Jennifer Casteix, MS, CCC-SLP

Casteix is on the faculty of ArizonaLEND Maternal and Child Health Training Program and holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Pediatrics. Previously, she worked at Tucson Medical Center for 20 years, developing a variety of pediatric-based inpatient and outpatient programs, and was the pediatric speech-pathologist for the University of Arizona Medical Center’s Diamond Children’s PICU, NICU and acute care settings, where she instructed and mentored graduate students, participating in the interprofessional Developmental Long Term Care and Pediatric Track steering committees, and led the interprofessional NICU Feeding Task Force.

Casteix has a strong interest in working with children who are medically fragile and complex, as well as working with children with dysphagia, autism, developmental delays and phonological disorders. She has presented nationally and internationally on feeding and swallowing disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and currently provides instruction and mentoring to graduate students in our on-campus clinic, and mentoring to undergraduate members of NSSLHA. Other collaborations include the award-winning Chemistry Can be Fun, a hands-on morning of chemistry for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder developed by Jennifer and members of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Department of Radiology.

Casteix is very active in the community, currently serving on the Advisory Board of Arizona Public Media, the executive committee for Science City with the Tucson Festival of Books, and the Board of Hostesses of the Silver and Turquoise Ball. She is a past president of the Junior League of Tucson, Inc. and Reach Out and Read Southern Arizona, and served on the board of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona for seven years, where she developed their signature event.