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/about us

Suzanne Ward

/BCBA

Suzanne Ward (BCBA #1-09-5325) 

discovered ABA coincidentally after completion of her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Special Education from Long Island University. Her first post-grad job was working as an in-home ABA therapist in New York City. She immediately observed the transformative power of ABA as a science of teaching and has been completely hooked ever since. Suzanne brought ABA back to her home state of Oklahoma where she served in Early Intervention Programs, a state-level position, authored a Technical Assistance Guide for Educators working with individuals with ASD, took a university research position as a senior BCBA, and finally as a Clinical and Regional Director of a center-based program spanning 4 midwestern states. 

 

Suzanne received her BCBA coursework through the Florida Institute of Technology in 2009. It was there she met the behavior guru, José Martinez-Diaz, whose energetic and deep passion for ABA inspired her to join his team as a co-instructor.  Suzanne moved to Germany in 2014, planted some roots, and joined her friend and colleague Veneta Dimitrova as a Teaching Tree starter-set. The two of them can still be found making behavior jokes and philosophizing over material and immaterial environmental stimuli.  

 

Suzanne loves the mountains, especially snowboarding with her husband or hiking with their small 2-dog pack. She looks forward to her periodic German lessons and spending time with her seven-year-old step-daughter/German instructor. At the beginning of the pandemic, she even surprised herself with an affinity for playing golf! Suzanne creates farm-inspired adventurous learning experiences and courses through We Love Adventure. But, she is most proud of being surrounded by a wonderful team, who share and nurture her passion and commitment to upholding the integrity of behavior analysis and placing the utmost value on optimizing potential and happiness in all of the learners served at adaptABILITY.  

Taylor Calame

/BCBA


Taylor is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with 13 years of experience in ABA. She earned both her Master of Education and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degrees from Texas A&M University. Taylor is committed to providing hope and making a lasting impact on her clients with autism through quality ABA services. The belief that the family system is key to any child's growth, learning, and success is central to Taylor's approach to ABA. She enjoys sharing knowledge of the science of ABA by training and supervising Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA’s) Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT's), and Supervisees pursuing board certification with the hopes of making ABA accessible to a greater number of children and families. Taylor is a proud military spouse and mother of three beautiful children.

Anna Burke

/Office Manager/ Lead RBT

Anna started by receiving a B.S. in Psychology in ABA, following a passion for learning, research, and empirically proven interventions. As a result, she began working in the field as an RBT to practice life-changing therapy and expand her knowledge of people and ASD. Anna feels that each day is different and she has the opportunity to teach clients how to live a more independent life that satisfies their aspirations. She believes nothing compares to the fulfillment of seeing a kid meet their goals- especially when the data demonstrates mastery. 

Anna is inspired regularly by the team she works with, the kids she works with, and the scientists dedicated to developing intervention strategies. She says “The team here always challenges the way I think and gives me ideas on how to be a better therapist and person. The kids I work with inspire me to be myself and to be flexible in my teaching to best serve them. The scientists in the field inspire me to challenge interventions that do not meet the rigorous standards for effectiveness and advocate for people that could be harmed by such interventions.”

 

Her favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; although the book is not about ASD, it does teach applicable lessons about standing up for what is morally right, giving a voice to those being oppressed, and not judging others based on perceivable differences. The message is kindness and acceptance of others regardless of flaws and differences so that we can celebrate each person for who they are as an individual.

 

In her spare time, you will find Anna practicing and teaching yoga with joy, hiking with her family, fine-tuning her homesteading skills, and most importantly, learning. Her passion in life is to learn as much as she can and teach anyone and everyone willing to listen to her ravings about science, animals, nature, and mindfulness. 

Janina Schiebelhut

/Lead RBT

Janina joined the adaptABILITY team in May 2021.  Her language skills as a bilingual RBT have been instrumental in introducing ABA to local German schools and kindergartens. Janina was new to the field of autism and ABA when she started, but she quickly developed a passion and a proficiency for instructional efficiency. She loves seeing the joy and excitement on the faces of the clients as they run to the center, eager to have fun with their therapist and learn new skills. She has helped her clients achieve significant progress in their communication, social, and academic skills, while making the sessions fun and enjoyable. She is also inspired by her colleagues, who share their knowledge and experience with her and make her feel part of a strong team. Janina enjoys spending time in nature with her family, hiking and taking day trips to explore new places. She hopes to continue to spread the word about ABA and help more children in this community.

Anna Lina Kertesz

/RBT

Anna heard about ABA from a friend and became very curious about how ABA works. After she observed a few sessions, she became fascinated and thought that it would be something for her… working with children and being able to really make a change in their life. Anna had a neighbor with Autism growing up and learned about the impact of autism on family life. She loves being able to help children and letting her inner child out.  Anna is inspired by her coworkers, and especially the new RBTs. Although their time in the field has been brief, they have quickly developed strong skills and expertise. She is already following in their footsteps.  She has even started to utilize ABA with her 14-month old son. Anna loves going for long walks or nice places with her family and dogs. Anna wishes that more people knew that ABA doesn't mean we are wanting to change anybody. Teaching is not done by force. We only want to improve their quality of life so they can be more independent and social. 

Celina Bader

/ABAT

Celina’s journey into ABA began when her friends, who were RBTs, told her that she would be a perfect fit for the job. She was able to observe her younger cousin with autism throughout his treatment. Celina was intrigued by the challenges and rewards of working with kids who learn differently. She moved from Texas to Germany and found the perfect opportunity to join the adaptABILITY team. Celina enjoys teaching her learners new skills and new ways to communicate, as well as building lasting relationships with them. She is inspired by her colleagues and their shared vision of making a difference in each child’s life. Celina believes that “If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn.” She likes to balance her work with both fitness and relaxation.

Tobias Schiebelhut

/ABAT 

Tobi says that he became interested in ABA when his wife, who is a passionate BCBA, introduced him to some of the leading figures in the field, such as Steven Hayes, Dr. Hanley, and Pat Friman. As he listened to their podcasts and watched their interviews, he became hooked. He visited the clinic and witnessed the amazing work they were doing with the learners, and wanted to join them. Tobi started working as an ABAT in September 2023, and loves working with an amazing team and seeing the progress of all the learners. It is very rewarding and motivating. One quote that always stays with him is: “look for the baby in the backseat,” meaning that sometimes we get angry or frustrated with people who act in ways that we don’t like, such as being rude, lazy, or irresponsible. But if we knew the context of their situation, we might feel differently.  For example, if we see a car that doesn’t move when the light turns green, we might honk and curse at the driver. But if we see that the driver is trying to help a baby who is choking in the backseat, we would feel empathy and compassion instead. Dr. Friman suggests that we should look for the baby in the backseat when we encounter people who behave in ways that we don’t understand or appreciate. This can help us to be more empathetic, compassionate, and effective in our interactions with others.

Katrin Hechler-Massel

/BCBA

Kat has been a member of the adaptABILITY family since 12/2022. Kat is a native German, who moved back to Germany in 2022. Prior to relocating, she lived and worked in the beautiful State of Utah, USA, where she worked for the HOME Program/Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic at the University of Utah. Kat first started working in the field of ABA in 2011, when she met her mentor, who guided and supported her toward certification. Kat has loved being a BCBA since 2014. 

Kat has a diverse professional background  and has had the opportunity to work with individuals of varying abilities and ages, and across different environments. She is passionate about supporting individuals and families, while providing quality ABA services. Kat appreciates consulting and collaborating with care teams to create positive, lasting and socially significant changes for individuals. 

Kat is a dedicated mom and family-oriented person, who enjoys spending time with her wonderful family. Together, Kat and her family can be found spending time outdoors and exploring their new home of Rhineland-Palatinate, from the beautiful castles to the quaint restaurants. Kat and her family also enjoy listening to records, playing family games and reading books. 

Justin Hechler

/ABAT (in-training)
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