My first experience with a newborn was when I was around four years old and I was introduced to my amazing

brother, David.  He had a difficult birth and was subsequently diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

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I learned patience, empathy and many more traits that would help me in my chosen career as a nanny!  The best was a sense of humour which came in handy many times throughout his life!  Another important lesson was to look beyond the obvious, this incredible human being was going to make a difference in everyone's lives who had the good fortune of meeting him.  He taught himself to use a computer, starting with basic Makaton then to read and spell by himself.  He raised money for charity and attended his local college.  Along the way he met some incredible people who helped him live a normal life as far as his disabilities would allow.  In fact he was better than me on the computer!​

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I have taken what I learnt from him, also the knowledge I have gained  throughout my career as a childcare provider, to become a consultant for those in need.  Through insight into the different areas of child development, relationships between parents and care providers, the importance of the early years, most of what I learnt was not in a classroom!  I continue to advance my career, at present I am in the classrooms, assessing the early years after training in the CLASS ( Classroom Assessment Scoring System)early learning research data tool.