Staff & Board of Directors

Julie Adcock is a dedicated BCBA and proud founder of Kaleidoscope Behavior Analysis & Therapy. Her journey in the field began with the completion of her M.S. in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2007 and earning her BCBA credential. Julie has experience providing behavior analytic services in clinic, home, school, and community settings with children, adolescents and young adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Development Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, Emotional Disorders and Behavior Disorders. She also has experience with the application of behavior analysis in classroom and school-wide behavior management systems.

For the past 15 years, Julie has focused on founding and growing Kaleidoscope Behavior Analysis & Therapy with the mission of providing quality behavior analytic services. Throughout this quest, she has been able to learn invaluable knowledge regarding collaboration with stakeholders, advocacy, insurance reform and the trajectory of our field. Julie is passionate about mentorship and is dedicated to nurturing the growth and development of her staff to optimize client outcomes. She is enthusiastic about the application of OBM principles to drive operational excellence within her organization, as well as fostering a culture of continual growth and innovation to meet the evolving needs of the community.

Yvonne Bruinsma founded In STEPPS in 2010. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field. She previously gained extensive experience as the clinical director and clinical manager at several agencies and brought PRT to the Netherlands. She has been an active researcher and continues publishing in the field. Yvonne has written articles in peer-reviewed journals and in 2015, wrote and published a seminal article with other top researchers in autism treatment about Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions such as PRT. Yvonne also has co-written a book about Naturalistic Developmental Behavior Interventions (NDBI) currently in press. She has worked in a variety of settings, including developmental centers, group homes for adults with developmental disabilities, vocational sites, and schools. She earned her master’s in developmental psychology from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, and her master’s and doctorate in special education, developmental disabilities, from University of California, Santa Barbara. Yvonne was certified as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) in 2008.

In 2008, Lani left a 15 year career in logistics and technology related companies, and in 2009 he co-founded Trumpet Behavioral Health, a leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis and related services to individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Since that time, Lani has been active in the ABA provider community, advocating for access to services and developing and sharing organizational and clinical standards. Lani was a founding board member and the first treasurer of The Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP), a nonprofit association focused on cultivating, sharing, and advocating for provider best practices in autism services. Lani has an undergraduate degree in Economics from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Rita M. Gardner is President and CEO of Melmark, a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training and research centers. Rita has devoted 35 years to non-profit management in the field of community-based services for children and adults with the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injuries, neurological disorders and severe challenging behaviors. In addition to leading Melmark’s $95-million operations across all of its divisions, Rita is the co-founder of Melmark New England in Andover, Massachusetts and a co-founder of Melmark Carolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rita has been recognized by the Commonwealth Institute and Boston Globe, on the organizations’ list of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts for the past two years (#35 in 2018 and TBA in 2019). She is dedicated to creating opportunities for skills growth and advancement for women in the field of human services. Rita does this through her work with CASP (Council of Autism Service Providers), for which she and Melmark are founding members; her leadership role as a board member of MAAPS (Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools); and her vital role in WIBA (Women in Behavior Analysis), for which Rita volunteers her time and expertise as a mentor.

Rita received her Master of Public Health degree from Boston University’s School of Public Health in the School of Medicine. Most importantly, she holds the heart of Melmark’s mission at the core of her professional standards. She is dedicated to every child, adult and family served at Melmark, as well as every member of Melmark’s professional staff.

Dr. Joanne Gerenser is the Executive Director of the Eden II Programs. Eden II is a set of programs that provides educational, vocational, family support and residential services to children and adults on the autism spectrum. She has worked at Eden II for the past 38 years. She received her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

Joanne teaches courses in autism as well as communication disorders at Temple University and the Penn State World Campus. She has authored several articles and book chapters as well as Co-Editor of the book ABA for SLPs: Interprofessional Collaboration for Autism Support Teams. Joanne has been an invited speaker at conferences in Ireland, Sri Lanka, China, Cyprus, Australia, and Canada.

Joanne has been the past president of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis as well as the Interagency Council of NY. She was a founding board member of the Council of Autism Service Providers, serving as the first board president. Joanne is the Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council for the Organization for Autism Research.

Joanne has been recognized for her work in autism as well as her work in her local community with numerous awards and honors. These include the Lou Miller Business Leadership Award, the Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award, the Autism NJ Distinguished Provider award, to name a few.

Natesh Kumar is the CEO of Empower Behavioral Health. Under his leadership, it is among the few in Texas that offer a wide range of services with individualized care plans for both patients and their families.

Natesh is passionate about making healthcare services accessible to everyone. He actively contributes to several Executive and Investment Boards, including his recent involvement with Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. His commitment to the healthcare community extends to professional organizations, where he co-founded the podcast PodCASP with CASP.

Outside of his professional responsibilities, Natesh enjoys spending time with his wife, Reema, and their three children. His hobbies include watching sports, playing golf, and traveling the world.

Natesh holds an MBA in Operations and Strategy from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a focus on Management Information Systems from the University of Texas. With 15 years of executive experience, he has successfully overseen multiple businesses across various industries. His expertise includes financial analysis, business model valuation, process optimization, and project management.

Amy is the co-founder and owner of Aspire Behavior Solutions, an ABA practice serving children and families in Alaska. Since entering the field in 2009 and becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2013, she has worked across clinic, home, school, and community settings, providing behavior analytic services to children, adolescents, and young adults with autism and other developmental and behavioral needs. Amy began her career in California, providing direct services in home- and center-based ABA programs before transitioning into public education. She later served with both a County Office of Education and a public school district, where she helped develop county- and district-wide behavior support systems, educator training, and evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for students.

She relocated to Alaska nearly eight years ago, where she has focused on expanding access to high-quality ABA services in one of the nation's most underserved regions. As a small business owner, Amy is passionate about building organizations that deliver not only exceptional clinical care, but sustainable systems that strengthen the communities they serve. She believes meaningful outcomes for children and families begin with investing in the people providing their care. At Aspire, she has cultivated a culture where families receive compassionate, evidence-based services while clinicians are supported to learn, grow, and build fulfilling careers. Her leadership is guided by the belief that the future of the profession depends on creating environments where both the people receiving services and those delivering them can thrive.

Dr. Larsson is currently the executive director of clinical services at the Lovaas Institute Midwest, where he implements the renowned program of intensive early intervention services for families of children who suffer from severe behavior disorders, including autism. He is a Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral.

Dr. Larsson is a member of the clinical faculty in the Psychology Department at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches classes in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and autism. He is currently the President of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment and is the Honorary President of the Lovaas Foundation of Barcelona, Spain. He also serves on the boards of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, the Autism Recovery Foundation, the Minnesota Northland Association for Behavior Analysis, the Autism Treatment Association of Minnesota, and Erik’s Ranch and Retreats. He is a past member of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts.

For over 30 years, Steve has served children and adults with autism and other intellectual disabilities. For the past 23 years he has served as CEO of Balance Autism, a nonprofit organization focused entirely on developing innovative solutions for children and adults with autism. At Balance Autism we balance science with imagination, evidence with creativity and research with compassion. Services span the lifespan and address skill development in residential, recreational, social, vocational and other needs. Steve has presented at state, national and international conferences sharing unique and entertaining stories to help families and professionals better serve this special population.

Dr. Daniel Openden became SARRC’s President and CEO in July 2013, after having served as Vice President and Clinical Services Director since 2007. Dr. Openden earned his doctoral degree in special education, disability, and risk studies at UC Santa Barbara. His first pivotal encounter with autism occurred when he was a college senior working as a second-grade aide with a girl with autism in a mainstream classroom. Attending school with her every day (while he took college classes at night), forever changed his perspective about what’s possible for people with ASD: “That experience led me to believe that kids with autism can be educated in the same environments as anybody else and integrated with the rest of the community.” Since then, Dr. Openden has worked extensively with families and children with ASD on both federal and state funded research projects. He has also provided consulting and training for school districts across the country, published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and presented research at regional, state, and national conventions. He credits taking acting lessons as a child and playing in small television roles until he was 14 with giving him the confidence to become a talented presenter and leader. He and his wife Erica have two young sons. The Phoenix Business Journal in 2011 named Dr. Openden one of Phoenix’s “Forty Under 40” up-and-coming community leaders.

Dr. Heather O’Shea has spent over 20 years working with families and children with special needs. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology, specializing in services with children and families in the educational, medical, and legal systems. She started her career in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2004 and enrolled in the very first BACB Course Sequence ever offered in California. She left her role as the Chief Clinical Officer at a large national organization in 2020 to join Verbal Behavior Associates (VBA) as President. She is proud to oversee an organization committed to providing evidence-based intervention and specializing in serving clients with profound needs. Her commitment to quality service delivery, ethics, training and mentorship have driven her dedication to the field. Her mission is to impact the field and leave a lasting positive impact on all of those impacted by and committed to improving the lives of those touched by autism. She is also known for creative ways to encourage community. After winning the Spirit Award (aka giant stuffed pickle) at the Autism Law Summit, she traveled the country with it, promoting autism awareness.

John has been working in the fields of Human Services and Education since 1988. As is common at Amego, he began his career providing direct services. John was named President & CEO of Amego in 2008. John has worked in leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. He holds Masters Degrees in Education and Public Administration. John is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst. John has held advisory and board positions for numerous professional organizations including past service as President of the Massachusetts Association of Applied Behavior Analysis. John has also served on many Human Rights Committees in various capacities.

Dr. Rachel Taylor (formerly Dr. Tarbox) has supported individuals diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders for over 25 years. Dr. Taylor started her career working for several prestigious organizations, including the New England Centerfor Children and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is the former Co-Director of Research and Development for CARD and the Founder and Director of CARD's Specialized Outpatient Services. In 2008, Dr. Taylor was the founding ABA Department Chair at The Chicago School Los Angeles and has also held faculty positions at California State University Los Angeles and Channel Islands. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, is a previous member of the Executive Council for ABAI, and more recently served as the 2020 CalABA Conference Chair. Dr. Taylor also serves as a member of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) and as an Advisor to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. She is the founder and former CEO of the Center for Applied Behavior Analysis (CABA), a behavioral health organization that provides ABA-based services across a wide range of service settings, diagnoses, ages, and levels of severity. Her current areas of focus as a consultant for CABA Consulting include 1) protecting against a potential divide between science and practice and 2) supporting ABA practitioners to maximize desired outcomes and minimize risk.