Professional Development Video Library for Special Educators

Sarah Winningham, MA, BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst from Indiana. She received her Master?s degree in Special Education from Ball State University with certifications in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism. Sarah has been working with students on the Autism Spectrum for almost 9 years. 

She has worked for three ABA centers as a therapist, trainer, clinical lead and clinical director. She is currently an adjunct member at Capella University teaching Master?s level ABA courses and developing Continuing Education and training materials for Special Learning.

Tamar Varnai, MA, BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst originally from New York. She received her Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Columbia University Teacher's College and has been working with students with special needs for over 10 years, specializing in working with children on the Autism Spectrum, as well as teaching language and social skills to students of all ages. Tamar is currently practicing in Europe and providing BCBA and ABA supervision services to families in the US via Skype.

Amanda Fishley, MA, BCBA, COBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst. She received her Master’s degree in Special Education/ABA from The Ohio State University. She has been working with in the field of ABA for over ten years.

She has experience working with children, adolescents and adults in school, home and mental health settings. These experiences have allowed her to work closely with parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, as well as mentoring and supervising behavior analysts. She is the Associate Director of Clinical Solutions for Special Learning, creating and presenting educational materials and promoting Special Learning’s mission to positively impact the special needs community.

Angela Sallerson, OTR/L is a registered occupational therapist with over 40 years of experience in the field of occupational therapy. For the past 20 years, she has specialized in treating children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in various settings. As a SIPT certified Senior Ready Approach therapist, she was a protégé of Bonnie Hanschu, creator of the Ready Approach, a highly effective methodology that incorporates sensory strategies throughout the day in a natural environment.

In her role as a sensory processing expert for Imua Family Services in Maui, HR, she helps children 3 to 6 with behavioral difficulties which impact their educational progress. Research indicates up to 16% of school aged children may be affected by this disorder. In children with autism, the rate of prevalence range from 75% to 90%. Bonnie has devoted her life to learning how to help children with Autism overcome this challenge so that they can achieve fulfilling lives.

Michele LaMarche is the co-founder of Special Learning, Inc. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Step By Step Academy (SBSA), a highly-regarded centre-based non-profit Autism treatment centre in Columbus, Ohio. Since its formation almost ten years ago, SBSA has touched the lives of over one thousand students through rigorous application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatments, resulting in exceptional outcomes.

Ms. LaMarche, with over fifteen years of professional experience in the field of ABA, uses her knowledge of behavioral treatment to produce ground breaking, effective, empirically validated curricula, a critical factor in successfully mainstreaming hundreds of students with ASD. With her credentials and work through Special Learning and SBSA, she has changed the lives of countless individuals and families affected by ASD.

Clinic Director at Step By Step Academy, a position she has held since 2009, where she previously served as Training and Behavior Plan Supervisor,Outreach and Training Coordinator, Program Supervisor/Outreach Support Technician and Behavior Technician.

Christine regularly publishes and presents at professional conferences on the topic of autism and behavioral support. Her areas of expertise include ABA, training, individual education plans (IEPs), treatment planning and behavior modification and behavior management. She has a BA in Psychology and minor in Sociology from Ohio State University. A Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), Christine trained in Applied Behavior Analysis with the University of North Texas and is certified in Crisis Prevention.

Dr. Ronald Brown, a noted expert on the topic of ADHD has served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic (Health Affairs) at the University of North Texas System.

Dr. Brown completed his Ph.D. from Georgia State University and has been the past President of the Society of Pediatric Psychology and the Association of Psychologists of Academic Health Centers.

He is a board-certified clinical health psychologist and has been an active clinician, teacher, advocate and investigator. He served as a member of the Behavioral Medicine study section of the NIH and chaired several special panels at NIH. He currently serves as the Editor of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.

Dr. Ronald Brown’s area of specialization includes behavioral sciences, pediatric psychology, attention deficit disorders, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, learning disabilities and psychosocial oncology. 

Ann Beirne, MA, BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over two decades of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

She has provided direct services to children and families in home environments, schools, and residential programs. Her work with this population has spanned the lifespan, including toddlers, young children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities.

Ms. Beirne is co-author of the textbook Understanding Ethics in Behavior Analysis:  Practical Applications available from Routledge Publishing in 2019.