My work life has been very varied including working in the first Community Residential Units in Victoria when they opened after St Nicholas Hospital closed. It was this work that inspired my to work in the field of disabilities. After I completed my Diploma in Primary Education I went on and taught at several schools for children and adults with a wide range of disabilities from physical, sensory, intellectual and neurological impairments. This meant that I also had the privilege to work and learn from many other disciplines as we worked together planning individual goals and programs. After working for twenty years in teaching I was wanting to work more with families directly and chose to train in social work. This additional training gave such breadth to my view and approach of teaching. I have always had a strong sense of human rights and justice and this has only strengthened as I have become more educated and carried out more research. My recent placement in Mental Health Services again ignited my passion to support families. I am a strong advocate for excellent quality education services that cater to individual needs by implementing universal access and inclusion techniques for all children. I also strongly believe in up skilling and educating families and early childhood educators as they are the main carers and planners for these children. Intervention needs to be incorporated into all parts of the child's life. I get great satisfaction when working with families and educators and they come up with creative strategies that they have developed. In future I would like to work in group work to develop both families and educators skills. I would also be interested in community work for families where parents have a mental illness.