Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Hensley.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Jennifer Hensley, DNP, CPNP-PC, PMHS, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She holds dual board certifications from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board in pediatric primary care and pediatric mental health.
With more than 24 years of pediatric experience, including over a decade supporting children with developmental differences, Jennifer has supported thousands of children with autism and related concerns. She leads Hensley Playbook™, a practice providing virtual autism evaluations and guidance within pediatric medical and behavioral health care. Her work includes research on autism care for military families, faculty service at the Uniformed Services University, and contributing as a chapter author to pediatric publications.
Families often describe Jennifer’s care as thoughtful, clear, and compassionate. As a proud mother of three from a military family, her work is guided by faith and a deep commitment to service.
Simone Olson serves as Chief Operating Officer of Hensley Playbook™. Before joining the practice, she retired from the U.S. Department of Education after a career in program and stakeholder management. Her experience includes leading a national recognition program and supporting access to essential educational resources.
At Hensley Playbook™, Simone oversees the operations that make each step of the evaluation process organized, structured, and easy for parents to follow. As the Hensley Playbook™ Navigator, she provides non-medical guidance and support to families while working alongside her lifelong friend, Jennifer.
Built on friendship. Guided by experience. Focused on your child.
Hensley Playbook™ helps families move from uncertainty to clarity through an evaluation process designed to feel structured, supportive, and easy to understand. We provide calm, clear guidance so parents can feel confident about the next step.
Hensley Playbook™ began with a friendship. Jennifer and Simone met in college and remained close through careers dedicated to helping children and families. Over time, they saw how often parents felt caught between uncertainty, long waitlists, and a difficult-to-navigate system.
They created Hensley Playbook™ to make autism evaluations more accessible and easier for families to understand. Jennifer’s clinical expertise and Simone’s experience helping families navigate education systems come together to provide clear communication, steady guidance, and respect for each child’s individuality.
Empowering Parents with Teamwork® guides everything we do. Each child’s evaluation is completed by a licensed clinician who works directly with autism every day, supported by a team committed to making the process organized, understandable, and family-centered.
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?
Families should not have to wait months for answers while their child misses opportunities for support. Yet that is the reality for far too many parents navigating autism concerns.
Too often, families face long waitlists, complicated insurance requirements, and diagnostic models that require multiple appointments across several days. Even after receiving a diagnosis, many struggle to access meaningful follow-up support and therapy services. The result is that children can lose valuable months when developmental intervention could make a meaningful difference.
I believe families deserve a better path. For children whose clinical presentation is appropriate for a virtual model, I use standardized assessments, a careful developmental and medical history, caregiver input, and a focused two-hour virtual visit to gather the information needed for a thoughtful diagnostic evaluation.
I am a clinician first, so starting my own business has been a steep learning curve. Together, Simone Olson and I have had to learn the operational side of healthcare: building secure systems, navigating technology, creating workflows, understanding the business responsibilities of a practice, and developing a sustainable model of care.
Rebranding from Amazing Kids to Hensley Playbook™ has also been an important part of that journey. As we continue to evolve and expand our services, we wanted a name that better reflects our vision, our clinical standards, and our commitment to giving families a clear, practical path forward. Our mission is to empower parents through teamwork—bringing families, clinicians, and the people who support each child together with the knowledge, guidance, and tools needed to move forward with confidence.
But our challenges are nothing like the challenges our families face. We will continue to persevere for them—working to make the path to answers clearer, more timely, and more compassionate.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Hensley Playbook?
At Hensley Playbook™, we provide comprehensive virtual medical evaluations for children with autism concerns. We specialize in timely, thoughtful autism evaluations that include standardized assessments, a detailed developmental and medical history, caregiver input, clinical observation, and a clear diagnostic formulation.
What sets us apart is both the speed and the setting. For children whose clinical presentation is appropriate for a virtual evaluation, we can complete the process in less than 72 hours and provide a full written report within 48 hours. This can dramatically reduce the one- to three-year wait many families face elsewhere.
We meet children where they are often most comfortable: in their own home. Rather than asking a child to leave a familiar routine, have vital signs taken, sit beneath fluorescent lights, walk down long hallways, or spend time around unfamiliar people, we can see them at home—on the couch, in their room, and alongside the family members and pets who help them feel secure. This gives us the opportunity to observe children in a setting that is familiar and meaningful to them.
We are known for making the process efficient without losing the compassion, clinical rigor, and individualized attention every child deserves. I bring more than 20 years of pediatric experience and am dual board certified in pediatric primary care and pediatric mental health. Together, Simone Olson and I have built systems that allow us to provide timely, secure, family-centered care while keeping children and caregivers at the heart of every decision.
Most importantly, we believe autistic people are amazing. Every child has unique strengths, interests, and ways of experiencing the world. Our role is not to change who they are, but to help families understand their child, identify the support they need, and create opportunities for them to thrive and reach their fullest potential.
We are most proud of helping families move from uncertainty to understanding. A diagnosis is not the end of the process; it is the beginning of a clearer path forward. Our goal is for every family to leave with answers, practical recommendations, and confidence in the next step for their child.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something that may surprise people is that the “Playbook” in Hensley Playbook™ is deeply personal to me. I contributed to the Autism Playbook, but the idea behind a playbook has also shaped how I approach my work with children and families.
A diagnosis can be an important answer, but families often need much more than an answer. They need help understanding what the information means for their child, what strengths to recognize, what supports may be helpful, and what practical steps they can take next. The playbook represents that bridge between uncertainty and action.
It is not a one-size-fits-all set of instructions. Every child is different, every family has different needs and resources, and every path forward should be individualized. For me, a playbook means bringing together the right information, the right people, and clear next steps so parents feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. Our mission is to empower parents through teamwork—helping caregivers feel informed, heard, and prepared to advocate for their child.
The name Hensley Playbook™ also reflects the evolution of our practice. As we rebrand from Amazing Kids and continue to expand our services, we wanted a name that captures both our clinical standards and our larger purpose: providing thoughtful evaluations, practical guidance, and a family-centered experience that helps children and families thrive.
Another surprise may be that, after more than 20 years in pediatric care, becoming a business owner has required me to become a learner all over again. Building Hensley Playbook™ with Simone Olson has meant learning technology, operations, branding, and the many behind-the-scenes details required to create a secure, sustainable, and compassionate practice.
Pricing:
- Transparent pricing. No surprise bills. We believe families deserve clarity, both clinically and financially. Every fee is published in advance so you can make informed decisions with confidence, without insurance approvals, repeated copays, or hidden charges.
- Why we chose a private-pay model. Hensley Playbook™ does not participate with insurance networks. That decision lets us deliver the kind of evaluation, communication, and follow-through that families actually need, without third-party restrictions getting in the way. We do offer payment via CareCredit, as well as FSA and HFA.
- Longer, focused appointments Without insurance billing constraints, we can spend the time your child actually needs for a thorough evaluation.
- Comprehensive, not piecemeal One coordinated evaluation instead of a fragmented series of appointments split across providers and months.
- Faster access to answers No prior authorizations or referral delays. Most evaluations are completed within 72 hours so you can move forward sooner. Choose the level of support that fits your family. Families can begin wherever they are. The Hensley Playbook™ First Steps Call is available to families in Florida and Virginia $225, and the Hensley Playbook™ Membership is coming soon. In Florida and Virginia, the Starting Lineup Evaluation provides diagnostic clarity, as a full comprehensive evaluation $2750 or a focused second opinion $1875, and Game Plan Coaching $4800 adds 90 days of guided support to put your plan into action. We care for children at every level of autism, Levels 1, 2, and 3, and we develop a treatment plan for 100% of the children we evaluate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hensleyplaybook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hensleyplaybook/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hensleyplaybook
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hensleyplaybook
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hensleyplaybook, previously https://www.youtube.com/@amazing_kids_autism
- Other: https://hensleyplaybook.substack.com/podcast
