The founders of Autism Partnership are world-renowned authorities in the treatment of autism. Having contributed significantly to seminal works including books, research publications, and scientific conferences since the 1970s, they also provide consultations to school districts and families worldwide.
Dr. Ronald Leaf is a licensed psychologist who has been working in the field since the 1970’s . Dr. Leaf began his career working with Professor Ivar Lovaas, while receiving his undergraduate degree at UCLA. Subsequently, he received his doctorate under the direction of Prof. Lovaas. During his years at UCLA, he served as Clinic Supervisor, Research Psychologist, Lecturer and Interim Director of the Young Autism Project. He was extensively involved in several research investigations, contributed to “The Me Book”, and is a co-author of “The Me Book” Videotapes, a series of instructional tapes for teaching autistic children.
Dr. Leaf has consulted to families, schools, day programs and residential facilities on a national and international basis. Dr. leaf is co-author of “A Work In Progress”, “Time for School”, “It Has to Be Said”, “Crafting Connections” and “A Work In Progress Companion Series”.
Mr. Toby Mountjoy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis. With over 25 years of experience working with individuals with ASD, he has been extensively trained by Dr. Ronald Leaf, Dr. Mitchell Taubman and Dr. John McEachin. Besides overseeing the Autism Partnership operation in Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Kuwait and Beijing, with over 500 staff, including psychologists, consultants and therapists, he has also provides consultations to school districts, agencies, and families worldwide. Mr. Mountjoy has also contributed chapters to publications such as “Sense & Nonsense” and “It’s Time for School”.
Jeremy Leaf is the Clinical Director of Autism Partnership and started working with AP in 2009. Jeremy holds a master’s degree in special education, is a BCBA, Licensed Behavior Analyst, and is a Certified Progressive Behavior Analyst – Autism Professional. Jeremy has worked with individuals with autism since 2007, and has consulted with school districts, families, and other ABA clinics both nationally and internationally. Jeremy has published multiple research papers, presented at international ABA conferences, and has co-authored books on ABA and social skills groups.
Tracee Parker began a career in the field of ABA research and treatment for people with Autism and Developmental Disabilities in 1979. Addressing social/sexual challenges (i.e., development, education, intervention, victimization) and misperceptions among practitioners have driven her focus. Her predoctoral training/experience subsumed five years working with Ivar Lovaas on the UCLA Young Autism Project, and contribution to research studies, including long term treatment of young autistic children. Since earning a doctorate in 1990, her professional endeavors encompassed: Publications as well as presentations, training, and consultation (domestic and international) to a range of agencies, school districts and families.
John McEachin is a licensed psychologist who has been providing behavioral intervention to children with autism as well as adolescents and adults with a wide range of developmental disabilities for more than forty years. He received his graduate training under Professor Ivar Lovaas at UCLA on the Young Autism Project. During his 11 years at UCLA, Dr. McEachin served in various roles including Clinic Supervisor, Research and Teaching Assistant, and Acting Director. His research has included the long-term follow-up study of young autistic children who received intensive behavioral treatment, which was published in 1993.
In 1994 he joined with Ron Leaf in forming Autism Partnership, which they co-direct. In 1999 they published A Work in Progress, a widely used behavioral treatment manual and curriculum for children with autism. Dr. McEachin has lectured throughout the world and co-authored numerous books and research articles. He consults regularly to families, agencies, and school districts, assisting in the development of treatment programs and providing training to parents, group home staff, and classroom personnel.
Amanda Rogue is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Master of Science in ABA from St. Cloud State University. She joined Autism Partnership in 2012 as a Treatment Analyst providing one-on-one, school shadow, and social skills group therapy for children with ASD. In 2018, Amanda led and supervised a school-based ABA classroom for children ages 5-7 with ASD where she developed and implemented goals and curriculum while also providing comprehensive staff training. Throughout her years, though she has specialized in group therapy and staff training, she also has extensive experience with providing parent support and consultations. She is currently the Site Director of AP’s San Francisco clinic.
Dana holds a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst. She joined Autism Partnership in 2003 and began working as a Treatment Analyst. She has extensive experience with children and adolescents with autism in one-on-one and group settings, as well as shadowing support in schools. Dana has also been part of Autism Partnership’s training team since 2008, providing intensive training to newly hired employees and mentoring staff. In her career at Autism Partnership she has been responsible for supervising and providing parent education, as well as school consultation. She has been a Treatment Coordinator in Seal Beach, California, then the London, UK office, and is now the site director for Autism Partnership’s New York office. She graduated from UCSB in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then, in 2017, earned her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Cloud State University.
Andi Waks is the Director of Client Services at Autism Partnership. She began working with children with autism in the late 1970s at UCLA on the Young Autism Project, where she served as a Senior Therapist, Research Assistant, and Teaching Assistant. Andi has worked with Drs. Leaf and McEachin on the Young Autism Project, the Behavior Therapy and Learning Center, Straight Talk, and Autism Partnership. She earned her master’s degree in general psychology at Pepperdine University and returned to school to pursue a law degree. She practiced special education law, representing families of children with autism, before returning to Autism Partnership full-time. She consults with families and school districts both locally and nationally and serves on the Board of Autism Partnership Foundation.
Kristel Perepelitsyn attended Azusa Pacific University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Special Education. She also earned her master’s degree in Special Education from California State University in Long Beach. Kristel joined Autism Partnership in 2012 as a treatment analyst and is currently serving as the Director of Parent Support at the clinic in Seal Beach, California.
In addition to her work with parents, Kristel also provides consultation to school districts, mentoring to treatment analysts, supervision for clients, and is a part of the Jumpstart team.
Sanford J. Slater is a licensed psychologist who has worked with children and adults who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities since 1981. As an undergraduate student at UCLA, he trained with O. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D. along with John McEachin, Ph.D., BCBA-D and Ronald Leaf, Ph.D. at the Young Autism Project. He served in a supervisory mode as a Senior Therapist. He also functioned as a Research Assistant and a Teaching Assistant during his time there. After completing his B.A., he worked at Straight Talk Clinic, Developmental Disabilities Division as the supervisor of the day treatment program as part of a comprehensive behavioral treatment program for adults with developmental disabilities and severe behavior issues. He then earned his Master’s Degree in General Psychology at Eastern Michigan University and his Ph.D. in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida.
After earning his doctorate, he returned to Straight Talk Clinic, Inc. and was the Clinical Director of the agency serving multiple populations. This included the Developmental Disabilities division as well as overseeing the drug treatment facilities, drug prevention programs, and counseling services and an internship program at multiple sites. He also had a small private practice working with adults with depression, anxiety, anger issues as well as other conditions.
He joined Autism Partnership in 1994, when it was first formed. In his work with Autism Partnership, he has served as a provided consultation and training to professionals, school districts, parents and families throughout the U.S. and internationally. Additionally, he was involved in psychological testing when provided by Autism Partnership. He also co-authored a chapter titled “Meaningful Progress???” in the book “Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It has to be Said”. He also functions as the Program Administrator in charge of Continuing Education programs provided by Autism Partnership. Finally, he is working with Progressive Behavior Analyst Autism Council which has a mission to provide credentialing programs targeting the need to provide high-quality interventions for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Rick Schroeder began his career in 1992 as an undergraduate at the Young Autism Project at UCLA under the supervision of Dr. Ivar Lovaas. He spent 2 years at the project finishing his time as a supervising student therapist. Following his time at UCLA, Rick joined Autism Partnership at its inception in 1994. Under the tutelage of Dr. Ronald Leaf, Dr. John McEachin, and Dr. Mitchel Taubman, Rick has continued to grow in relation to providing quality ABA with children and adults with ASD. Across the years with Autism Partnership Rick has served as a direct interventionist, case supervisor, parent trainer, consultant, national and international presenter
Emily Franciscus joined Autism Partnership in 2013 beginning her path in providing compassionate care to children and parents in the autism community. Through the years Emily has provided individual behavioral therapy to children, developed and led social skills groups, and consulted in various school districts. In addition, Emily was integral in the production of an Autism Partnership classroom where she fostered a love of learning for her clients in a school environment. In 2022 Emily became Site Director to Autism Partnership’s San Francisco office. She currently resides in this position providing ongoing training to therapists, supervising client progress, and leading parent education services. Emily strives to continually improve the field of Applied Behavior Analysis by disseminating progressive ABA therapy, and pushing for excellence in the work that she does.
Ms. Elizabeth Darrah is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Masters in Special Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her path crossed with Autism Partnership while doing an internship in a classroom in Alaska. After graduating, she moved to Seal Beach in 2015 to join the Autism Partnership team. She began working directly with children as a one-to-one staff, as well as providing shadow support in schools and leading social groups in the clinic. In 2018 she moved into the role of treatment coordinator, supervising cases as well as co-leading an AP classroom in a school setting and continuing to mentor staff in the social groups. Over the last year, Elizabeth started providing parent education, providing hands on training with understanding and application of ABA principles with parents at our agency, as well as consulting in other school districts. She continues to provide supervision, family support and staff training for the families in the Seal Beach office.
Heather Wicorek is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis. She joined Autism Partnership in 2016 and has spent her time working directly with children one-to-one in both clinic and home-based settings, in addition to social groups, school shadow support and direct classroom instruction. In 2019 she continued to work as a Specialized Treatment Analyst, providing intensive direct one-to-one early intervention. In 2020, she developed and led a virtual social skills group to provide distance-learning opportunities to school-aged children with ASD. She now works primarily as a Treatment Coordinator within the clinic, designing and implementing individualized treatment plans for the children and families with which she works, which includes parent training and support as well as staff training and development. In 2022 she began working as a public school district consultant, primarily in staff training and development for school-based intervention. In addition, she is involved in providing intensive direct intervention as part of the Jump Start team in the Seal Beach office.
Jade Weir is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. Jade began working with children with ASD in 2012 and accumulated a variety of direct clinical experience before completing a 2-year long internship with Autism Partnership Foundation in 2017. There, she received extensive training on the principles of Progressive ABA and further developed her interest in quality supervision and staff training. After completing her internship, Jade received additional training as a Treatment Coordinator by working directly with children, staff, and parents. Since 2021, Jade has worked as a lead trainer for all newly hired staff within the Enriched Consultation Services (ECS) model at Autism Partnership; ensuring that staff receive extensive training that goes beyond minimum standards and that the children they serve receive high-quality services through individualized programming. Jade also works as a Behavioral Consultant in classrooms with the Clark County School district in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jazmin Andrade is working towards her Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification with a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Pepperdine University. She had previously provided one to one direct services at an elementary school in special education classrooms before joining Autism Partnership in 2018 and has since gathered experience providing one to one services in a clinical setting, home setting and at schools. She has also provided consultation for school districts in which she provides training for classroom staff and ancillary support staff and assists with development of individualized student programs.
Jessica Hsieh is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Master’s degree in Professional Education in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western University, Canada. She joined Autism Partnership in 2018 at the Calgary office, working directly with children of ASD in one-on-one sessions, social groups and school shadowing.
In 2020, she became a team lead, overseeing data analysis and updating individualized education plans (IEPs) on a quarterly basis.
In 2022, Jessica relocated to the San Francisco office, where she continued providing one-on-one and social group therapy.
Since 2023, she has taken on the responsibilities including supervision for therapy sessions, developing and implementing IEPs and training staff.
Ms. Nora Darwish is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Southern California. She joined Autism Partnership in 2020 and has gathered several years of experience working directly with children with ASD in one-on-one, social group, and school settings. As a Treatment Coordinator, Nora is involved in client assessment and program development, as well as in providing support and supervision to staff and parents.
Norma Torres is a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with a Masters in Education in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis from Endicott College, Massachusetts. She joined Autism Partnership in February, 2013 and has accumulated many years of experience in working directly with children of ASD in one-on-one, social groups, school shadow and research settings. Currently Norma is part of the leadership team at Autism Partnership in Seal Beach, CA leading a social skills group and providing staff training to other Treatment Analysts.
Shannon McCourt is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis from Endicott University. She joined Autism Partnership Foundation in 2018 and completed a 2-year internship with intensive training applying the principles of Progressive ABA. After completing her internship, Shannon began working at Autism Partnership where she received additional training opportunities consulting for families in and out of the state, working in Jump Starts, assisting with in-home Crisis Res-Q, training staff, and developing curriculum. Shannon is one of AP’s certified Pro-ACT Instructors and provides crisis intervention training to all staff members. Now a Treatment Coordinator, she assists families and their children by providing quality supervision and support.
Our Consultants are HIGHLY QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED
Our team of consultants are comprised of doctorate and master degree holders, clinical psychologists and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) with many years of experience in planning and implementing Intensive Behavioral Treatment.
Staff Training and On-going Staff Support is Integral to APM
AP is devoted to training our staff to become a dedicated group of empathetic and compassionate clinicians who provide quality ABA treatment using the Autism Partnership Method. Our goal is to create positive, life-long changes for children with ASD and their families.
