Today we’d like to introduce you to Nes Onuoha.
Hi Nes, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
While I was in the process of obtaining my Speech license, I found myself at a crossroads, seriously considering law school. I was preparing for the LSAT and exploring that path when I received a call from a facility I had previously connected with way before I received my license. They remembered me and gave me a call and asked if I was looking for a job. I wasn’t looking for a job actively since I was considering going to law school, but I told them I would take the position. I had worked hard to earn my license, so I figured, “Why not at least use it?”
My first client was a child diagnosed with severe Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability. They were not speaking at all at the time and had no established means of communication. This was uncharted territory for me, I had never worked with such a complex case directly.
On my first day, I walked into the classroom, introduced myself and asked for the student. No one knew it was my first day, and I just began, I mean… how could they? I focused on building trust, observing how the child processed the world, what they liked, how they responded to different interactions. I paid close attention to their behavior, movements and tried to get into their mind and POV.
This same child, who had worked with multiple speech therapists before and never spoken a word, began to communicate with me. I helped them develop functional communication, from indicating when they needed to use the restroom, to expressing hunger, to using both verbal and gestural communication. Their progress was remarkable.
One day, the child’s parent pulled me aside and said, “You’re gifted. I never want to lose you as my child’s therapist.” Her words deeply resonated with me. That moment confirmed what I needed to know, I was on the right path. I no longer desired to pursue law.
Eventually, I transitioned to another job, and unfortunately, the child wasn’t able to follow me to the new facility, but the parent kept in touch and told me, “If you ever start your own practice, I want my daughter to be part of it.”
Since then, I’ve continued to work in this field and am constantly reminded of the impact I’m making. Parents refer me in Facebook groups, thank me with heartfelt messages and share stories that stay with me. One parent told me, “All I want is to hear my child’s voice” as their child was well above the age to have started talking. After our time together, their child began singing songs and using short phrases. She gifted me a keychain from her child that said, “Thank you for helping me find my voice.” This touched me and stories like that remind me how important using our voice is.
Years later, I had a baby of my own. Both my husband and I chose not to return to work. While supporting him in growing his business, I found myself with moments of free time and started casually making random videos on social media. People began encouraging me to make speech and child development content. For a while, I resisted. I’d spent years in this space and I was searching for more of myself beyond my profession even though I love kids, love helping and love developmental work. Although I left the field, I still found myself in helping others who had questions, I just didn’t think making videos about it was necessary and if I’m being honest, I also didn’t think the information was valuable enough. I also wanted people to know me more than just a Therapist, but for who I also am and it felt like the two couldn’t co-exist.
Then I remembered the Parable of the Talents , was I burying mine?
I thought back to the families I’d helped, the lives that were changed, the voices that were found. I also came across a video that said “the thing you think is too easy, comes off without much thought or that thing you believe is common sense and everyone should know, is most likely your gift that you should invest in.” I made one video. The response was positive , I received different messages, questions and encouragement to continue from people I talked to and hardly talked to if at all. People said they could *see* the joy and passion I had anytime I made videos related to such.
So I kept going and because of that, I’ve connected with people from all over the world. I still get emotional when I receive direct messages and videos of people showing me the things they were able to do with their child/children because of my videos or advice that I personally gave them. At an event, someone came to me and said “Thanks to your video, my child said their first word and they weren’t even at the typical milestone age yet.”
Despite all of this, recently I began to wonder, “Am I really built for this? Am I truly helping?” “Am I actually offering anything?” “I’m just a millennial mom, there are so many people out there with more experience, more credentials and far more qualified… Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself thinking I’m really doing something and helping people. ”
Then my husband reminded me, “God is the one who qualifies me. What you do is more than I’ve seen more credentialed and experience people do. What you do isn’t taught in schools. What you do is special.” He also encourages me by bringing to my memory of different testimonies as a way to help get me out of my head during the moments I need it. He added, My job is to continue walking in the gifts God gave me and to trust that He will make room for them and connect me with the people who need it and in the rooms I need to be in.”
And so, I do.
I hold on to the comment someone left on a post of mine one day, “there are many people yes, but there’s only one you.”
As much as I love helping others find their voice, it’s been a great journey using mine.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
– starting
– continuing
– believing
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Speech Therapist with a focus on early childhood intervention, child development, behavior and children with different learning abilities.
I am most proud of a child feeling seen and heard.
I believe what sets me apart from others is because I put myself in the child shoes and I’m always observant and finding creative ways to understand more of who the child is and their way of thinking and ideology.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Do what makes you glow.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @highlyNESSAsary
Image Credits
@JordvnKelley
