Tara Pienkowski

Tara is the Special Education Teacher Team Supervisor for Liberty POST. Her work at POST also includes leading the evaluation team and the DIR Autism team. Her role as a special educator includes both evaluating and direct treatment of children birth to five. Her work history has also included facilitating a toddler developmental playgroup for Early Intervention and teaching in a SCIS (inclusion) classroom for many years. Her 15+ years of experiences reflects her passion for working with young children, the evaluation process, belief and advocacy for Early Intervention, and belief in the value of strong family support for the children she works with. Tara’s philosophy in all of her work from the supervision of the teachers to evaluations to direct therapy is rooted in the belief that social emotional development and relationship are the foundation and key to all other areas of development. Her interactions are play based and follow the child’s lead while taking into account the child’s areas of strength and unique individual differences to support whatever challenges the child may have. Tara is a certified Expert/ Trainer DIR provider. Ms. Pienkowski also teaches online courses in DIR through ICDL. Tara’s undergraduate degree is from The College of Saint Rose; while she received her Master’s in Special Education from SUNY Albany. Tara completed 2 1/2 years of a PhD program through Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental Learning Disorders providing her with the breadth of DIR knowledge she has.