About Us
The Founder
Welcome to Special Education and Child Development Upskills Innovation. Founded by Michelle Ruiz, our organization is rooted in more than 25 years of experience in education, child development, and special education support, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Our mission is to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where every child feels valued, understood, and capable of success.
Michelle’s career began in early childhood education, where she built a strong foundation in child development, social-emotional growth, early academics, and the importance of individualized learning. Over time, her passion expanded into special education, where she has supported children with disabilities, behavioral needs, and diverse learning challenges through ABA strategies, positive reinforcement, behavior support, IEP implementation, social skills development, and independent living skills.
Her work has always been guided by collaboration with families, teachers, BCBAs, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and educational teams. As a mother of a child with disabilities, Michelle also brings personal understanding, compassion, and advocacy to every family she supports. That lived experience strengthens her commitment to helping children grow with confidence, independence, and dignity.
At Special Education and Child Development Upskills Innovation, we believe every child has strengths and potential. Through patience, structure, consistency, and positive reinforcement, we work to help children thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
“A diagnosis does not define a child’s potential. Every child deserves to be supported, valued, and given the opportunity to grow. Believe in their abilities, celebrate their progress, and always be their greatest advocate.”
Michelle Ruiz
Our Mission Statement
At Special Education and Child Development Upskills Innovation, our mission is to support children through every stage of growth by providing individualized early childhood, academic, behavioral, and developmental services. We strive to build confidence, independence, communication, and essential life skills while creating an inclusive environment where children of all abilities are encouraged to learn, grow, and succeed.
Our Approach
At SECDU INNOVATION , our approach is centered around providing compassionate, individualized, and structured support that meets the unique needs of every child and family we serve. We understand that every child learns differently, develops at their own pace, and benefits from different levels of support. Whether working with children in early childhood development, students with disabilities, or children with behavioral needs, we focus on creating a positive and supportive environment where children feel safe, understood, and confident to learn and grow.
Our approach combines early childhood education, academic support, communication development, social-emotional learning, life skills, and ABA-like intervention strategies to help children build strong foundations for success. We use structured guidance, positive reinforcement, visuals, modeling, and hands-on learning experiences to keep children engaged while supporting independence and confidence. We believe children learn best when support is consistent, meaningful, and tailored to their individual strengths and needs.
At SECDU INNOVATION , we value inclusion, collaboration, integrity, and empowerment in every service we provide. We work closely with families and caregivers to create consistent strategies and goals that support children both inside and outside of sessions. Our family-centered approach helps build trust, strengthen communication, and create a team environment focused on the child’s overall growth and success.
Our goal is not only to support academic progress, but also to help children develop confidence, coping skills, communication abilities, social skills, emotional regulation, and independence. Through encouragement, patience, structure, and individualized support, we strive to empower every child to reach their fullest potential while feeling valued, capable, and successful.
Our Values
At SECDU INNOVATION, our work is guided by values that support every child's growth, confidence, and success.
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