Who is PATH for?

PATH Foundational Guidelines were built for the people who sit in the hardest seat in the room.

The director who stays up at night wondering if her teachers have what they need. The lead teacher who spots something in a child and doesn't know how to open that conversation with mom without it going sideways. The intervention specialist who knows the family needs more support but doesn't have a structured way to loop everyone in. The school that cares, genuinely cares, but has been making do with checklists that were never designed for this.

PATH is for early childhood programs - preschools and private schools serving children ages 2 through 5. It's a tool that celebrates all children on their developmental PATH as they build foundational and functional skills throughout each year of preschool. PATH looks at social and play skills, communication, self-help and independence, motor, and self-regulation skills. PATH also includes pre-academic writing and literacy skills in the 4 and 5 year old guidelines. PATH focuses on the child’s movement toward independence and celebrating each step along the way.

It's for directors who want their teachers equipped and their parent communication to be consistent, collaborative, and about the whole child across all environments.

It's for teachers who are perceptive and skilled but not confident with how to talk to families about what they're observing… who need language, structure, and support so they don't have to figure it out alone in the moment.

It's for families who are juggling the hectic pace of today while trying to support their child in the best manner possible. Parents who need a team that meets them where they are with clarity and hope, instead of clinical jargon or vague reassurance.

Why was PATH built?

We built PATH Foundational Guidelines because the tools that already existed weren't built for this moment. Standardized assessments measure a child against a norm. Checklists mark yes or no. Neither one starts a conversation. Neither one looks at whether a child is sleeping, eating, regulating, playing… the foundational blocks that are needed for later academic development.

PATH was built by two speech-language pathologists and an occupational therapist with over 80 combined years of experience working with young children and the adults who love them. It was requested by directors, reviewed by directors, and refined through real use in real schools. It reflects what specialists know and what teachers and families actually need.

It is not a screening tool. It is not a diagnostic instrument. It is a shared language… a way for everyone on a child's team to see the same child, ask the same questions, and move forward together.