Mea'Alofa Autism Support Center

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Mea'Alofa Autism Support Center
Love. Support. Advocate.

What Is ABA?

ABA Therapy Approach

Behavior analysis is the science of behavior. It’s called a science because it’s based on the principles that have been found, through scientific research over years of study, to govern human behavior. Applied behavior analysis is a discipline whereby the principles of behavior are applied to real-life important problems that affect individuals, in order to improve their lives to a meaningful degree. Applied behavior analysis also relies on the measurement of behaviors in order to make decisions about what to do next. This measurement allows behavior analysts to make informed decisions regarding how best to increase socially significant behaviors and how best to reduce maladaptive behaviors.

Since the beginning of research involving behavior analysis, a wide variety of ABA techniques have been developed for building useful skills in learners – from toddlers through adulthood. Applied behavior analysis is a technique that is effective for all populations and all ages. It focuses on the principles that explain how learning takes place. Positive reinforcement is one such guiding principle. When a behavior is followed by some sort of reward, that behavior is more likely to be repeated. Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may cause harm or interfere with functioning in the natural environment. These techniques can be used in structured situations such as a 1:1 lesson as well as in “everyday” situations such as a trip to the grocery store or family dinnertime or an outing to the park.

What are the components of a quality ABA program?

Effective ABA intervention for autism is not a “one size fits all” approach and should never be viewed as a “canned” set of programs or drills. On the contrary, a skilled therapist customizes the intervention to each learner’s skills, needs, interests, preferences and family situation. For these reasons, an ABA program for one learner will look different than a program for another learner. That said, quality ABA programs for learners with autism have the following in common:

1. Planning and Ongoing Assessment

  • A qualified and trained behavior analyst designs and directly oversees the intervention.
  • The analyst’s development of treatment goals stems from a detailed assessment of each learner’s skills and preferences and may also include family goals.
  • Treatment goals and instruction are developmentally appropriate and target a broad range of skill areas such as communication, sociability, self-care, play and leisure, motor development and academic skills.
  • Goals emphasize skills that will enable learners to become independent and successful in both the short and long terms.
  • The instruction plan breaks down desired skills into manageable steps to be taught from the simplest (e.g. imitating single sounds) to the more complex (e.g. carrying on a conversation).
  • The intervention involves ongoing objective measurement of the learner’s progress.
  • The behavior analyst frequently reviews information on the learner’s progress and uses this to adjust procedures and goals as needed.
  • The analyst meets regularly with family members and program staff to plan ahead, review progress and make adjustments as needed.

2. ABA Techniques and Philosophy

  • The therapist uses a variety of behavior analytic procedures, some of which are directed by the instructor and others initiated by the learner.
  • Parents and/or other family members and caregivers receive training so they can support learning and skill practice throughout the day.
  • The learner’s day is structured to provide many opportunities – both planned and naturally occurring – to acquire and practice skills in both structured and unstructured situations.
  • The learner receives an abundance of positive reinforcement for demonstrating useful skills and socially appropriate behaviors. The emphasis is on positive social interactions and enjoyable learning.
    The learner receives no reinforcement for behaviors that pose harm or prevent learning.

ABA Therapy - African American boy smiling with arms crossedIs ABA Effective?

Today, ABA is widely recognized as an extremely effective treatment for autism. It has been endorsed by a number of state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Surgeon General and the New York State Department of Health. Over the last decade, the nation has seen a particularly dramatic increase in the use of ABA to help persons with autism live happy and productive lives. In particular, ABA principles and techniques can foster basic skills such as attending, listening and imitating, as well as complex skills such as reading, conversing and understanding another person’s perspective.

A number of completed studies have demonstrated that ABA techniques can produce improvements in communication, social relationships, play, self care, school and employment. These studies involved age groups ranging from preschoolers to adults. Results for all age groups showed that ABA increased participation in family and community activities.

A number of peer-reviewed studies have examined the potential benefits of combining multiple ABA techniques into comprehensive, individualized and intensive early intervention programs for children with autism. “Comprehensive” refers to interventions that address a full range of life skills, from communication and sociability to self-care and readiness for school.

Such studies have demonstrated that many children with autism experience significant improvements in learning, reasoning, communication and adaptability when they participate in high-quality ABA programs. Some preschoolers who participate in early intensive ABA for two or more years acquire sufficient skills to participate in regular classrooms with little or no additional support. Other children learn many important skills, but still need additional educational support to succeed in a classroom.

In some studies, researchers compared intensive ABA with less intensive ABA and/or other early intervention or special education programs for children with autism. Generally, they found that children who receive intensive ABA treatment make larger improvements in more skill areas than do children who participate in other interventions. In addition, the parents of the children who receive intensive ABA report greater reductions in daily stress than do parents whose children receive other treatments.

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Mea'Alofa Autism Support Center | 4016 Raintree Road, Suite 200A Chesapeake, VA 23321
phone: 757.465.3933 fax: 757.465.3944

Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved | Website by GuppyFish Web Design

Christine Passaretti, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA

Christine has been providing ABA services to children on the autism spectrum since 1995. She received her bachelor’s degree with dual majors in Child Development and Psychology from Vanderbilt University. After graduating with high honors, she went on to receive her master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education, also through Vanderbilt University. Christine has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2002 and became licensed by the Virginia Department of Medicine in 2012. After graduating, she spent a year as a special education teacher in public schools and then worked in various roles from consultant to clinical director of several autism organizations. In 2005, she started the Mea’Alofa Autism Support Center with co-founder, Keri Peko,  to better meet the needs of families and children with autism in the Hampton Roads area.  She has acted as the executive director of MASC since then.  She is also the owner of CPABA Therapy.  Since beginning her career working with children with autism, she has assisted hundreds of children along the autism spectrum and their families in both the United States and abroad.  She is passionate about helping families, loves her amazing clients, and in her free time enjoys spending time with her son Jack and her pets.

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Michelle Hascall, M.A., BCBA, LBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

michelleh@learnwithmasc.org

Michelle earned her Bachelor degree in Music Performance and Education from the University of Iowa in 2001.  After teaching in public schools for several years she returned to the University of Iowa and graduated with a Masters of the Arts in Special Education in 2007.  Since that time Michelle has worked with children with autism and various other disabilities in public and private schools as well as clinical settings in the United States and abroad.  Michelle has been a BCBA since January 2013 and is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Board of Medicine.  She also serves as the Exceptional Kids Coordinator for a church in Richmond.  Michelle lives in Portsmouth with her husband, two children and dog.  When not working, she enjoys running, yoga, home improvement projects and going on adventures with her family.

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Bonnie Bender, B.A., BCaBA, LABA

A BCBA at Mea’Alofa Autism Support Center, Bonnie Bender has been working in the field of applied behavior analysis since 2010. Starting her journey as a behavior therapist, she received her BCaBA in 2013 and earned her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University in 2019 along with her BCBA. Bonnie loves to spend time reading, traveling, camping and boating with her husband, two boys, dog and cat.

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Krystal Edmonds, B.S., BCaBA, LABA

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst

krystal@learnwithmasc.org

Krystal graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and started working with children with Autism and other developmental delays soon after.  She is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis at Arizona State University.  In her free time, Krystal enjoys spending time with her family, completing DIY projects around the house and traveling.

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Elizabeth (Beth) Schiferl, B.S., BCaBA, LABA

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst

elizabeth@learnwithmasc.org

Beth Schiferl graduated from Liberty University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. She completed her certification as a BCaBA in 2014. She has worked with children with Autism and other developmental delays since 2007 and hopes to work towards her Master’s degree in the near future. In her free time, Beth enjoys spending time with her family, sports and being outdoors.

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Lilian (Lily) Jimenez, MBA, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

lilian@learnwithmasc.org

Lily has been providing ABA services since 2005 first working with the Lovaas Early Intervention Institute in Ontario, CA. Lily joined the MASC family as soon as she moved to Virginia in 2009. She received her Bachelor’s in 2012 from the Culinary Institute of Virginia and in 2014 she received her Masters in Business from South University. Lily is currently working on her Master in Especial Education at Arizona State University and is looking forward to obtaining her BCBA in the near future. She has one son and spends all of her free time at Karate and soccer with him.

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Liz Fortune, B.S., RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

elizabethf@learnwithmasc.org

Liz has been working with children with special needs since she was young and is truly passionate about what she does. Liz graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology in 2017. She has been certified as an RBT since April of 2015 and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University.

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Destinee Romein, B.S., RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Destinee@learnwithmasc.org

Destinee Romein graduated from Old Dominion University in December 2015 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology.  She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Education from Liberty University. She received her RBT certification in June of 2015.  In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and crafting.

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Clancey Page, M.Ed., RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Clancey@learnwithmasc.org          

Clancey Page graduated from Virginia Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Spanish in 2013. She recently completed her Master’s in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. Her passion for working with children with Autism and other developmental delays comes from her nephew who teaches her something new every day. Clancey began providing ABA services in 2014 and plans to begin pursuing her certification as a BCBA in the near future. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends or reading.

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Shonetta Russell, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Shonetta@learnwithmasc.org

Netta has worked for MASC for the past four years but has served in this field for 10 years. In 2018, She took on the role of Resource Director here at MASC. She serves both our current families and those in and around the Hampton Roads community.  As Resource Director, she assists families in locating appropriate resources, including parent training, IEP assistance, advocacy and guidance for government assistance. She values the opportunity to meet and discuss how MASC can help families while they await direct ABA services.

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Joi Rountree

Registered Behavior Technician

Joi@learnwithmasc.org

Joi has been working with children with autsim and developmental delays since 2009. She has been registered under the BACB as a behavior technician since 2017 and also has an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science.

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Michele Rivett, Office Manager

With a background in human resources and the medical field, Michele has served as office manager at Mea’Alofa Autism Support Center since 2009. A native of Syracuse NY, Michele enjoys staying out of the cold and spending time with her family by the pool or at the beach.

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Bethany Hopper, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Bethany has worked in the field of ABA since 2015. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Huntington College in 2013 and her Masters in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis from George Mason University in 2016. Bethany has been a BCBA since 2017 and is also a certified Safety Care Trainer for the staff and families at MASC. Bethany is passionate about supporting children of all ages in their development of meaningful language and emotional regulation skills, as well as teaching staff and family members of clients crisis behavior intervention procedures. In her free time, Bethany enjoys traveling, working on home projects, and spending time with her family.

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Shawnte Hodges, M.A., RBT

Shawnte is an RBT here at MASC. She has been in the field for almost two years and has her undergraduate degree in Applied Behavioral Science with a minor in Social and Criminal Justice. Shawnte recently completed her Master’s in Psychology at Ashford University and is currently pursuing her BCBA certification. For leisure, she enjoys spending time with family, reading, baking, cooking, and dancing.

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Cecilia Smith, M.A., RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Ceci is in her second year as an RBT and loves this job. Her favorite part is getting to see the progress our kids make on a daily basis. She hopes to always work with kids and families, and then one day retire to devote her life to adopting dogs and searching for the world’s best barbecue. 

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Sarah Williams, Administrative Assistant

Sarah has been working at MASC since 2014, as the Administrative Assistant. Since working at MASC she has gained a better understanding about autism and the impact it has on families. She hopes to help MASC achieve their vision by helping serve families in need and raising awareness in the community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, serving in her church, and listening to music.

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Catherine Barton, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Catherine is a BCBA here at MASC. She has been in the field of ABA for five years. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Christopher Newport University and her Master’s in Special Education at Ball State University. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her pets, baking, cooking and watching movies.

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Trey Jones B.A., RBT

Trey earned his bachelor degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice in 2018 from North Carolina Wesleyan College. Trey has been an RBT since May of 2019. In his free time, he likes to watch sports and spend time with family and friends.

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Destini (Dee) Stanley-Franco, B.A, RBT

Destini was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She received her bachelors from Norfolk State University. Destini has been working with kids with special needs for the past 7 years and taught special education in Norfolk for two years. She decided to get more hands on with behavioral therapy and helping families succeed after working in the classroom and became a registered behavior technician in September 2017. Destini is really excited to be working with MASC and continuing her career goals!

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Julia Sharples, RBT

Julia is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Applied Psychology and Child Advocacy. She received her RBT in February of 2016. She plans on pursuing her Master’s Degree in Behavior Analysis once finished with her Bachelors program. She considers this field and working with children on the autism spectrum to be her passion. In her free time she enjoys crocheting, reading, and spending time with her husband.

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Claire Laibstain, M.A.T., BCBA, LBA

Claire Laibstain is a BCBA at Mea’Alofa Autism Support Center. She passed her BCBA board exam in May 2021 and has been practicing ABA since 2017. Claire graduated from James Madison University with her Masters in Special Education. In her free time she loves running, being outside, and spending time with family and friends.

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Jessica Outlaw, Administrative Assistant

Jessica has been employed at Mea’Alofa Autism Support Center since August 2021. She has six years of childcare experience and five years as an administrative assistant. Jessica has an AAS in Administrative Support Technology and in heart ee time, loves to journal, read, and spend time with her family and friends.

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Sarah Myers M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

BCBA, Sarah Myers, has been working in the field of applied behavior analysis for 7 years and developed a passion for serving this community after watching one of her three brothers grow up with Autism. Sarah graduated with her Masters in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from George Mason University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and her dog, Rosie, as well as engaging in anything creative.

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Megan Spiewak B.A., BCaBA, LABA

Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology in 2019, and her masters degree in special education with concentration in applied behavior analysis in the spring of 2022. Megan just became a BCaBA in November, and will be sitting for her BCBA exam in the beginning of 2023. In her free time she enjoys going on hikes, cooking and spending time with friends.

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Sarah Brennan, RBT

Sarah has been working with children with ASD since 2012 and specifically ABA services since September 2022. She is currently finishing her last semester for her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education at ODU and plans to continue schooling for her Masters Degree to become a BCBA. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends at the beach, traveling, and hanging with her fur babies, Nala & Beau!

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Siera Shepard, B.A., RBT

Siera earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2021 from Syracuse University. During College Siera spent her time mentoring young adults with developmental disabilities who participated in Inclusive U, Syracuse University’s higher education track for young adults with differing needs. She was also an active member of Delta Alpha Pi, an honor society for students with disabilities. Siera has been working in ABA for two years now. She is also pursuing a Masters degree in counseling through Northwestern University in order to increase access to Licensed Professional Counselors who are experienced in working with children and adolescents with ASD. In her free time, Siera enjoys reading, drawing, and spending time with her puppy Guinness.

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