Early Childhood and Elementary Behavior and Inclusion Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

About This Role

We are seeking an empathetic, creative, and collaborative Behavior and Inclusion Specialist who views every child as unique, competent, and rich with potential. Grounded in a Reggio-inspired philosophy, project-based learning, and a deep respect for nature as the "third teacher," our school values the "100 languages" children use to express their thinking, problem-solve, and navigate the world.

In this role, you will work directly alongside teachers, children, and families to nurture an inclusive learning community. You will support students with social-emotional goals all over our student body with diverse learning needs, sensory processing abilities, autism spectrum profiles, helping them thrive within an emergent, inquiry-based environment.

This candidate must be energized by spending extended time outdoors—supporting children and teachers in all spaces - indoor and outdoor learning spaces, forest, and garden in all types of weather.

• Constructivism & Emergent Curriculum: You honor children as active constructors of their own knowledge through curiosity, play, and project work. Behavior interventions are approached through a lens of listening, relationships, and co-regulation rather than rigid compliance.
• The Environment as the Third Teacher: You recognize how indoor and outdoor environments—from the art studio to the garden and forest—shape behavior, focus, and social engagement.
• The 100 Languages of Expression: You embrace non-traditional modes of communication and learning, helping teachers adapt projects and routines to honor every child’s voice.
• Honoring the Whole Child: You view social-emotional learning, community belonging, and stewardship as inseparable from academic exploration.

• In-the-Field Coaching: Shadow and support teachers directly in outdoor learning environments (forests, fields, gardens, and trails) as well as indoor studios.
• Sensory & Environmental Design: Partner with educators to structure outdoor and indoor environments that support sensory regulation, movement, and focus.
• Emergent Accommodations: Help teachers weave accommodations, visual tools, and self-regulation supports into ongoing, inquiry-driven projects without disrupting the natural flow of play and discovery.

• Inquiry-Based Behavior Plans: Conduct observational assessments that look deeply at the context and root cause of behaviors, crafting manageable Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSPs) grounded in relationship-building and co-regulation.
• Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices: Support students on the autism spectrum and those with sensory processing differences using visual schedules, de-escalation strategies, and communication supports.
• Responsive Crisis Support: Provide calm and compassionate support during heightened emotional moments in outdoor and classroom settings.

• Home-School Continuity: Build trusted relationships with families to align regulation strategies, routines, and support plans across home and school environments.
• Collaborative Dialogue: Host supportive parent touchpoints that honor family wisdom while framing child development through a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming lens.
• External Team Liaison: Serve as a bridge between the school, families, and outside specialists (e.g., Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, pediatric specialists).

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Child Development, or School Psychology.
• Certifications: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Special Education Credential, or Licensed Behavior Specialist, or other applicable certification
• Outdoor & Nature-Based Comfort: Required. Must be eager and physically comfortable walking, hiking, and facilitating small and large group interventions outdoors in diverse weather conditions.
• Experience:
• 3+ years working with early childhood and elementary-aged learners (ages 2–10) in inclusive, progressive, or nature-based settings.
• Demonstrated background supporting children on the autism spectrum, students with sensory integration needs, and diverse learning profiles.
• Proven track record using positive behavioral supports (PBS), trauma-informed practices, and social-emotional regulation frameworks (e.g., Conscious Discipline, Zones of Regulation).
• Mindset: Deep respect for child autonomy, collaboration, play-based inquiry, and environmental stewardship.

• Paid Leave
• Sick Leave

• QSEHRA Healthcare Reimbursement Plan - $200/Month

A New Leaf's mission is to bring education back to Earth. Here you are part of something greater than yourself. We playfully and seriously learn, together as a community, about things that are real, meaningful, at times enigmatic, and always powerful! We are licensed by DHS and work in the Reggio way. Together we question and improve the means and goals of education for our youngest learners.