A Lifelong Advocate for The Betterment of Individuals with Disabilities

Jessica is a West Chicago-based Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has been working in ABA therapy since 2020. Jessica started her career as a Special Education Teacher. Working in schools, Jessica gained an appreciation for how students benefited from strategies that a BCBA possessed. Jessica wanted to expand beyond the four walls of a classroom and help more people.

“As a lifelong advocate for the betterment of individuals with disabilities, I am invested in the process with families. We can have more success when we adjust our own response and approach to behavior, along with our environments. We know this helps in our success because we can see improvements and results reflected in data.”

Making a Difference with an integrated approach

Jessica provides ABA therapy services, parent collaboration, and training, and is an advocate for parents in IEP meetings. Before becoming a BCBA, she was a special education teacher for ten years working closely with students with a wide range of abilities and communication complexities. To support students she discovered that making environmental changes, along with other supports, allowed them to access their education.

Jessica was hooked on a field where she knew she could make a difference. She continues to foster an integrated approach between ABA therapy and school and uses her experience to blend environmental changes, with behavioral supports and validates it with data.

When not working with families Jessica spends time with her own three children, her husband, and the family dog, a Mastiff named LeRoy. Jessica can be found volunteering for her kids' activities and clubs while helping them achieve their goals.

CERTIFICATIONS

Board Certified Behavior Analyst Certification, BCaBA

Registered Behavior Technician

Licensed Behavior Specialist (Type 1, LBS1), K-12 Special Education Endorsement

English as a Second Language Endorsement, Grades K-4

ACADEMICS

Master in BCBA. Melbourne, Florida

Master in Education. Concordia University, Illinois

Bachelor of Arts, Special Education. Elmhurst College, Illinois

PRACTICING SINCE

2020

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Child and Infant, First Aid and CPR certified

CPI Safety, Safety Care Training, and Crisis Prevention Training

Mandated Reporter Training

Conference: Have Dreams Autism-Based Interventions

Training for LAMP, Touch Chat, CORE Language

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Certified Board Certified Behavior Analyst- Since September 2022

ASPIRE Consulting, Inc. 2022-present

Special Education Teacher, Carol Stream D93 2018-2022

Special Education Teacher, Mannheim School District 83, Enger School, 2012-2018

Student Teacher, 2007- 2012

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2009 Project Manager for Culminating Project/Thesis group working with United Way California Capital Region’s Emerging Leaders change initiative as part of the University of San Francisco’s Master of Science, Organization Development program, Sacramento, CA.

2009 Featured speaker for the University of San Francisco, Culminating Project, San Ramon, CA.