Where understanding comes before expectations.

Learning and Life Skills was founded on a simple truth: every child learns best when they feel seen, safe, and accepted exactly as they are.

For over fifteen years, I have supported children and families in classrooms, homes, and community settings, helping bridge the gap between what a child experiences on the inside and what the world expects on the outside. My background includes a Master of Education with a specialization in Special Education from New York University, advanced training in DIR Floortime, and a deep commitment to trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming education.

This work is not about changing children to fit into systems that were never designed with them in mind. It is about understanding who they are, what helps them thrive, what overwhelms them, and what brings out their natural curiosity. From there, we shape strategies that make home and school feel more connected, supportive, and fair.

A different kind of support

Many families arrive feeling tired from hearing so much about what their child needs to fix and not enough about what makes them shine. Here, we slow down enough to truly see your child: how they play, communicate, move, and make sense of their world.

Sessions combine developmental understanding with relationship-based teaching. Sometimes that means imaginative play that builds flexibility and confidence. Other times it looks like collaborative problem-solving, sensory exploration, or simple games that support patience, turn-taking, and communication within a trusting relationship.

The goal is never to make your child fit into someone else’s idea of typical. The goal is to help them feel capable and confident being exactly who they are.

What informs this work

This practice is shaped by several key approaches that work together to support the whole child:

DIR Floortime and developmental education

Following the child’s lead, co-regulating, and using play to support emotional, social, and cognitive growth.

Sensory and emotional awareness

Recognizing how a child’s body and mind respond to stress and shaping the environment to build comfort, curiosity, and engagement.

Attachment-informed teaching

Creating safe and predictable relationships where connection, not control, becomes the starting point for learning.

Special education practice

Translating careful, strengths-based observation into clear and practical supports that families and teachers can use every day.

For parents as well as children

Parenting a neurodivergent or strong-willed child can sometimes feel isolating and overwhelming. You might find yourself constantly advocating, juggling therapies, or hearing more about what is difficult than what is working. It can feel like the world sees problems where you see a whole, beautiful person.

Here, that changes. My role is to help you understand what your child’s behavior communicates and to feel more confident in how you respond. Together we look beneath the surface to understand what your child needs to feel safe, capable, and connected.

After each session, you receive a written reflection describing what we explored, what helped, and how to build on it at home and in school. Over time, these notes become both a record of growth and a reminder of your child’s humor, strengths, and individuality.