Jessica Olden

I have a passion for working with young children and helping them to develop to their full potential. I believe that each child is unique, with individual needs and I want to challenge the 'one size fits all' approach that often occurs within educational settings. I worked in a beautiful privately owned childcare centre for many years before starting my own family. I undertook my Diploma in Children's Services when I started at Argyle Road Child Care Centre and completed it within the first couple of years as I worked. I also gained many valuable skills as an Early Childhood Educator and Room Leader at Argyle Road Child Care Centre.

During my time as a stay at home parent, I have learnt so much through the experiences my children had in their pre-school environments. I am passionate about inclusion and I have been engaged in self-directed learning over the past five years since discovering that my eldest child is neurodivergent. During this time we also discovered that our younger child is also neurodivergent. I attended the Yellow Ladybugs conference in 2023 and 2024 to learn more about supporting autistic children in education settings. I have also attended webinars and online training by Dr Tony Attwood and Dr Michelle Garnett; Allison Davies (Neurological Music Therapist); and Jessica Maguire's Vegas Nerve Program.

I would like to complete my Bachelor in Early Childhood Education (Birth to Five) so that I can then go on to study inclusive education and work towards making a positive difference in early childhood education and care.