Tamela Ponder

Tamela Ponder is a Board Certified Music Therapist and the founder of Joyful Music Therapy and Joyful Music Foundation, a national non-profit. Tamela working began working with children and young adults with special needs in 2006 and started serving the special needs community of Central Florida in 2008. Tamela specializes in working with children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and developmental delay. Tamela is an advocate for Music Therapy on local, state and national levels and has made it her life's goal to teach families about the healing power of music through her private practice.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Music Therapy from Loyola University New Orleans. She completed graduate studies in child development and early intervention at the University of Central Florida and has additional certification in Neurologic Music Therapy from Colorado State University.

In 2012, she received the Community Champion Award from the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida and in 2017 she was awarded Provider Of The Year from Putting the Pieces together, a local parent advocacy group.