PRESIDENT, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (O.T.R)

Diane is an occupational therapist who has specialized in working with families, infants, children and adults with autism for over 30 years. Her work is grounded in merging the principles of applied behavior analysis and developmental framework to promote social interaction, communication, self regulation, play, work, motor development. self-care. and problem solving.

CLINICAL DIRECTOR, SENIOR CONSULTANT (M.Ed, BCBA)

Anne is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, ESDM certified direct service delivery therapist and a former special education teacher. Anne has worked in the field of ABA since 2000, with infants through adults, in a variety of settings. Anne’s professional passions include individualized assessment, effective naturalistic therapy and parent/caregiver coaching. She is proficient in American Sign Language and Bulgarian.

DIRECTOR, SENIOR CONSULTANT (M.Ed., BCBA)

Theresa is a Behavior Analyst and holds a Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education from Vanderbilt University. For 20+ years, Theresa has worked with young children with autism and their families in a variety of settings. Her interests lie in designing and implementing meaningful play-based interventions and naturalistic language supports for young children. Theresa is a Certified Trainer and Provider in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM).

DIRECTOR, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST (M. S. CCC-SLP)

Helen has been a speech-language pathologist for 40+ years. She is a certified ESDM provider and Hanen certified, and has extensive training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Helen's work has taken her across the US, Europe and Africa, to work with children, professionals, and families who are creating authentic relationship and joy through verbal and non-verbal communication.

CONSULTANT (M.A., BCBA)

Kristen is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with a master’s degree in educational psychology. She has served individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities for over 10 years, across various settings. Kristen values the relationships she has with clients and their families as well as a collaborative approach across disciplines. Kristen is PEAK Certified- Level 2: Experiential and utilizes and applies this knowledge with the individuals she serves.

SENIOR INTERVENTIONIST (B.A., RBT)

Karissa has worked with children for over 10 years in a variety of settings and in the ABA field for over 3 years. In the near future, she plans on getting her BCBA certification and eventually her Occupational Therapy (OT) degree. Karissa’s passions include working on Activities of Daily Living (ADL) goals, education-based learning with my clients, and helping her clients apply what they learn to the community, home, and school.

CONSULTANT (M. A., SLP-A, BCBA)

Jaima is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who holds a Master’s Degree in ABA, a certificate in Autism Studies and Speech-Language-Pathology-Assistant licensure. She is an enthusiastic educator with over 10 years of therapeutic service provision, including 6 in the field of behavior analysis. Jaima believes in cultivating connection to promote interpersonal partnerships with clients and colleagues. Jaima uses authentic interest and engagement to foster growth and autonomy in learners of all abilities. She is proficient in ASL.

SENIOR CONSULTANT (M.S., BCBA)

Daniel Jones, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Senior Consultant with 10 years of therapeutic experience helping children, adolescents, parents, and young adults. He specializes in naturalistic individual interventions and neurodiverse family consultation honoring each person’s interests, goals, and strengths. Daniel's expertise in ABA, applied with a scientific and innovative focus, empowers individuals to discover their potential in a compassionate and result-oriented environment.

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR, CONSULTANT (M.A., BCBA)

Chelsea joined the Thrive team in 2018. Before becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Chelsea worked as a preschool teacher for nearly 10 years in Boulder, CO. She is a believer of naturalistic-based therapy and learning through play and laughter. Chelsea has a Degree in Early Childhood Special Education, a Master’s in Early Intervention, and an ESDM Certified provider.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SENIOR CONSULTANT, (M.A., BCBA)

Krysten is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with 20 years of experience in the fields of behavior analysis and education. She values a collaborative and naturalistic approach to therapy with an emphasis on inclusion and acceptance in the community at large. She is also passionate about mentoring therapists in their journey to provide compassionate and supportive care to our neurodiverse population.

SENIOR INTERVENTIONIST (B.A., RBT)

Amanda has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for 4 years. Aside from her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Child Advocacy Studies, her experience extends to working with many diverse populations and age groups in both clinical and school settings. Amanda's values lie in promoting effective, functional communication and interdisciplinary teamwork. She is currently working towards her BCBA certification at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

INTERVENTIONIST, ENRICHMENT COORDINATOR

Autumn is a Registered Behavior Technician and Enrichment Coordinator with Thrive. She earned a degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Child Development. As the Enrichment Coordinator at Thrive Autumn enjoys helping children to explore new materials through art, science, STEM and sensory play. Autumn values the collaboration of Thrive members, parents and caregivers to provide the best support for each individual child.

SENIOR CONSULTANT (M.Ed, BCBA)

Molly holds her master’s in special education. As a direct delivery Early Start Denver Model therapist, she merges the principles of applied behavior analysis and a developmental framework to address the specific needs of her clients. She values building therapeutic and positive relationships with the teams and people she supports. Her interests lie in providing thoughtful, naturalistic, and a collaborative approach with clients, families, teachers, and other allied professionals.

INTERVENTIONIST (B.A., RBT)

Ellie is a former teacher and nanny and is a Registered Behavioral Technician. She holds a Bachelor’s in Health Policy and also trained as a postpartum doula. She is pursuing her Masters of Social Work with Colorado State University and has over 15 years of experience working with infants–late teens. She holds several certificates in Early Childhood Development and is innately inquisitive of human behavior. Ellie is passionate about relationship-building, play-based learning, and holistic integration of care. She is proficient in Spanish.

INTERVENTIONIST (B.A., RBT)

Tanessa, a graduate of Metropolitan State University with a Bachelor of Science in lifestyle medicine and a minor in wellness coaching, is a Registered Behavior Technician. With a dedication to making a lasting impact on young lives, she combines a strong educational foundation with a heartfelt commitment to guiding them toward healthy and fulfilling futures.

INTERVENTIONIST (B.A., RBT)

Ryan Seery is a dedicated Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) originally from the DC metro area and currently based in Denver. He’s been providing high-quality behavioral support since May 2021 and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Florida Institute of Technology, with plans to obtain his Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification.

When not working, you can often find him at a Denver Nuggets game or playing basketball with friends. He is passionate about teamwork and staying active, both in his personal life and in his career.

CONSULTANT (M.Ed., BCBA)

Amanda is a BCBA with over 20 years of experience working with children, and in the field of ABA since 2021. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. Amanda is passionate about helping each of the individuals she works with achieve their fullest potential and assisting in making traditionally non-inclusive spaces more accessible to neurodiverse populations through positive behavior supports and environmental modifications.

CONSULTING PSYCHOLOGIST

Bill Sobesky is licensed clinical psychologist who earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Denver. He has taught graduate students at the University of Denver, the University of Colorado Boulder and Medical School. He has also worked as a staff and research psychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Bill specializes in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with a variety of mental health and educational issues as well as with children with developmental disabilities.

DIRECTOR, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (O.T.R.)

Diane is an occupational therapist who has specialized in working with families, infants, children and adults with autism for over 30 years. Her work is grounded in merging the principles of applied behavior analysis and developmental framework to promote social interaction, communication, self regulation, play, work, motor development. self-care. and problem solving.

CONSULTANT (M.Ed, BCBA)

Maddie is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with a Master of Special Education with an emphasis in ABA. For 7 years, Maddie has worked with children with autism in a variety of settings. Previously, Maddie was a Recreational Therapist, supporting individuals with disabilities to access and engage in their leisure interests. She loves build connections and playfully motivate her clients to learn. Maddie has training in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and Skills-Based Training (SBT).

INTERVENTIONIST (RBT)

Born and raised in Aspen, Clarity spent many years volunteering with Extreme Sports Camp for children with autism. After studying textile arts and pursuing creative careers, she has decided to incorporate her passion for child development into her workplace. Clarity joined the Thrive team in 2023 and obtained a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT) certificate and has training in Early Denver Start Model (ESDM).

SENIOR CONSULTANT (M.S., BCBA)

Daniel Jones, is a a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Senior Consultant with 10 years of therapeutic experience helping children, adolescents, parents, and young adults. He specializes in naturalistic individual interventions and neurodiverse family consultation honoring each person’s interests, goals, and strengths. Daniel's expertise in ABA, applied with a scientific and innovative focus, empowers individuals to discover their potential in a compassionate and result-oriented environment.

SENIOR CONSULTANT (M.Ed, BCBA)

Jess began her career over 13 years ago in a school-based autism program as a paraprofessional and then teacher after receiving her master's in special education. Interested in supporting children across settings, she transitioned to community and home-based services, becoming a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in 2019. Her current clinical interests include parent coaching, supervision, Skills-Based Treatment, and ADHD.

LEARNING SPECIALIST (M.S., RBT)

Ashley has a master's in Adapted Physical Activity and began her career coaching Special Olympics tennis and teaching Adapted Physical Education classes in Pennsylvania. With a love for the mountains, she moved to Colorado in 2013 to work for a nonprofit organization specializing in outdoor programs for youth with autism. With over 10 years of experience supporting students in schools, she is also trained in Brain Frames, a set of visual tools that organize language, and Empower, a method designed to teach expository writing effectively. She enjoys working with individuals in school, home, and clinical settings.

INTERVENTIONIST (RBT)

Anisa Lavender, an interventionist at Thrive, combines her lived experience as a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) with her native fluency in American Sign Language (ASL) and her identity as an autistic individual. Her background includes extensive work with Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, as well as autistic, neurodiverse, and other disabled communities. Currently pursuing her RBT certification, Anisa is passionate about promoting learning through a playful and holistic approach. She also wants to expand Thrive Aspen services to include educating people and spreading awareness about Deaf culture and ASL. She’s a queer-friendly interventionist with a unique perspective and empathetic approach ensure that she provides effective and personalized support, drawing on her deep understanding of diverse needs and experiences.