November 2024
Deqa Farah (MNLEND 2020-21).

Walking out of a client meeting, Deqa Farah (MNLEND 2020-21) beams as she talks about Treehouse Therapy Center in Bloomington, the Applied Behavior Analysis services practice she opened last summer to serve children with autism and their families.

“The client we just left exemplifies why we got into this space. He is going through the same struggles, experiences, heartaches, and feelings of being lost and alone that I felt,” said Farah, who has a child with autism. “Imagine going down a dark road, and you only have your light, and you’re looking for any light close to you. Then you see a flicker, and the closer you get to it, there are more lights. That’s when you find your village, and you say, ‘I’m home.’”

Her growing practice includes five other providers, including specialists in occupational and speech therapy. Acknowledging that ABA services can be controversial in the autism community, she stressed that her practice is person-centered and culturally responsive, with sensory-friendly activities always available.

“We’re neuro-affirming, so stimming is fine here. Not making eye contact is fine. This is the kind of place I always wanted for my son, a place where he can go and where his entire self will be looked at. This is also a space where parent input and resources are encouraged.”

That deep level of accessibility grows from Farah’s time as a MNLEND fellow, when she worked with her mosque to complete accessibility assessments and neurodiversity training, which led to the creation of sensory-friendly gathering spaces for families of children with disabilities.

“We want to do the same thing with the practice,” she said. “We want people to know we are serious about accessibility and that we invite our parents to be allies. These people are my community and are interested and concerned about who else we can partner with for our community.”

The Institute’s Minnesota Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (MNLEND) program is an interdisciplinary leadership development program, funded by the U.S. Maternal & Child Health Bureau, that spans more than 16 disciplines across the University of Minnesota.

Rebecca Dosch Brown, director of interdisciplinary education at ICI, said Farah’s focus on centering children and including them and their families in all care decisions is a core MNLEND tenet.

“Deqa has always been a thoughtful and committed advocate-leader,” Dosch Brown said. “We're thrilled she created a space that's culturally responsive and welcoming to families.”

Farah, a dietician, also began a doctor of nursing practice degree at St. Catherine University this year with the goal of becoming a nurse practitioner focused on mental health.

“I’ve seen a lot of people in my community struggling with mental health challenges and barriers to care,” she said, citing linguistic and other obstacles that affect families caring for children with disabilities. Pointing out that November is National Family Caregivers Month , Farah said she wants to provide opportunities for families to meet with a provider who has been a caretaker. “I understand the stress that is tearing people’s lives apart.”