I have a lifetime of working with children through 25 years of teaching dance and 11 years of nannying. My special needs experience is with mental illness and Autism Spectrum Disorder. I have cared for kiddos with ASD from 13 months to 15 years. I have instilled safety boundaries (not running in the street) for a 5-year-old with a speech delay. I made a safe space for a 15-year-old with hypersensitivity to participate in dance class. I took great care and patience (and sometimes light restraint) with a boy who physically lashed out. I collaborated with a teenager and their parents to rehab through dance after a brain injury. My experience with mental illness is mentoring dozens of teens through collaborating with parents, referring to therapists, dance therapy, and community building. Everyone has the right to feel safe, loved, and treated with respect. I practice for myself all the time. It is my honor to do it for others.