A smiling woman with long wavy blonde hair wearing a lavender blouse with lace details, standing indoors near a window and large green plants.

Meet the owner of Wonder Brightly, LLC

Hi, I'm Brittany Kowalik.

Pediatric developmental clinician. Consultant. Translator of child development. Professional wonderer. Mom of two.

I believe children deserve to be understood for who they are. My role is to serve as a thoughtful guide, helping adults understand what a child’s development, body, and behavior may be communicating and identify support that makes connection, participation, and growth more accessible.

A woman standing on the beach holding a young child, with sandcastles in the foreground, the ocean and blue sky in the background.
A woman standing on the beach holding a young child, with sandcastles in the foreground, the ocean and blue sky in the background.

My Story

I've spent my career learning how children develop, connect, and communicate.

I help the adults who love, teach, and care for children better understand what's happening beneath the behavior.

My career has taken me through children's hospitals and inpatient psychiatry, autism services, schools and childcare programs, crisis work, early intervention, and infant and early childhood mental health. I've led multidisciplinary teams, developed and delivered training for hospital departments, contributed to autism diagnosis research, and spent years working directly with children and families.

I've been the leader in the room and the one doing the hands-on developmental work, and I think both matter. That combination allows me to understand the larger systems surrounding a child while remaining grounded in the small, everyday interactions where connection and growth happen.

I'm sharing that not to hand you my résumé, but because I want you to know what stands behind this work: years of experience, extensive training, and a deep respect for both children and the adults who care for them.

Professional background

My background spans early intervention, infant and early childhood mental health, play-based developmental work, autism-focused intervention, attachment-informed care, sensory processing, and crisis response.

I’ve also worked extensively within hospital systems and interdisciplinary teams, including developing and delivering training for pediatric psychiatry staff supporting neurodivergent patient care.

These experiences shape how I work today: with deep respect for complexity—both in children and in the systems that surround them.

  • Master’s Degree, University of Pittsburgh

    Bachelor’s Degree, Miami University (Ohio)

  • Illinois Early Intervention Developmental Therapist

    PLAY Project® Certified

    Circle of Security Parenting™ Program Certified

    Unyte-iLs Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Provider

  • Illinois Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Model

    DIR/Floortime

    Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN)

    Polyvagal-informed approaches to regulation, connection, and felt safety

  • Extensive experience within hospital systems and interdisciplinary care teams

    Early intervention and infant/early childhood mental health

    Autism-focused and neurodevelopmental intervention

    Attachment-informed and relationship-based developmental care

    Sensory processing and regulation

    Crisis response

    Development and delivery of training for pediatric psychiatry staff supporting neurodivergent patient care

Why "Wonder Brightly"

The name is intentional.

So many of my sentences begin with "I wonder..." because genuine curiosity is the foundation of everything I do. I don't arrive as the expert with all the answers. I partner with families to observe, ask questions, generate ideas, and discover what makes sense for your unique child. We create understanding together.

And brightly? Because even when this work is hard, there's room for light. Play, laughter, delight, and shared joy aren't distractions from the work. They're often where some of the most meaningful connection happens.

The Wonder Brightly Approach
Children sitting on a carpeted floor playing with colorful alphabet and number blocks.
Abstract pattern of light blue oval shapes scattered on a black background.

More than general parenting advice

There’s room here for complexity.

Many families find me because their child has become “the child no one knows what to do with.” I genuinely love that work. Complex developmental, sensory, communication, and behavioral needs don't intimidate me. They make me curious.

My goal is to help you understand the child in front of you more deeply and leave you feeling more informed, confident, and prepared to support and advocate for them.

Work With Me