Progress Highlight- How we got Dillon started with language
Dillon and his Mand
By J.J. Tomash, Ph.D., BCBA-D - January 7, 2021
Dillon (fictional name) is a 3-year-old, non-verbal kiddo diagnosed with ASD and Speech Delay who started services with BehaviorSpan in May of 2020. He had no prior experience with ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) or Early Intervention when he first came to work with us. His parents were concerned about his communication skills. He had lost the few words he had when he was younger- now he only made a few unintelligible sounds. Another thing they wanted to work on was his following instructions. With a new little brother at home, it was getting harder for them to devote all their time and energy to Dillon. Giving him instructions would evoke tantrums that included throwing items, crying, and hitting his little brother.
We recognized quickly that the most important breakthrough skill we needed to help Dillon with was mand training. Mand training is the process of teaching someone how to freely request items, activities and people that they want. While it seems like a simple thing, being able to request things one wants is the most foundational type of language. To an individual that doesn’t communicate at all, being able to ask for things shows them the power that they can have what they want by simply asking for it. It begins the process of showing them all of the powerful things language can do for them (which we take for granted daily).Knowing this, we started immediately with teaching communication. We started on a picture exchange program to help with his communication (manding by gesturing to a picture of what he wants). Initially, we found that Dillon only knew how to ask for one thing he wanted (a basketball). After the first three months we were able to teach him how to ask for up to 50 different objects and activities he wanted- including “help” and “eat”. This was a major break-through for him- he is now able to navigate through all his picture cards and ask for things on his own. Parents recalled a story where he was crying at home and they didn’t know what to do, so they showed him some picture cards, and he picked out the picture of his grandma. They called his grandma right away, and he immediately calmed down when she started talking to him. As for his following instructions, he is now able to do 15-minute table sessions twice every hour and tolerates waiting for up to 15 minutes for something he really wants.
Dillon scored 16.5 on his initial VB-MAPP (an assessment used to determine a client’s level of language development). After just 4 months of Early Intervention ABA therapy he had more than doubled his score to 35. He now also has a few word approximations, and has recently started babbling, which his parents are thrilled about. He has grown so much in such a small amount of time, and we are excited to see him learn more each day.
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Christine Duong
Christine Duong is our Operations Manager. She is a native of Denver, Colorado. She has her Bachelors in Social Work from Metro State University. She found her love for ABA years ago when she joined the team. Her favorite part of her role is being able to support families through the process of services and seeing the results of all our hard work. She spends her spare time with her wonderful family.
Danielle Betters
Danielle is a passionate teacher from a small town in Upstate New york who loves to work with children. She holds a dual-degree in History and Adolescent Education from the State University of New York at Oneonta. Since receiving her degree, she
has worked with children across a wide array of ages, grade levels, and learning abilities. "Effective teaching starts with the belief that all of your children or students have the potential to be great."Erin Lant
Erin began working in the field of ABA in high school through a child development course and has been working in the field ever since. She is currently pursuing a degree in ABA. She fell in love with helping children reach milestones and watching
them light up joy when their confidence grows. In her free time she enjoys hiking and spending time with family.Victoria Verosky
After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Wyoming in Speech Language Pathology, Tori wanted to see what else was out there and discovered ABA in her pursuit to work with children with special needs. She has now been in the
ABA field for about 2 years and is working on pursuing her masters in Special Education with an Emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. She began at BehaviorSpan in the summer of 2020 and has loved working with our clients and our wonderful team.
In her spare time Tori enjoys hanging out with her puppy, hiking and climbing 14ers, going antiquing along with collecting and losing pieces to puzzles.Tiffany Conway
Tiffany received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and shortly after got licensed as a Special Education teacher working in an Intensive Language Center (ILC) for children with Autism in San Diego, CA. After
moving to Colorado in 2007, Tiffany continued teaching in severe needs programs within the Cherry Creek School District for another 8 years and completed her Master’s in Science with a concentration in severe needs special education. During these
12 years of teaching, her experience, training and education continually brought her back to Applied Behavior Analysis and her passion to use the principles of behavior to increase functional skills and help diverse learners reach their maximum
potential in all areas. She began working with BehaviorSpan in 2016 (one of the first employees) as an RBT and ABA student mentor, gaining supervision from the clinical team in order to sit for her Board Exam. She did her training for her BCBA
and She has been a BCBA with our company since August 2019 and thoroughly enjoys working with all of the wonderful staff, clients and caregivers that pass through the doors of BehaviorSpan.Seidy Snyder
Seidy received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Colorado State University Global Campus in Aurora, Colorado. Choosing a career path in ABA was inspired by her siblings, who are all on the spectrum. "ABA made a huge difference in my
family's life. I've seen how much it's helped my siblings and I continue to see how much my mother advocates for it. I'm ready to do my part in helping support the ABA community." Seidy is continuing her education by pursuing a Master’s degree
in ABA.Sarah Peterson
Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. Throughout her time in college, she worked in the Special Education field with the focus on helping her clients stay active. She says, "I am passionate
about health and nutrition. I also love being able to share my interest with the autism population in ways that make being active fun!"Rachel Geertgens
Rachel graduated from Colorado Mesa University in 2019 with a BA in psychology. She began working in the field of ABA in the fall of 2019 and fell in love with the opportunity of helping children who had behavioral and mental disabilities. After
babysitting and coaching little ones during her high school years, working with children in a more complex field was something she became passionate about doing. She has worked as an RBT for about a year and a half and strives to make a huge impact
on children with ASD.Nicole Miller
Nicole received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education from Montana State University. After graduation she taught severely emotionally disturbed high school students at a mental health facility in Montana. After teaching for
a few months, Nicole felt like she needed to further her education in order to better understand her students behavioral needs which led her to pursue a degree in ABA. In 2019, she and her husband moved to Colorado where Nicole entered into the
ABA field with BehaviorSpan as an RBT. She then received her Master's degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Southern Maine in May of 2020. Nicole received her BCBA certification in
September of 2020. Nicole enjoys reading, traveling, and snuggling their new baby boy.Nicole Da Lima Leitao
Nicole happened upon the world of behavior analysis while completing her Masters in Clinical Psychology in Swansea, Wales in 2011. Upon returning to her home country, India, she realised that she wanted to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis
and its application to Autism Spectrum Disorder. In 2016, Nicole flew across the world and began her postgraduate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis in Orlando FL. Upon its completion, she moved to Denver, CO and in 2016 co-founded BehaviorSpan
(formerly known as BoulderAnalysts). Currently holding the position of Clinical Director, Nicole has gained extensive experience working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. She is well-versed in Early Intervention ABA Therapy and has worked
with children extensively up to age of 21 yrs. When she is away from the clinic, she enjoys rock climbing, camping and copious Cajun Seafood Boils. Nicole is always excited to learn and strives to improve the practice on the daily.Madison Bossie
Madison has been in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 2018. She came across the field of ABA by accident, but has since fallen in love with it and can't imagine doing anything else. She is currently working on her master's degree at
Arizona State University to become a BCBA and she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs, which is where she grew up. She moved to the Denver area in 2019 and started working with BehaviorSpan in 2020.Kadeisha Jackson
Kadeisha received her Associates Degree in Business Management and Accounting from Independence University. She is dedicated to promoting efficient business operations and high productivity by on-boarding well-qualified candidates and minimizing
employee turnover. Kadeisha is new to the ABA field but has developed a new interest and respect for the work we do!Jennifer Desormo
Jenn received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Oswego, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis from Capella University. After working in some residential
children's homes, she sort of "stumbled" into the field of ABA, but immediately adored the work and the kids that she gets to work with daily and knew this was the place for her. In her free time, she likes to snowboard, camp, travel, see live
music, and watch The Office (on repeat). She believes that ABA can change the world and is excited to be a part of it!Sarah Willson
Sarah began working as an Registered Behavioral Technician 3 years ago after working with adults with disabilities for 10 years previously. She wants to continue her education in the ABA world by getting her master's degree which will allow her
to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Sarah enjoys hiking in the outdoors while also taking landscape photography, baking sweet funky treats that she brings into the centers to share and spending time with her family.Alexis Huges
Alexis is a 24 years old Colorado native and loves the outdoors! She has been in the ABA field going on 3 years now and has received her RBT certification as well as done multiple trainings in safety care, sign language and CPI. She has worked
with a range of ages along with individuals who come from different kinds of environments. She is currently working on getting her Bachelors degree in Psychology. She enjoys painting, hiking, being with family and cooking. Alexis said, “what I
like most about working with kids is the constant ability of not only teaching but of being taught as well. I have always had a passion for working with people with developmental disabilities, as I had first hand experience with a family member.
Being exposed to the amazing community has helped me be the patient, kind, caring and supportive individual that I am today."Ariana Goemaere
Ariana began her journey into the ABA world in 2016 and hasn't looked back since. She currently holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and a Masters of Education in Curriculum & Instruction
of Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University. Ariana is one of our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with BehaviorSpan! In her spare time, Ariana enjoys working out, hiking, and going camping with her husband.J.J. Tomash
J.J. Tomash has been a studying Applied Behavior Analysis for nearly 20 years, starting when he was an undergraduate at Washington State University. He moved to the United Kingdom in 2007 to pursue his Ph.D.- studying under one of the leading
authorities in Europe on evidence- based Autism treatment. During his studies he published original research in several journals, including Learning and Motivation, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, and The Psychological Record. He also lectured
university students and presented his research at multiple international conferences, including the Association for Behavior Analysis International and the European Association for Behavior Analysis. His outstanding research and scholarship were
recognized in 2008 for the Overseas Research Student Award- an award only granted to one student per year in select UK Universities. After his doctorate in 2012, he moved to India for 2 years where he continued to research, publish, and help educate
others on Applied Behavior Analysis. He finally returned home to the United States in 2013, where he jumped straight into working with children and adults with Autism and other Developmental Disabilities. He helped found a center in Orlando that
provided Behavior Therapy to children with dangerous, extreme behavior that local school districts were unable to help. After acquiring his BCBA-D (Board Certified Behavior Analyst- Doctoral) in 2014, he began supervising treatment for I/DD. During
his time abroad and in Florida, Dr. Tomash was fortunate to work alongside some of the greatest names in the field of ABA. He is indebted to them for teaching him. He moved to Colorado in 2014, where he founded BehaviorSpan with the mission of
bringing the deep respect for clients and high standards for treatment he had learned under these giants to the Denver area.Izzy Hoover
Izzy Hoover graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology, after this, she spent time in the adolescent substance abuse field before transitioning into Applied Behavior Analysis. She is currently getting her
master’s degree from Arizona State University in an effort to pursue her BCBA certification this summer. She has been working and volunteering with children on the spectrum since middle school and loves getting to interact with new and interesting
people. Izzy loves outdoor activities and anything creative or artistic she can get her hands on to channel her energy into something productive and unique, this desire only motivates Izzy to further her experience in the ABA world.Halle Gates
Halle received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She began working with children with disabilities right after she graduated in May 2019. After living in Ohio her whole life, she recently decided
to relocate to Colorado in order to serve individuals out here and be able to take advantage of the beautiful nature in this state. Her favorite part about the work she does is being able to see the improvements children are capable of, and how
it not only makes their quality of life better, but also their family’s.Audrey Aprillia
Audrey received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with Certification in Medical Humanities from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. She was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and grew up the majority of her life in Salem, Oregon. After undergrad
she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in long-term care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation facilities for four years before joining the ABA field. She likes working within the healthcare field and the ABA field because she enjoys learning
and always seeking to expand both her personal and professional growth. Outside of professional life, she enjoys going on walks and hikes with her dog, exploring new food spots, cooking, travelling, doing jiu-jitsu, rock climbing, watching movies
or binge-worthy tv shows and going to see live music or concerts.Colin Karlix
Colin Karlix is originally from Plano, Texas, and now resides in Arvada, CO. He graduated from Regis University in 2016 with a bachelors in Communications and a minor in Spanish. He has been with BehaviorSpan now for a year and some change, but
has been in the ABA field for over 2 years now. Colin first came to be introduced to ABA in a prior job working in a residential treatment facility for abused and neglected youth, and learned about ABA in a seminar he attended. Immediately he
was drawn to the scientific basis of the treatment, and knew that his work and special connection with children was calling him to this field! In his spare time he enjoys playing guitar and harmonica, hiking and camping, playing soccer and enjoying
different kinds of cinema. Hope you say hi to this friendly face around the office sometime soon!Daisy Rogers
Daisy is from Cuenca, Ecuador. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Cuenca in 2016. She worked with kids and adults with speech and language pathologies and hearing disorders in special
education institutions and group homes. After moving to the US, she started her master’s degree in Special Education Intervention with an Applied Behavior Analysis Emphasis at the University of Northern Colorado, and will sit for the BCBA exam
after her coursework is complete. She loves all outdoor activities, and all that Colorado has to offer. She enjoys hanging out with friends and family, cooking with her husband Bradley and training with her German Shepherd, Gabby.
Cognition
The ability to problem-solve, adapt to new situations, and take previously learned skills and apply them in new and different ways to new situations.
Communication
The ability to tell others what one wants and needs, to describe one’s environment to others, and eventually to have dynamic and meaningful exchanges with other people.
Managing Emotions
The ability to respond to difficult situations that would normally cause anger, fear, or sadness by recognizing the effect the situation is having on oneself and using adaptive skills to avoid becoming out of control.
Social Skills
The ability to make friends, recognize other’s emotions and needs, stand up for oneself, have difficult conversations, play with others, and other skills that help one have fulfilling interactions with others in their life.
Motor Skills
The ability to do everyday tasks that require gross or fine motor control, such as: zipping zippers, buttoning buttons, using switches, walking, eating with utensils, and other important skills for independence.
Play Skills
The ability to play well with others, including important skills such as: sharing, taking turns, being kind, helping others who need help, and making and keeping friends.
Indepent Living Skills
Help with daily skills such as toilet training, hygiene, dressing, eating, chores, health and safety, and a variety of other skills.