Special Needs Nanny for Developmental Support

The Elite Nanny Team LLC; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

The Elite Nanny Team LLC is seeking a dedicated Special Needs Nanny for a toddler with developmental delays. You will provide hands-on care focused on developmental progress, therapeutic play, and consistency across physical, occupational, and speech-related activities.

Ideal candidates bring PTA/OTA background, experience with toddlers, and the ability to reinforce home exercise programs under licensed therapists. CPR/First Aid and background screening are required.

Qualifications

• Professional experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, PT/OT aide, or closely related pediatric developmental support role.
• Experience working with toddlers or young children with developmental delays.
• Strong understanding of gross motor development, fine motor coordination, sensory processing, and early childhood learning.
• Experience supporting speech development, communication, and social interaction through age-appropriate activities.
• Ability to reinforce home exercise programs and developmental activities prescribed by licensed therapists.
• Enthusiastic, patient, nurturing personality with a genuine passion for helping children reach developmental milestones.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate with parents and the child’s therapy team.
• Current CPR and First Aid certifications, or willingness to obtain them before employment.
• Professional childcare references and ability to complete a background screening.

Responsibilities

• Actively engage the toddler in purposeful learning, developmental exercises, therapeutic play, and confidence-building activities throughout the day.
• Recognize that everyday experiences create opportunities for meaningful developmental progress.
• Encourage walking, standing, balance, coordination, and mobility through therapist-recommended activities.
• Incorporate movement-based games that promote strength, stability, and physical confidence.
• Reinforce physical therapy exercises and developmental routines as directed by therapists.
• Celebrate improvements in mobility and independence at the child’s pace.
• Introduce activities that improve grasping, reaching, hand-eye coordination, and finger dexterity.
• Use puzzles, blocks, shape sorters, crayons, and sensory toys to strengthen fine motor skills.
• Encourage self-feeding and independent daily living skills.
• Support occupational therapy goals through structured, enjoyable play.
• Promote speech clarity, vocabulary development, and expressive communication through reading, singing, conversation, and interactive games.
• Introduce letters, sounds, colors, numbers, and early letter recognition through age-appropriate activities.
• Encourage verbal communication while respecting the child’s communication abilities.
• Reinforce speech-language exercises and strategies recommended by therapists.
• Build social confidence through interactive play, turn-taking, imitation, and positive reinforcement.
• Encourage appropriate social interactions and shared attention.
• Create engaging opportunities for the child to explore and interact with the environment.
• Maintain a nurturing, encouraging atmosphere where the child feels safe and motivated to try new skills.
• Follow individualized routines and therapist-recommended home activities.
• Communicate daily with parents about accomplishments, challenges, and emerging skills.
• Maintain simple progress notes to help the family recognize growth.
• Coordinate with the child’s therapy team as authorized by parents for consistency.

Skills

PTA experience

OTA experience

Toddler experience

Gross motor development

Speech development support

Home exercise programs

Parent and therapy team comms

CPR First Aid certs

Background screening

Job description

Special Needs Nanny for Developmental Support

About the job Special Needs Nanny for Developmental Support

Special Needs Nanny – Developmental Support & Early Childhood Education

Full-Time Special Needs Nanny | Physical Therapy Assistant | Occupational Therapy Assistant

Location: To Be Determined
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM
Compensation: $25.00–$30.00 per hour
Position: Full-Time, Long-Term
Children: One Toddler with Developmental Delays

This is more than a traditional nanny position. It is an extraordinary opportunity for a dedicated childcare professional who loves teaching, encouraging developmental progress, and celebrating every milestone a child achieves.

Our client is seeking a hands‑on, energetic, and engaging nanny to provide individualized, one‑on‑one care for a delightful toddler experiencing developmental delays.

The family's goal is simple yet meaningful: Help their child build confidence, strengthen developmental skills, gain independence, and reach their fullest potential.

We are particularly interested in candidates with professional experience as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), physical therapy aide, occupational therapy aide, or special needs nannywith hands‑on developmental training.

The ideal candidate understands that meaningful progress comes through patience, consistency, positive reinforcement, purposeful play, and daily learning opportunities.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Professional experience working as a Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, PT/OT aide, or in a closely related pediatric developmental support position.
• Demonstrated experience working with toddlers or young children experiencing developmental delays.
• Strong understanding of gross motor development, fine motor coordination, sensory processing, and early childhood learning.
• Experience supporting speech development, communication, and social interaction through engaging, age-appropriate activities.
• Ability to understand and consistently reinforce home exercise programs and developmental activities recommended by licensed physical, occupational, and speech therapists.
• Enthusiastic, patient, nurturing personality with a genuine passion for helping children achieve developmental milestones.
• Excellent communication skills and willingness to collaborate closely with parents and the child's professional therapy team.
• Current CPR and First Aid certifications, or willingness to obtain them before employment.
• Professional childcare references and ability to successfully complete a comprehensive background screening.

Duties and Responsibilities

Your primary responsibility will be to actively engage the toddler in purposeful learning, developmental exercises, therapeutic play, and confidence-building activities throughout the day.

We are seeking someone who recognizes that everyday experiences create opportunities for meaningful developmental progress.

Physical Development and Gross Motor Skills

• Encourage walking, standing, balance, coordination, and mobility through therapist-recommended activities.
• Incorporate movement-based games that promote strength, stability, and physical confidence.
• Reinforce physical therapy exercises and developmental routines as directed by the child's licensed therapists.
• Celebrate improvements in mobility and independence, recognizing that each milestone develops at the child's individual pace.

Fine Motor Skills and Occupational Development

• Introduce activities that improve grasping, reaching, hand-eye coordination, and finger dexterity.
• Use puzzles, stacking blocks, shape sorters, crayons, and sensory toys to strengthen fine motor skills.
• Encourage age-appropriate self-feeding, utensil use, and independent daily living skills.
• Support occupational therapy goals through structured, enjoyable play.

Speech, Language, and Early Education

• Promote speech clarity, vocabulary development, and expressive communication through reading, singing, conversation, and interactive games.
• Introduce letters, sounds, colors, numbers, and early letter recognition through developmentally appropriate educational activities.
• Encourage verbal communication while respecting the child's individual communication abilities.
• Reinforce speech-language exercises and communication strategies recommended by the child's speech-language pathologist.

Socialization and Emotional Development

• Build social confidence through interactive play, turn-taking, imitation, and positive reinforcement.
• Encourage appropriate social interactions, shared attention, and communication skills.
• Create engaging opportunities for the child to explore, learn, and interact with the surrounding environment.
• Maintain a nurturing, encouraging atmosphere where the child feels safe, supported, and motivated to try new skills.

Developmental Collaboration and Daily Progress

• Follow the child's individualized developmental routines and therapist-recommended home activities.
• Communicate regularly with parents regarding daily accomplishments, challenges, and emerging skills.
• Maintain simple developmental progress notes to help the family recognize growth over time.
• Coordinate with the child's therapy team, as authorized by the parents, to maintain consistency between professional therapy sessions and daily activities.

What Makes This Position Special?

This family is looking for a nanny who brings enthusiasm, creativity, intelligence, and genuine dedication to their child's development.

They do not expect overnight transformations or unrealistic developmental achievements. Instead, they value consistent effort, meaningful engagement, measurable progress where possible, and a positive belief in their child's abilities.

Whether you are encouraging those first confident steps, helping little fingers master a puzzle, introducing a new letter, or celebrating a clearer spoken word, your dedication can make a lasting difference.

We want a nanny who does more than supervise. We want a professional who teaches, motivates, engages, and inspires.