"Race, Neurodiversity & Early Intervention" and Center Ribbon Cutting

Since 2012, Northeastern University in Charlotte has hosted Local Leaders Global Impact (LLGI), a thought leadership series highlighting important topics that have a local, national, and global impact.

Join us for LLGI's Inclusive Voices: Examining Race, Neurodiversity and the Importance of Early Intervention. This panel discussion is designed to provide a comprehensive exploration of the inequities in lactation, speech-language pathology and applied behavior analysis services for people of color, with a specific focus on the need for early interventions that improve lifelong outcomes. Our goal is to foster a well-rounded understanding and generate meaningful discussions around potential solutions. This event will create a poignant and relevant conversation, sharing insights from leaders with extensive experience in the field.

We will also host a ribbon cutting for our new on-campus pro bono Speech-Language Center followed by a panel discussion examining the gap in access to lactation, speech-language and applied behavior analysis services for minority and neurodiverse communities. Our conversation will assess these services as a public health need and examine existing barriers to access and how they may be alleviated or removed.

Moderator: Nia I. Johnson, EdD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Program Director & Assistant Clinical Professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northeastern University

Panelists:

• Carrie J. Hinnant, MA, CCC-SLP, BCBA, CAS, Executive Director, Carolina Therapeutics
• Rachel M. Dean, MPH, RDN, LDN, IBCLC, RLC, Executive Director, Co-Founder, Queen City Cocoa Beans
• Jane Carlson, BCBA-D, Associate Professor, Applied Psychology, Northeastern University

• Brandy Jernigan, SLPD-CCC, Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northeastern University

About Local Leaders Global Impact:

For more than a decade, Northeastern University in Charlotte has invited influential people to campus to share their insights on topics such as social justice, economic mobility, and barriers to healthcare. Guests—including government officials, company leaders, and healthcare experts—inspire thoughtful debate and discussion on important topics that have local, national, and global impacts.

About our moderator:

Dr. Nia I. Johnson is an accomplished Speech-Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience in clinical practice and academia. She currently serves as the Assistant Program Director and Assistant Clinical Professor at Northeastern University in Charlotte, NC, where she is instrumental in launching and managing the new Masters of Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program. Dr. Johnson's career is marked by her dedication to education, research, and clinical excellence in speech-language pathology. Dr. Johnson has been involved in several research projects, including studies on interprofessional education and the effectiveness of simulation in speech-language pathology training. She has also edited publications such as the South Carolina Speech, Language, and Hearing Association's newsletter. Dr. Johnson has served on numerous committees and panels, including the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders and the National Black Speech Language Hearing Association. She has also been a reviewer and content expert for various educational and professional organizations. Dr. Johnson is actively involved in community service and professional volunteerism, serving as a co-advisor for student associations, an ambassador for professional organizations, and a reviewer for academic competitions and grants.

Through her extensive experience and commitment to the field, Dr. Nia I. Johnson has significantly contributed to the advancement of speech-language pathology education and practice.

About our panelists:

Carrie J. Hinnant, M.A., CCC-SLP, BCBA, CAS, is the Executive Director of Carolina Therapeutics, PLLC, where she leads an interdisciplinary team providing speech-language, feeding, and autism therapy services. Over the past decade, she has expanded the practice to over 125 professionals across six locations in three states. Carrie holds a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from South Carolina State University and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Speech-Language Pathologist, she specializes in providing personalized, evidence-based care. Carrie is actively involved in the South Carolina Speech-Language Hearing Association, frequently presenting at conventions and serving on key committees as the current Vice President of Finance and Leadership.

Rachel M. Dean serves as a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Her passion for nutrition began after recognizing and becoming saddened by the fact that many individuals were suffering from ailments that likely could have been prevented. In 2010 she began providing maternal and pediatric nutrition counseling through government programs (including 7 years with WIC), hospitals and outpatient clinical settings. Over the years she has provided services throughout the country and has conducted trainings both locally and internationally.

Currently she serves as the Executive Director and Cofounder of Queen City Cocoa B.E.A.N.S., a nonprofit organization that assists new and expectant families of color in improving their overall quality of health and achieving a more balanced lifestyle through nutrition and lactation education and support. Rachel is committed to life-long learning and providing excellent quality of care. She feels her roles are highly rewarding and loves being able to motivate and assist individuals and families in improving their overall health and well-being.

Dr. Jane I Carlson is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Doctoral) with more than 40 years of experience working with children and adults with autism and related developmental disabilities. Dr. Carlson began her career as a special education teacher and received her PhD in clinical psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, under the mentorship of Dr. Edward Carr. Dr. Carlson has held leadership positions at a number of programs serving individuals with ASD and related disabilities, including The Groden Center in Providence, RI, and The May Institute in Randolph, MA. She served as an expert panelist on the National Standards Project, a review of evidence-based practices in the treatment of autism, produced by the National Autism Center.

Dr. Carlson served as Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Utah Valley University where she directed the Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism and taught in the Masters program in Applied Behavior Analysis, and the undergraduate minor in Autism Studies. She was the Primary Investigator on the project entitled Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Programs Offered Through the Utah Higher Education Inclusion Alliance for Students with Intellectual Disability, a TPSID grant awarded in September 2020. Dr. Carlson is currently an Associate Professor at Northeastern University (Charlotte) and teaches in their Applied Behavior Analysis program. She has presented her work at national and international conferences and her publications have been translated for international audiences.

Dr. Brandy Jernigan is a speech-language pathologist with a clinical doctorate from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She completed her undergraduate studies at Old Dominion University and earned her MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Howard University in Washington, DC. Brandy has been practicing in the field for over 24 years, serving her communities across the lifespan for speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Most recently, Dr. Jernigan was recognized as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School’s speech-language pathologist of the year for 2024. Dr. Jernigan currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor for the M.S.-SLP program in the Bouve’ College of Health Sciences, Charlotte Campus.

Host or Publisher Northeastern University in Charlotte