How We Support Your Child and Your Family
Little Lightbulbs provides parent coaching–led early intervention that fits into your real life — mealtimes, play, transitions, and daily routines. Together, we build skills step by step so progress continues long after sessions end.
How We Work
This answers the unspoken parent question: What will actually happen with my child?
1.
Initial Consultation
We start by getting to know you and your child. We talk through strengths, concerns, and daily routines so we can understand what support will be most helpful right now.
2.
Personalized Care Plan
Together, we create a thoughtful plan based on your child’s needs, goals, and pace. Support is practical, flexible, and designed to fit into real life.
3.
Ongoing Support & Progress
Sessions focus on steady growth over time. We check in regularly, adjust strategies as needed, and make sure progress feels meaningful and manageable.
4.
Family Collaboration
Parents are supported with clear, practical strategies they can use at home and in everyday routines. The goal is confidence, not overwhelm.
Meet Your Provider
Compassionate, experienced support centered on families and everyday life.
Kathryn Jacobson is an early childhood educator and parent coach with a strong foundation in family-centered, routines-based early intervention. She holds a Master of Science in Education and is an FGRBI Certified Coach, Project ImPACT Certified Coach, and SDRC Vendored Provider.
Before transitioning into early intervention, Kathryn spent ten years as a classroom teacher in New York City and North Philadelphia, working closely with young children and families across diverse educational settings. This experience continues to inform her work, bringing a practical, empathetic approach grounded in real classroom and family life.
Throughout her career, Kathryn has supported infants, toddlers, and young children within home-based and community settings, with a particular focus on early communication, social engagement, emotional regulation, and parent coaching. Her work emphasizes helping families understand how development unfolds within everyday routines, empowering parents to feel confident supporting their child throughout the day.
Kathryn founded Little Lightbulbs with the belief that meaningful progress happens when support is individualized, relationship-based, and embedded into daily life. By working directly with families in their natural environments, she is able to collaborate closely with parents and caregivers, ensuring strategies feel manageable, respectful, and sustainable.
Her approach is grounded in evidence-based, family-centered practices, including completion of the PEACE Study with Penn Medicine, which focuses on strengthening parent–child interaction and emotional connection.
Outside of her professional work, Kathryn enjoys life on the water, spending time sailing, and building a connected community in San Diego
Training & Certifications
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Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed)
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Family-Guided Routines-Based Intervention (FGRBI) Certified Coach
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Project ImPACT Certified Coach
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PEACE Study Participant – Penn Medicine
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University of Pittsburgh – Course Sponsorship, Foundations of Infant Mental Health
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SDRC Vendored Provider
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Ongoing professional development in early intervention, parent coaching, social communication, and early childhood development
What Makes This Approach Different
Support is personal, collaborative, and built into everyday routines. Families are never left guessing. Clear communication, trust, and transparency guide everything we do.
Our Work Is Guided By
Parent coaching led, not clinic based
Evidence-based, family-centered practices
Support built into daily routines
A calm, respectful approach to development
Our Specialists
Compassionate professionals. Trusted partners in your child’s journey.
Laura Bennett, OTR/L
Senior Occupational Therapist
Sarah Mitchell, M.S.
Speech & Language Therapy Specialist
Dr. Emily Carter
Clinical Child Development Specialist
Common Questions
Clear, thoughtful answers to help you understand services, feel confident in your decisions, and know what to expect as you support your child’s development.
Support is designed for families who have questions or concerns related to autism, developmental delays, communication, behavior, social engagement, or daily routines. If you’re noticing differences in how your child communicates, plays, regulates emotions, or participates in everyday activities, a consultation is a helpful first step to determine whether this approach is the right fit for your child and your family.
Services primarily support infants and toddlers, including children eligible for Early Start due to autism or developmental delays. When appropriate, support may also extend to young children beyond age three, depending on family needs and goals.
Sessions are play-based and routines-focused, often taking place in your home or natural environment. Time is spent engaging with your child through play, daily activities, and interactions while supporting development related to communication, social engagement, regulation, and learning. Caregivers are guided throughout the session so strategies can be carried into everyday life.
Parents and caregivers are central to the work. Sessions focus on coaching and collaboration so families feel confident supporting their child with autism or developmental delays throughout the day. The goal is for progress to continue during everyday routines, not just during sessions.
Support is individualized based on your child’s strengths, challenges, interests, and daily routines. Care plans address areas such as communication, social engagement, behavior, regulation, and independence, and are shaped through observation, conversation, and ongoing collaboration with families. Plans evolve as your child grows and priorities change.
Progress is tracked through ongoing observation, caregiver feedback, and goals rooted in daily routines. When appropriate, standardized tools such as the DAYC-2 and ASQ-SE are used to help inform understanding of development and social–emotional functioning. Rather than focusing on isolated skills, progress is measured by meaningful changes in communication, regulation, engagement, and participation in everyday life for children with autism or developmental delays.
Yes. Collaboration is an important part of supporting children with autism and developmental delays. When helpful, coordination with Early Start service coordinators, early childhood programs, or other professionals can be included to support consistency across environments.
Many children with autism or developmental delays benefit from support across multiple areas of development. This approach focuses on integrating strategies across communication, behavior, social engagement, and routines rather than separating skills into isolated services. Families are supported in understanding options and coordinating care as needed.
Getting started begins with a consultation. This is a chance to talk through your questions, share concerns, and decide together on next steps. From there, support is tailored to your child and your family’s priorities.
Latest Articles
Professional insights, guidance, and stories to support your child’s journey
Understanding Your Child’s Development: What to Expect and When
Where Would You Like to Go Next?
Explore our services, get in touch with our team, or access helpful resources for families and caregivers.