"By demonstrating ABA skills under practicum supervision by one of our instructors, students will complete the program with a feeling of self confidence that goes beyond textbook learning or research alone."

Hometown

Kailua, O‘ahu

Department

Special Education

How did you become interested in the special education field?

I previously worked as a marine mammal trainer and then took a position as a Behavior Interventionist working with children on the autism spectrum. I loved working with special needs clients and decided to pursue my BCaBA and eventual BCBA certification.

What is your philosophy of teaching?

I want to assist my students to make preparations for the type of real-life scenarios and challenges that they will face as they work in the field of special education. I try to place an emphasis on the course contents that will be of direct use in the field and want all students to feel comfortable asking questions about anything that may further their understanding and preparedness for future work in what will always be a very rewarding, and sometimes very challenging, line of work.

What types of candidates do you hope/recommend to pursue our programs in applied behavior analysis? 

I recommend our ABA program for anyone that wants to gain a better understanding of the science of human behavior, anyone who wants to work with special needs students, or anyone interested in pursuing a career in Behavior Analysis.

How do our ABA programs best support and prepare its students?

Our program uses the experience of its instructors to provide course content, mentorship, and supervision to students in a way that allows them to apply what they learn to actual clients in an applied fashion.

What words of advice would you give to people looking to pursue this program?

This program is very comprehensive, but it is also one of the fastest routes to earning a BCBA or BCaBA certification through Intensive Practicum. As such, students should be prepared to work hard and also maximize their supervision experience through applied projects in order to gain in-depth knowledge of ABA strategies and techniques to use with future students/clients. By demonstrating ABA skills under practicum supervision by one of our instructors, students will complete the program with a feeling of self confidence that goes beyond textbook learning or research alone.

Briefly describe your own road to higher education.

I was fortunate enough to work for an ABA agency that recognized my skills as a Behavior Interventionist to an extent that they invested in my education and experience hour accrual in order to become a BCaBA and eventual BCBA.

What are your research interests?

Autism spectrum disorder, early childhood development, Organizational Behavior Management, Functional Communication Training, social skills development, animal training

What are your goals/future plans?

I’d love to eventually return to school for my doctorate and add the “D” to my credential.

What do you like to do outside of education?

I enjoy boating, SCUBA diving, and snorkeling. I also enjoying reading and gardening.