition in Child Language from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Joleen follows Greenspan and Wieder’s model, DIRFloortime® , when working with children and families. She has a special interest in the social emotional development of young children and its impact on their speech and language skills. As a speech-language pathologist, Joleen works with children who have a variety of communication disorders. She partnered with Easter Seals NH in 2006 to begin an assessment and treatment clinic specifically for children with selective mutism and has recreated the model in the Tampa Bay area of Florida as well. Joleen enjoys public speaking and has presented nationally on the topics of childhood apraxia of speech and selective mutism.

Dr. Fernald’s Selective Mutism Accomplishments

• Partnering with Easter Seals NH in 2006 to begin the United States’ first multi-disciplinary clinic specifically for assessment and treatment of selective mutism and has recreated the model in the Tampa Bay area of Florida as well.
• PhD dissertation was a study of 303 children about the co-occurence of SM and sensory processing
• Fernald’s research and work was published in two webinars for ASHA as well as a book titled “The Source for Selective Mutism”, and another titled, “Overcoming Selective Mutism: The Parent’s Field Guide”.
• Serving as a reviewer for many SM materials and publications
• Serving as the Secretary, Treasurer, and President of the Selective Mutism Association (selectivemutism.org), the US national non-profit which focuses solely on SM
• State Coordinator for NH and now currently with FL for the Selective Mutism Association
• Successfully assessed and supported over 2000 people with SM
• Additionally, I have a daughter who has overcome SM.

In 2018, Dr. Fernald co-founded REConnections Education Center, a private school that utilizes the DIRFloortime framework as its foundation to support children with individual differences.  Dr. Fernald enjoys public speaking and has presented nationally on the topics of childhood apraxia of speech and selective mutism.