Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Morgan Jones’s fascination of children stories and movies began at the age of three. She always had a big imagination and loves kids, her passion for working with children with disabilities began in 2011 when she took an exceptional kids course at Fort Valley State University. It was then she knew she wanted to expand her knowledge on children and behavior disabilities. Morgan then went on to study at Georgia State University where she earned her undergraduate degree in BIS of Human Learning and Development with concentrations in child growth and development and behavior learning disabilities, in May 2015.
Morgan currently works as a behavioral therapist. Her career as a behavioral therapist started in 2016. She quickly fell in love with working with children with autism and various disabilities. When teaching children their personal information such as their name, phone number, address, etc. Morgan noticed the children’s book market was lacking in this area. Her love for wanting to see her clients learn and grow inspired her to write her first children’s book.
Morgan will earn her Masters in Psychology- Applied Behavior Analysis October 2018. While finishing up her masters Morgan is currently in the process of writing her second children’s book. When Morgan isn’t writing, working, or doing schoolwork she works with a foundation called Live Generous helping out the people in her community.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Morgan, Morgan?
Morgan: I would like to consider myself youthful! I love any and every thing centered on children. Whether it’s visiting Disney World … or throwing a TeePee Party for my little girls club … I love revisiting my childhood and nurturing children just as I was while I was growing up.
Fancy: What inspired your book “The Pieces That Make Me�
Morgan: My clients! All the kids I work with mean so much to me. I spend time with them and their families at least three times a week, if not more. So I see the daily struggles they go through when they are at school or in the community. Teachers send home notes because they don’t understand why the child is doing something that isn’t considered normal or they aren’t properly trained to handle certain situations. When my clients are in the community, people stare and whisper not knowing or understanding why they act the way that they do. So I decided to write my book mainly to help my clients and every child out there with a disability. They can take the book to school, therapy, or anywhere they would come in contact with others. My book answers all of the questions outsiders need to know about the child.
Fancy: Where can the book be found?
Morgan: The book is available on Amazon! You can also order it via PayPal! Â
Fancy: What do you enjoy most about working with children who live with autism and other disabilities?
Morgan: I enjoy seeing my kiddos progress. That is the most rewarding part of my job. Just knowing that I’m giving back and changing lives, gives me the motivation to keep going!
Fancy: Would you encourage children without disabilities to read your book? What do you think they can take away from it?
Morgan: Yes! My book isn’t just to help children with autism and other disabilities, but also to help mainstream children and people understand them better.
Fancy: What do you do with the Live Generous foundation?
Morgan: Live Generous is a nonprofit foundation that my friend Genesis Moore founded. Every year we do a #30for30Campaign, where we go around spreading random acts of kindness throughout the month of September, and every Saturday we do a big event that helps give back to our community.
Fancy: Personally, I think there is more awareness for special needs children right now, but do you agree or disagree and why?
Morgan: Yes I agree. People are becoming more aware of children with special needs. Some people think that more children are getting diagnosed with special needs more now than ever. I strongly disagree with that statement. There’s not really an increase in children being diagnosed; people are just becoming more aware of children with special needs. Organizations like Autism Speaks and the Marcus Institute are some of the reasons why people are more aware of children with disabilities. These organizations motivate people to give back and raise awareness in their communities.
Fancy: What do you plan to do after you complete your Masters?
Morgan: After I complete my masters, I plan on sitting for the Board Certified Behavior Analysis (BCBA) Exam, to earn my certification.
Fancy: Do you have any other upcoming events or projects that you care to share?
Morgan: November will be the start of my book tour!
Connect with Morgan below.
Facebook: Morgan L. Jones
Instagram: _morganljones
