Meet Sarah Cacciato, B.Ed., Special Education

Sarah is a co-founder of L&S Special Education Consulting and Services. She is a Chicago native who graduated from Illinois State University where she received a B.S. in Special Education and Learning and Behavior Specialist certification. She has 10+ years of experience working with children with diverse needs both as a classroom teacher and within the home setting. Sarah received her moderate/severe credential in California where she assisted in developing a special education program in East LA.

Sarah spends her time providing 1:1 intensive support for children with a variety of needs. She is an advocate for families, assisting in the IEP process, as well as providing specific feedback on parts of the IEP (goals, present levels, accommodations, placement). Sarah’s extremely passionate about inclusion and works closely with teachers and schools informing them of best practices around special education to ensure the success of all children.  

Sarah has extensive experience teaching in a variety of classroom models, such as a K-2 Severe/Profound Autism Program and a K-5 Life Skills and Academic Classroom. During her years in these programs, Sarah took an interest in assistive technology and promoting functional communication for children who are nonverbal through speech generated apps such as “Proloquo2Go” and “TouchChat”. Sarah approaches learning from a holistic standpoint where she encompasses academic, functional, daily living and interpersonal skills into the curriculum.

Sarah has worked closely with her colleagues, led out professional development for her staff, and provided 1:1 coaching for teachers when needed. She conducted observations for FBA’s, created behavior plans, modified student work, and taught students using alternative curriculums and Common Core Standards.

Meet Leyla Ostin, M.A. Special Education

Leyla is a co-founder of L&S Special Education Consulting and Services. She currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Child Development from Pitzer College and a Master of Arts in Education from Claremont Graduate University. She is currently credentialed to teach special needs students in the state of California & has an autism certificate.  

What sets Leyla aside from other educational specialists is that Leyla uses a holistic approach when creating and implementing customized education strategies, to allow all her clients to reach their full learning potential. Leyla has extensive experience working with middle school and high school aged students. Leyla incorporates executive functioning and stress management strategies when working with clients. Through this process, she can successfully transfer academic and behavior management skills into the school and home setting.  She has specific expertise in helping to teach literacy skills and mathematics, so students can meet grade-level academic requirements and Common Core State Standards.  

Additionally, she has worked alongside speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists to design the best plan for each of her clients. She was the lead instructor and supervised paraprofessional support staff in a Special Day Class at Vista Del Mar Family and Child Services and worked as a Resource Specialist with Kipp Schools. 

Leyla has extensive knowledge and experience advocating for families throughout the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) process as well as creating curriculum modifications for students when needed.

Meet Haley Williams, M.A. Education

Haley grew up in Southern California where she attended Cal State Northridge and earned her Bachelor’s in Communication Studies. As a nanny throughout her college, she knew right away that working with children would be her lifelong passion. Soon after earning her BA, she pursued her Elementary Teaching Credential and MA in Education. During this time of completing her teaching credential, Haley was hired as a co-teacher for a 2nd grade classroom at Notre Dame Elementary.

Haley has been working as a co-teacher for almost two years where she has been able to conduct small group math and language arts centers, create lesson plans that tailor to students with learning challenges, administers formal and informal assessments, and consistently works one-on-one with students who experience struggles inside the classroom. Although she loves working with students inside the classroom, she has recently seen the need for more one-on-one support for students who have social/emotional, learning, and organizational difficulties. When she is not with students, Haley loves spending time with her family and friends. She is active and lives a healthy lifestyle where she loves to travel and learn about different cultures!