
As we get ready to kick off a new year, we’re reflecting on all that we’re grateful for – including our incredible staff. Each year, new faculty and staff members join the Wolf community and jump in with creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication. We couldn’t be luckier! This month, learn more about our new Speech & Language Pathologist, Kasey Ferra in this month’s We Are Wolf interview.
1. Can you briefly tell us about your background?
I was born and raised in South Florida. I attended the University of Florida for my Bachelor’s degree and moved to Rhode Island in 2020 to pursue my Master’s degree (and also because I met my now husband)! I have been fortunate enough to work in both school and private practice settings, which have led me to explore and define my passions in the field. Clinically, I have extensive experience working with neurodiverse individuals and supporting their literacy, social, self-advocacy, speech production, and language skills. My niche is providing therapy with a child-led, neurodiversity-affirming approach. I am a strong advocate for neurodiversity-affirming practices and love educating others on this topic through presentations, or informal conversations.
2. What inspired you to pursue a career as an SLP?
I love science, learning, and forming connections with others – speech-language pathology combines all three of these things!
3. What is your favorite part about working with Complex Learners?
Empowering students to understand their strengths and needs has to be my favorite part of my job. It is so incredibly effective, and fun, to ensure students are active participants in therapy, which is achieved through including engaging, meaningful activities, and knowing what they are working on.
4. What do you think is the most misunderstood part about being an SLP?
I think it is commonly misunderstood to believe that SLPs only work on speech production. We do so much more! Social communication, self-advocacy, feeding, executive functioning, vocabulary, and so on.
5. What’s your idea of a perfect weekend?
My perfect weekend includes a trip to the gym, cuddles with my Australian Shepherd, a cozy fire, and a lot of home-cooked meals!
Welcome to Wolf, Kasey! We are thrilled to have you as part of our community and grateful for your expertise, creativity, and kindness! To learn more about other Wolf Staff, read some of our past We Are Wolf interviews!