Nurturing children and youth who develop differently than their peers can make our hearts soar and bring us enormous depths of frustration. Ann’s presentation will identify key factors that contribute to the joys and challenges of guiding learners with exceptionalities. We will investigate principles of effective inclusion that apply to learners of all ages and identify Montessori-friendly supports for several aspects of difficult behaviors: tantrums and meltdowns (toddlers and primary), non-compliance (E1 and E2), and anxiety (early adolescence).