Emma, a 4-year-old who attended early intervention, is starting a new preschool program. Her new early childhood educator, Laura, wholeheartedly embraces her, understanding that a diagnosis does not define her. She knows that neurodiversity and sensory sensitivities are not determined by a deficiency in comprehension but rather by a difference in how children process information.

Laura plays a crucial role in supporting Emma. Early childhood educators understand that young children experience their world as an ecosystem responsive to their sensory needs; a place where they can be individuals while having interconnected relationships with adults, peers, materials, and space.