April has been the inclusion specialist at the Nursery school for the last year and together with the staff and teachers, she has helped many children receive the support they needed to be included in their classrooms. April provides not only support to staff and teachers but collaborates with parents on ways they can use area resources to best support their child when a developmental need arises. She keeps WUNS staff/teachers apprised of new research in special needs as well as strategies to help all children succeed. April truly believes if we do something for one child and it works, we should do it for all children.
April’s experience with children started at Hope Montessori when she worked after school when she was 15 years old. She went on to get a BS in Child/Family education and Sociology. After college she was an early childhood teacher and director of a local childcare center and has focused for the last 24 years on special education. She is the owner of Kidscando, llc where she provides evaluations and early interventions to children birth-3 years old through the Missouri First Steps program. She also provides parents education to parents in overall child development and is an avid child advocate who guides parents in advocating for their child/children in the school district when needing an IEP (Individual education plan).
April has a heart for people and a desire for all people to be included in their natural environment with their peers. She is a lifelong learner who loves to learn through daily life as well as professional education in all areas related to children and families.
April is a new empty nester and lives in Kirkwood with her husband and dog, Lulu. April’s daughter Marybeth is studying to receive a doctorate in Occupational therapy at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. April loves to spend time outside, enjoys cooking gourmet dinners, loves to travel with her family and is the happiest at the beach.