We are proud to share that María Eva Chaffin, Founder and Director of Seeds of Life Montessori Academy, has been invited to speak at the South Carolina Montessori Alliance Conference.

In this powerful and reflective session, It Begins With Us: Reclaiming the Montessori Guide’s Preparation for the Neurodivergent Child, María Eva invites Montessori guides and school leaders to return to the heart of the work: the prepared adult. Drawing from over 25 years of experience as a Montessori educator, inclusion specialist, and international trainer, she explores how true inclusion begins not with strategies or materials, but with our mindset, self-preparation, and understanding of the neurodivergent child.

Participants will be guided to examine how unconscious bias, fear, and burnout can impact our ability to serve children fully, and how reclaiming Montessori principles can restore clarity, confidence, and compassion in the classroom. Through practical insight and real-world examples, María Eva offers a path forward for guides seeking to create environments where neurodivergent children are not merely accommodated but genuinely understood, supported, and empowered.

María Eva’s work bridges Montessori philosophy, neurodiversity, and human development, helping schools move beyond compliance-based inclusion toward environments rooted in dignity, trust, and belonging. Her invitation is both professional and personal: to begin with ourselves, so that every child may thrive.

For more information about the South Carolina Montessori Alliance and their annual cofnrence visi their website. Here.