My experience includes: *Pediatric occupational therapy assistant (Associate's degree in OT) *1 year experience coordinating a non-profit children's hospital in Guatemala *3. 5 years experience providing in-home OT services to children from birth-age 3 with a wide variety of medical/developmental issues (autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, visual/hearing impairment, and everything in between!) *3 years PCA experience for a child with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy (college) *3 years experience mentoring students with developmental disabilities (middle/high school) Working with children with special needs is not simply my job, it is my passion and the focus of my life! I feel strongly that all children deserve to have fun, to simply "be kids." They also need boundaries, consistency, and structure to feel safe. Children with special needs are no different; they simply have NEEDS that may be different. They need caregivers that love, accept, and understand them, as well as how to support their unique needs and strengths. While I love being a therapist, I also truly love having the opportunity to spend quality time one-on-one with a child, being that sort of therapeutic caregiver.