Deena Rice started employment with STE Consultants 5 years ago. Prior to her employment with STE, she worked in a school district setting. In the past 7 years, she has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities from the age of 18 months to 22 years. Her experience includes; in home, school settings, and out in the community. On her off time, she is an avid softball player, coach, and female youth mentor.
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."
Amanda was initially trained in ABA for children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders at Rutgers University, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. After moving to Los Angeles, her interest in ABA continued where she worked as a behavioral interventionist while earning a Masters in Child Development at California State University of Los Angeles and completing her Behavior Analysis Certification course work with Florida Institute of Technology. Her focus has been to increase access to quality ABA services across at-risk communities through a variety of programs, including full-inclusion, social skills, adaptive skills, and intensive intervention programs. She relocated to the Bay Area and joined STE Consultants in the summer of 2017.
Holly is a Southern California native who graduated with her bachelors degree in Art Education from the California State University of Los Angeles. Prior to her 5 years of working in the field of ABA she provided in-home living assistance for adults with differing needs. She is finishing up her coursework for her masters in ABA in order to sit for the board, with the determination to become a BCBA.
Erin got her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and took additional coursework in ABA at Sacramento State University. During her undergrad, Erin volunteered for Head Start and an after school program for children diagnosed with Autism and other developmental disabilities. She started working at STE as a technician in 2011 and is now working on obtaining a Master's in Professional Behavior Analysis at Florida Institute of Technology and her Board Certification. Erin typically works with children that are 2-13 years old and has experience in home and school settings.
Lauren attended the University of California Berkeley where she earned a B.A. in Psychology. Following her undergraduate coursework at Cal, she spent two years as a behavior technician and lead therapist at STE working with children ages 2-10. Her time at STE solidified her interest in a career in Applied Behavior Analysis and she moved to the Northeast to attend Western New England University and work at the New England Center for Children. While at NECC, Lauren worked in the residential program for adolescents and adults with autism and related disabilities while completing the M.S in ABA program. Her master’s thesis was on evaluating the use of redirection procedures in the treatment of socially inappropriate behavior and she gained additional experience in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior spanning multiple topographies and functions. Lauren is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Kathryn attended Wellesley College where she received a BA in English. Between her bachelors and masters coursework she spent two years as a behavior technician at STE. She completed a masters degree in Special Education with concentrations in severe disabilities and applied behavior analysis at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. As part of her graduate training Kathryn was actively involved in research around comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered models of support to meet students' academic, behavior, and social needs. She has presented at national conferences, published in peer reviewed journals, and contributed to book chapters. Kathryn has also taught a course in the online special education masters program in high incidence disabilities at the University of Kansas. Prior to returning to the Bay Area and STE in summer 2016, she spent three years working in a public school district in Tennessee as a behavior specialist and classroom special education teacher.
Kizamu "Kiz" Hikida graduated from California State University East Bay in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development. Since 2008, he has worked with children with developmental disabilities from the ages of 18 months to 15 years in home, community, and school settings.
Katie Bassard earned her bachelors in Psychology from Biola University and a master's in special education from the University of Washington in Seattle. She has been working in the field of special education for 8 years, including school, home, center-based services. Katie is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Rachel Joined STE Consultants on December 2014 after moving to San Francisco from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Rachel graduated from Bar-Ilan University in Israel with a M.A. in Special Education.
She has been working with individuals with developmental disabilities and ASD since 2010. In Israel, she worked in home programs and Special Ed Pre-schools. Rachel is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Crystal has worked directly with children with autism at STE since 2012 and has been an active member of STE's Ethics Committee and Leadership Council for several years. She earned her Bachelor's at UCLA in 2011 and is currently working towards her MA in Professional Behavior Analysis through Florida Institute of Technology's hybrid program. She is very excited continue her path of providing quality ABA services to children with developmental delays to create meaningful social and behavioral outcomes.
Maricela Garcia-Plascencia has been a member of the Training Team since the beginning of 2015, and has also provided support for staff for over a year. Maricela joined the STE Consultants team upon graduating from the University of California, Davis with a Master of Science in Child Development in 2012. Maricela is fluent in Spanish. Maricela derives tremendous joy from seeing staff’s continual improvement in program implementation, which has a huge impact for the clients and families we serve. Maricela is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Jacob Sosine joined STE Consultants with supervisory experience as a program supervisor in a day program for adults with special needs. Jake earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from California State University, Chico and a Master of Science from Florida Institute of Technology. Jacob’s experience ranges from working with young children to adults with a variety of special needs in schools and in home settings. Jacob appreciates the collaborative and supportive role that being a Clinical Director provides for his clients and for STE staff. Jacob is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Michelle has been working with children and adults with a variety of developmental disabilities since 2007. Her experiences range from independent living facilities, acute care, school facilities, and in-home intensive services. Michelle received her B.A. in Psychology from U.C. Santa Cruz in 2008. She received her M.A. in Special Education with an emphasis in the Moderate/ Severe population and also received certification in the Autism Spectrum program at San Francisco State University in 2013. Michelle is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Anna has been working in the field of ABA since 2007, primarily with children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder age 18 months-13 years. After earning her B.A. in Psychology from Notre Dame de Namur University she worked with children in an Early Intervention home program as well as a 1:1 aide in private and public school settings. Additionally, her experience includes understanding the methodologies of ABA, working closely with Clinical Directors in developing and maintaining programs for the Early Intervention and 3-10 programs, and conducting individualized training for staff.
Melissa Thompson, M.S., BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who began working with individuals with developmental disabilities in 2004. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2006 and her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Auburn University in 2012. Melissa works with individuals with developmental disabilities ages 16 months to 21 years, supporting families, therapeutic, and educational teams in homes, schools, and community settings. As Director of Clinical Operations, Melissa is dedicated to guiding the Clinical and Training Teams in providing evidence-based, quality ABA services that ultimately improve clients' and their families' quality of life. Melissa has a breadth of professional experience in the areas of parent, staff and teacher training; toilet training for children and young adults; early intervention; assessing and reducing problematic behavior, and improving communication and social skills.
Jenelle attended Eastern Michigan University where she received her B.A. in Psychology. She completed her masters in Applied Behavior Analysis at Florida Institute of Technology where she conducted research on rates of skill acquisition with children whom had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. She has been working in the field of ABA since 2009. Her experience includes in-home intensive services, in clinic based services, full-inclusion model preschool services, telecommunication health, and school facilities. Jenelle is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Nirupa Fenn graduated from Texas A & M University, Commerce with a B.S. in Psychology and Counseling. She received her Masters in Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of the Pacific. Nirupa has been working with a range of individuals in various settings for the past 6 years. Her experience includes working in group homes for children with emotional disorders, residential care facilities for individuals with mental illness, crisis homes for individuals with developmental disabilities, schools, homes, and community re-entry programs.
Michelle has been working with children and adults with disabilities since 2004. Her experiences are in in-home intensive services, school-based consultation, and hospital settings. Michelle received a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology and M.S.W. with a specialization in health from U.C. Berkeley. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Amy obtained her Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University in 2007 and has worked with children and adults with autism spectrum disorders since 1990. Her experience in the field ranges from 1:1 in the classroom to counseling adults in a residential program. Amy has been with STE since 2010 and currently serves as our Direct Services Program Coordinator.
When not at the office, Amy can be found running the trails of our beautiful Northern California regional parks (most likely hugging a few trees along the way), or singing in her rock-n-roll cover band, Pavlov's Kats.
Sarah knew that Applied Behavior Analysis was what she wanted to do for a career as an undergraduate at Gonzaga University. Sarah completed her Masters Degree in Special Education at San Francisco State University with an emphasis on vocational education for adults with developmental disabilities in 2001. Sarah became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst™ in 2004, the same year she founded STE Consultants. In addition to her work at STE Consultants, Sarah is very involved with practice management and public policy issues related to ABA services. Sarah has led workshops and served on numerous panels at regional and national conferences focused on practitioner issues and health insurance reform. Sarah has guest lectured at San Francisco State University, has trained special educators and behavior analysts internationally and frequently travels around the US to provide consultative support to ABA business owners.
Sarah is the President of the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) - www.calaba.org. Sarah is a founding board member of the Council of Autism Service Providers - www.casproviders.org.
Gina graduated as a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies from California State University, Fresno. She then earned a M.A. in Psychology with an option in Applied Behavior Analysis. Her experiences include clinic-based services for children with autism, in-home intensive services for individuals with varying diagnoses, in-home consultation for adults with disabilities and their care providers, and school-based consultation. Gina is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
