I started taking care of special needs kids in grade school. I was a babysitter for a child who was profoundly deaf. She was an infant when I started watching her and I continued with her until she was 10. In high school, I had to have service hours and completed them at a home for special needs children. The home was for children whose family had institutionalized them and the children's needs were severe. I went to college to get my degree in Human Services which required a lot of practicum hours. While I spent some of my time with the elderly, most was spent with children and adults with special needs, When I got out of college, I switched gears completely and worked in sales for several years until I settled down and had a family of my own. After several years of staying home, I decided to follow my heart and go back to work with children with special needs. I worked for SSD for several years where I learned ABA, since I was in a classroom with mostly autistic children.