Sari is the Chief Operating Officer at Kinder Growth. Sari’s wide range of experiences with the autistic population has fostered her love for the work that she does. As a child, Sari always had a passion for engaging and building relationships with the neurodivergent population. Throughout her school years, she supervised different programs to support children with special needs and their families. Sari continued on to receive a Master’s in Special Education in Early and Middle Childhood through Daemen College in New York. After multiple years of teaching in the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence, Sari found her love for DIR/Floortime. Sari has been trained through the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL) and is an Advanced DIR/Floortime coach.
Stephanie is the Clinical Director at Kinder Growth, as well as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist who got her start in the DIR world when she was unable to connect with her early intervention clients with the behavioral lens she was initially trained in. Since diving into DIR, she has become passionate about supporting families to understand the differences in their children and build connections with a strong foundation of respect and neurodiversity-affirming practices. Stephanie is an advocate for bringing empathy, joy and humor into even the most challenging spaces, finding room for everyone to show up as a human being and nurturing a safe environment for growth for all.
Kaitlyn Roman is our Human Resources Director. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Developmental Psychology from Hunter College. Kaitlyn began her professional experience as a community living program supervisor, deepening her commitment to supporting individuals’ mental health and personal growth. It was during this time that she discovered DIR/Floortime, an approach that immediately resonated with her dedication to child advocacy. Starting as a Floortime Player at Kinder Growth, Kaitlyn worked directly with children and families. Her hands-on experience paved the way for her transition to the HR Director role, where the HR team encourages a workplace culture centered on understanding, communication, and growth. Kaitlyn is committed to creating an environment that supports both our families and the Kinder Growth team.
Justine is our Onboarding and Recruitment Coordinator. She began working as a Floortime Player shortly before graduating from The College of New Jersey with her Bachelor’s in Psychology, and instantly fell in love with the world of DIR. Since joining the admin team, she has loved supporting new Players as they onboard and learn the ropes at this amazing company, while continuing to work as a Player with her wonderful client. Justine is now strengthening her practice and understanding of the model by taking certification courses through ICDL, working towards becoming a leader in the field. She is also heading back to school to earn her Master’s in Occupational Therapy, and looks forward to embracing DIR throughout her career to support her clients.
Inspired by her incredible neurodiverse son, Tia is deeply passionate about building meaningful connections with families and supporting them with care and understanding. She serves as the Intake & Family Support Coordinator and is also a member of the Marketing Team. Tia began her journey as a Floortime Player, a powerful experience that deepened her understanding of how a developmental, child-led approach rooted in connection creates a strong foundation for growth. She is drawn to the DIR/Floortime approach for its deep respect for each unique individual. Tia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Special Education, and is committed to expanding her DIR knowledge through ongoing ICDL coursework and certification.
Javielina is our Recruitment Coordinator, leading the screening, interviewing, and onboarding of Floortime Players and team members who will provide high-quality, relationship-based services to the children and families we serve. She is bilingual (English/Spanish) and a proud mom to a child on the autism spectrum who receives DIR/Floortime services. Through her family’s journey, Javielina fell in love with the DIR approach and has a deep appreciation for the meaningful, individualized support it offers.
Her role gives her a unique perspective—both as a parent who lives this journey and as the person who helps build the team that will walk alongside other families. She is passionate about identifying compassionate, skilled, and values-aligned professionals who are committed to making a real difference in each child’s development. In the future, Javielina looks forward to expanding her role to work more directly with families, further supporting them throughout their DIR journey.
