Results

BCBA: Heather was born and reared in Hawaii. She was homeschooled through high school and from an early age has had an interest in nurturing children. She has been employed in the field of education for 17 years progressing through the ranks from teacher’s aide to Director of a local preschool before working at Pacific Autism Center. Heather received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education degree (plus Montessori certification) from Chaminade University in 2000, a Master of Divinity degree with distinction from Victory Bible College in Canada in 2003 and completed studies in Applied Behavior Analysis through the Florida Institute of Technology in 2010. She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in January 2011.

Heather’s heart has been to work with students who may need a little extra guidance and creativity in enabling them to achieve the fullness of that which is possible in their lives. At Pacific Autism Center, Heather has worked successfully with a diversity of children, from early intervention to young adulthood and has seen significant progress in their lives through the application of Verbal Behavior principles and methods. In March, 2010 Heather was promoted from Behavior Therapist to a supervisory position. As such she supervises trains and guides a team of Behavior Technicians and Behavior Therapists, designs individualized programs, creates and develops behavior intervention plans based on behavior modification strategies, oversees skills tracking and implementation of natural environment teaching and intensive teaching, and performs assessments using the ABLLS and/or VB-MAPP tools. Because of her extensive background in education, Heather is able to discern appropriate age-level competencies, aids parents in setting and attaining specific goals for their children, and has a holistic approach in providing for balanced development in academia, as well as social and emotional advancement and maturity. She believes that every child is teachable and that each teacher has the responsibility to provide children with imaginative opportunities that will stir their interests and innate desires to learn and engage in those processes which bring remarkable transformation as they grow to their individual optimum potentials.

MS: I have been at PAC since 2008. I got my undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, then went on to receive my Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology (with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy) from Chaminade University. I have completed my courses in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology and will be taking the exam to become certified as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. I love working with children who have autism because I get to see first- hand the change we make in their lives as well as in their families. It is so amazing to see the progress our students make as a result of what we do every day, and it is so exciting to be a part of helping them live more fulfilling lives.

I graduated from UH Manoa with a Bachelors of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I decided to work at PAC because of my background in Speech Therapy, and I was interested in working with students with Autism and special needs. Currently, I am attending Chaminade University and working towards my M.Ed in Special Education with Licensure. I enjoy working at PAC because the learners are unique individuals with special qualities. ABA is interesting to me as it is an effective approach to teaching students with Autism. My favorite aspect of ABA is teaching nonverbal students how to communicate and have an overall better quality of life.

I have worked at PAC since 2009. I went to the University of California Davis and majored in Biological Psychology. I am currently working on my Master’s in Special Education and taking classes to become certified as a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst. I have been practicing ABA since 2008, between California and Hawaii, and love what I do. I am interested in teaching non-vocal children communication through sign language. When you realize that communication is facilitated through many ways other than spoken language, it opens up a world of difference for our children with special needs. I believe that in the field of behavior analysis we change lives and we change them for good. To see a child grow and understand what they are learning is the greatest satisfaction of all.

I have worked at PAC since 2008. I attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated with a BA in Psychology. I chose this as my major to gain a better understanding of human cognition and behavior. Before graduating, I did a project on children with developmental disabilities. This is when my passion for learning about and working with children with developmental disabilities began. For the past year I have been working towards a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology and will finish in fall 2011. I hope to one day complete my certification to become a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst. I witness each and every day the impact ABA has on improving the lives of children with Autism. I am particularly interested in how ABA is used to address self-injurious and aggressive behaviors. Being a part of a team, working with dedicated individuals and seeing changes on a day to day basis is what makes this job so rewarding. Every success big or small, is something to be celebrated. I am motivated every day knowing that I am a part of helping a child communicate in new ways, achieve greater independence and acquire social skills. Knowing these skills will be a part of who they are for the rest of their lives is why I work with children with Autism.