Meet Dr. Jennie
Jennie Trocchio is a Maryland native located in sunny South Florida. With a Bachelor’s from University of Miami in Special Education and Creative Writing and a Master’s in Exceptional Student Education and Reading, Jennie worked in special education in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. During this time she developed a focus on autism and was introduced to DIR/Floortime approach. This model was put into practice at CasaBlanca Academy, a non-profit school for students with autism, where Jennie became the lead teacher, Director of Education and later the President of the Board of Directors.
In 2013, Dr. Jennie graduated with a Ph.D. from Barry University in Special Education and Leadership with a focus in Autism. Her research included a collaboration with Dr. Rick Solomon, the Medical Director of the P.L.A.Y Project in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2014, Jennie left her role at the school, and is currently teaching the autism courses at Barry University and Lynn University. She is certified in DIR/Floortime, PLAY Project and Teaching PLAY. She also manages both Connect and Play and Autism Family Field Trips in the South Florida community. Jennie is the founder of Dr. Jennie, Inc. which partners with families, children, schools and businesses to educate, consult, train and provide services in South Florida.
Our Approach to Growth
Guided by the DIR/Floortime approach, we offer a developmental approach to intervention for children with autism in partnership with their parents. Intervention is naturalistic, play-based, child-led and adult-facilitated. We believe in building on potential and passions over deficits, in using meaningful experiences to foster development, and that strong relationships provide the foundation for all learning to occur.
Once we are able to connect and engage with a child, we are able to begin understanding the world from their perspective, to understand each child’s unique individual profile, and we can tap into all the wonderful gifts they have to offer. As the relationship develops, we are able to meet a child where they are developmentally and can begin promoting development through meaningful and relationship-based experiences.We target development from the foundations of self-regulation and engagement, all the way through emotional and abstract thinking and reflection.
