I first started working with special needs children when I was in elementary school. I volunteered in the special education pre-school, as well as the special needs class for adults. I was a respite care provider for special needs children. All of the children were either in the foster care system or children who had been adopted from the system. I loved this because I was able to see the children in their environment and really got to know and love them. I was a Behavior Coach for Head Start. I worked one on one with 2 different children, each with severe behavioral disorders (not mentioning for their privacy). As a Site Director for a YMCA, I worked with children with: Asperger's, Autism, ADD, ADHD, and much more. I enjoyed working with all of the children in a group and finding out what worked for all of the children, leaving no one behind. I have always loved working with children, but I've always had a passion for working with special needs children/teens. Although the majority of my experience is with young children, I am able to work with teens as well. Children have always been a large part of my life and always will be.