Meet the Clinician
Jillian Gierman, M.S., CCC-SLP
Jillian Gierman is a speech-language pathologist specializing in neurodevelopmental communication support for adolescents and young adults. Her work focuses on functional communication, AAC, autism, executive functioning, social communication, and meaningful participation across school, home, work, and community settings.
Her clinical style is neuroaffirming, collaborative, trauma-informed, and individualized to each person’s communication profile, strengths, and goals.
-
Jillian earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, where she first became involved in neurocognitive and dementia research.
She later worked as a research specialist within the University of South Carolina’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, contributing to research focused on autism spectrum disorder, Fragile X syndrome, and the transition from adolescence into adulthood.
Jillian went on to complete her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of South Carolina while continuing her clinical and research work with neurodevelopmental and neurogenic communication populations.
-
After graduate school, Jillian relocated to Northern California and completed her clinical fellowship within the high school setting, where she developed a strong passion for working with adolescents and transition-aged young adults.
Her experience supporting students as they navigate communication, executive functioning, identity development, self-advocacy, postsecondary planning, and increasing independence continues to influence her clinical perspective today.
She currently works extensively with autistic adolescents and young adults, AAC users, and individuals with complex communication needs across educational settings.
-
Jillian’s clinical interests include neuroaffirming practice, AAC and multimodal communication, executive functioning, cognitive communication, autism, transition support, and collaborative consultation with families and school teams.
She believes communication support should extend beyond isolated skills and foster meaningful participation across school, relationships, work, and everyday life.
-
Jillian is a certified speech-language pathologist with the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and licensure in the state of California.
Understanding the Whole Communicator
Communication is deeply connected to identity, relationships, regulation, autonomy, and participation in everyday life. Our approach focuses on supporting meaningful communication within real-world contexts, not just isolated skills.
-
We believe meaningful communication support requires understanding the whole person including their strengths, communication style, sensory experiences, environment, relationships, and daily demands.
Our clinical approach is neuroaffirming, collaborative, trauma-informed, and individualized to each person’s unique profile and goals. Therapy and consultation are designed to support authentic communication, self-advocacy, functional participation, and increased access across school, home, work, and community settings.
We value approaches that are child-led, developmentally responsive, and grounded in real-world application. Support should feel practical, respectful, sustainable, and meaningful within everyday life.
-
At North State Neurodevelopment & Communication, we value neurodiversity-affirming care, respect for all forms of communication, collaboration with families and school teams, functional real-world outcomes, autonomy, self-advocacy, and relationship-centered practice.
We believe communication support should help individuals feel more understood, more connected, and more able to participate meaningfully in their own lives.
-
North State Neurodevelopment & Communication was founded in response to the significant lack of specialized communication and neurodevelopmental support available for adolescents and young adults across Northern California’s North State region.
Many individuals and families navigating autism, AAC, executive functioning challenges, social communication differences, and transition into adulthood face limited access to providers who specialize in this stage of development and understand communication within the broader context of everyday life.
Jillian’s background in neurodevelopmental research, high school-based practice, and transition-focused communication support continues to shape the practice’s functional, neuroaffirming approach. Today, North State Neurodevelopment & Communication focuses on helping individuals participate more fully across school, relationships, work, and community life.