Jen Porter is an award-winning educator, author, and special needs mom who promotes faith and interdependence. 

Jen and her husband Jim live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with family, three jealous and paranoid rescue dogs, and a lot of fish. 

Jen began her teaching career in 2001 teaching language arts (grades 5-12), and then found her true calling teaching students with autism and related special needs in 2009 (grades K-8).  Jen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Language Arts Teaching, as well as a Master’s Degree in K-12 Special Education (Autism Specialization).  

In 2011, she was honored with the Lion Newcomer Award from her school district – awarded to a person who “has made a significant impact on students through an extraordinary contribution of time and talent outside of employment responsibilities.” In 2017, she was a co-recipient of the ARC of East Central Iowa Teacher of the Year Award — awarded to an individual who goes “above and beyond for those with disabilities.”   

Her greatest honor as a teacher, however, was getting to know and learn from each incredibly unique student and family — as well as many amazing, deeply committed educators and paraprofessionals.  

As a special needs mom and teacher, struggling to find time to breathe, Jen often said she wished she could just clone herself.  Jen created The Special Needs Spa as an “easy button” for educators, caregivers, and service providers to say goodbye to the guilt–and renew their creativity, increase their impact, and rediscover their lives.

Jen is also the author of The Frozen, a Christian dystopian sci-fi novel that questions the way we place value on other human beings — inspired in part by her love for her children and her students.