Hello world!

Hi I'm Kaylan!

Two of my favorite things: traveling and ice cream!

After much persistence from a teacher friend about starting a blog, here I am. I just ask for some patience as I try and figure out this new world :) This is for you Mallory!

I am new to this whole blogging world but am excited to get started! I can't wait to share my experiences, successes and learning opportunities, and to hear about yours! To get started I just want to share a little about myself, who I am and what I do.

It all started way back when I was in college. I went to Auburn, the loveliest village on the plains, the place that truly shaped who I am today. War Eagle! As I was sitting in my research methods class one day, a girl walked in and asked who wanted to get class credit for working at a local preschool. Well, I wasn't one for teaching, or at least that's what I thought then, but an easy A for hanging out with kids a couple hours a week sounded like a pretty sweet gig. And it was. It was an inclusive preschool for children with developmental disabilities.  This is where I was first exposed to a world of teaching and ABA. This experience started me on an entire new journey. See I went into college thinking I'd graduate with a psych degree then a law degree and be a psychologist for the FBI (I used to watch way too much Law and Order:SVU and still am a little obsessed with Criminal Minds). Little did I know I'd fall in love with working with kids and with this field.  I finished up my psych undergrad and then went into a graduate program for special education with an concentration on ASD.

After graduation and 6 years at my home away from home I decided to move to Savannah, GA... cause why not? I love the south, I love the culture, I love the food, I love the people, and I love the weather.  There I taught in a middle school self-contained classroom for students on the spectrum.  After that I up and moved to Gulf Shores, AL... like I said I love the south and more than that I love the beach.  There I taught in a self-contained classroom for kiddos on the spectrum in grades 3-6. I worked side by side with one of my best friends and learned the most about what it truly meant to be a teacher and advocate for these kids that had stolen my heart.  After a couple of years, I decided it was time to move back home.  So here I am. I taught for a few more years while getting my BCBA and now I'm a behavior specialist for a school division.

I love my job. I love the division. I love the teachers. And I love the kiddos. I love that each and every day brings new challenges, new experiences, and new puzzles.  One of the many reasons I love ABA is because it's like solving big puzzles. Once you find all the pieces they just all fit together. By nature I'm a fixer. A problem solver. A helper.  In this role I get to do all those things and more. I have the opportunity to build amazing relationships with incredible teachers that I can share my knowledge and experiences with.  At the end of the day, it's the village that makes this successful, makes our students successful.

So here we go. Here's the blog on my day to day life as a behavior specialist in the world of autism.

Like I said earlier, WAR EAGLE!