About us

WE BELIEVE IN EVERY CHILD’S POTENTIAL

Each child has the right to be helped to discover and express his full potential, by climbing over the barriers that his condition puts in front of him. Believing in the child means thinking beyond his barriers, to build together a better future.

WE BASE OUR PRACTICE ON SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Using exclusively a scientific method and internationally validated procedures guarantees higher standards in our practice. We are always up-to-date with the latest developments, and we take decision based on data.

WE BELIEVE IN THE CHILD’S RIGHT TO PLAY 

Each child has the right to express himself through play: it’s his first way to learn, grow and acquire new skills.

In our practice each child feels accepted and welcomed, and pass over his barriers through fun and motivation.

Irene Borziello

Founder, Child Psychologist and BCBA

I’m Irene Borziello. I’m a Child Psychologist and a Behavior Analyst BCBA with international background.

I have more than eight years of experience in clinical work with children, adolescent and young adults with different developmental challenges (including Autism, Rett and Down Syndrome, Fragile X, language delays and Cognitive deficits). I have worked in home based interventions and clinical settings, and in consultation with schools, using ABA to support individuals in the different areas of personal development.

I hold a Master Degree in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological rehabilitation as well as Degree in Development Psychology and Education, achieved between University of Padua (Italy) and University of Geneva (Switzerland).
I obtained the BCBA certification after successfully completing a coursework in Applied Behaviour Analysis with the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT).

In November 2018 I moved my practice in The Netherlands, where with a team of colleagues I have created a Giraffe In the Hat. This project is born from my clinical experience to bring high-standard ABA therapy in Amsterdam area, to support and help growing children and young adults with developmental challenges.

How we work

We believe it takes a village to raise a child. This is why, as Giraffe In The Hat, we connect and collaborate with other professionals, such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, and sleep specialists, to best assess each area of the child development. 

We believe in continuous training, and we always seek opportunities to grow and learn. We continuously update our practice to assure the best methods and procedures to our families, and to keep it up-to-date to the latest scientific progresses.

Where does this name come from?

“How could a giraffe be in a hat?”

I was looking for a name for my practice, when I remembered an episode happened few months before with one of my little kids. I was wondering how to build a connection with him, when suddenly he pointed at my bag of toys, where there was a giraffe hanging from a big hat, and with a large smile he said “how could a giraffe be in a hat?!”. This is for sure not possible! That laugh was the first one of our journey, full of smiles, successes, sometimes small cries, but for sure lot lot of fun!

A Giraffe in the Hat is a metafore for the unexpected turns that we might encounter in the development of a child and about how we can walk through them together.”

Irene