Jillian Fogel, MSEd earned dual master’s degrees in early childhood education and special education. After finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, she secured a job as an assistant teacher in a private special education school. Seeing the impact that teachers made firsthand as the students progressed and gained new skills, Jillian recognized that education was her passion and calling. After starting at the Special Education Master’s program at Touro College in Manhattan, she transferred to and graduated from Adelphi University on Long Island. Since then, Jillian’s experiences have centered around special education. A majority of her 10+ years of experience in the field have taken place in the role of head teacher in an 8:1:2 self-contained special education classroom, working primarily with children on the autism spectrum. Jillian is trained in the T.E.A.C.C.H model, amongst others, and her classroom instruction primarily utilized the ABA approach, in which she is also trained. While working within private special education schools, Jillian had the luxury of working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams including occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and mental health providers. She also supported children one-on-one, working with children in their homes and schools, to help them meet and exceed their IEP goals. Through her diverse experiences, she saw firsthand that working collaboratively with a range of disciplines is the best way to help a child flourish. Seeing the potential of each child drew Jillian to the field. What has kept her in the field of special education is seeing the progress that all children can make with the appropriate interventions. It takes consistency, collaboration, genuine care and respect, and the correct tools to help children achieve their potential. Progress is what we strive for! No matter how quickly or slowly a child progresses, moving forward and gaining new skills is the ultimate goal.