My name is Ashley Bingham. I am 37 years old and I have been working in Early Childhood Education for about 15 years. I was raised as the oldest in a house of 7 children. We experienced poverty and abuse, and those were factors that led me to want to be a positive and healthy influence in the lives of young children. I originally started preschool teaching when I lived in Texas for a short time, and moved into special needs after taking guardianship of my brother and sister when I was 29. My e-portfolio is a culmination of my personal philosophy of child development, education, professional experience and samples of my work.