Katherine Johnson, M.A., BCBA
Director, Senior Behavior Analyst/Consultant
Katherine is founder and director of Advances Learning Center. She has a Master of Arts degree in Behavior Disorders and Applied Behavior Analysis from Columbia University Teachers College and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has taught in both private and public schools at pre-school and elementary levels and has provided educational consultation services to public schools and home programs. Her interest in social skill development originated in graduate school, where she did her thesis on using self-management to increase peer interaction. She has taught undergraduate behavior analysis courses at Northeastern University and graduate level courses at Simmons College and has provided parent training through the May Institute. She is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis and the International Society for Behaviorology, and is past president of the Greater Boston Association for Behavior Analysis. To contact Katherine Johnson via email: kjohnson@advancesonline.com
Katrina Fallon, M.S.Ed, BCBA;
Placement and Progress Coordinator, Behavior Analyst/Consultant
Katrina has a Masters of Science degree in Behavioral Education from Simmons College and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has worked as an ABA instructor, program manager and consultant in private home programs and as an inclusion facilitator in the public schools. She has experience with children at all levels on the PDD spectrum. As a consultant at Advances, Katrina has worked with children from pre-school age to middle school. She is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis and the Greater Boston Association for Behavior Analysis. To contact Katrina Fallon via email: katrina.fallon@advancesonline.com
Jill Norrgard, M.S.Ed, BCBA
Behavior Analyst/Consultant
Jill has a Masters of Science degree in Behavioral Education from Simmons College and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has worked as an ABA instructor, program manager and consultant in both public and private school settings, as well as in home programs. She is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis, and the Greater Boston Association for Behavior Analysis. To contact Jill Norrgard via email: jill.norrgard@advancesonline.com
Libby Adams, BCABA
Parent Trainer/Staff Trainer/Group Leader
Libby is the Parent and Staff Trainer at Advances and also teaches social skills groups. She is a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA), has been teaching children using Applied Behavior Analysis since 1998, and has been leading social skills groups since 2002. She has worked with children with autism, PDD-NOS, attention-deficit disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. She has provided one-to-one instruction in childrens’ homes and has classroom experience as well. In addition, Ms. Adams has completed the Therapist Training Program at the May Institute and holds a bachelor's degree in Linguistics from Boston University. To contact Libby Adams via email: libby.adams@advancesonline.com
Alissa Gallaher, OTR/L
Group Leader
Ms. Gallaher has been working in the field of behavior analysis since 1999. She has provided educational services to students in their homes and has worked as a 1:1 aide in the public schools. She also delivers our Occupational Therapy Services. She has also worked as an OT for newborns through adults in home and hospital settings. Ms. Gallaher received training from UCLA consultants & various ABA consultants in the Boston area and has had extensive supervision by BCBAs. She has taught social skills in a 1:1 setting and has facilitated social skills groups since 2002. Ms. Gallaher has her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. To contact Alissa Gallaher via email: alissa.gallaher@advancesonline.com
Jennifer Blankenship, M.S.Ed.
Program Manager
Ms. Blankenship has a Masters of Science degree in Behavioral Education and is working toward becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has worked under BCBA supervision as an ABA instructor in private home programs and in school settings, has worked at Advances Learning Center since 2002 and has been a social skills group leader since 2005. She has experience with typically developing children, children with autism, PDD-NOS, ADD/ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. Ms. Blankenship obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a focus in education. To contact Jennifer Blankenship via email: jenny.blankenship@advancesonline.com
Nicole Bessey, B.Sc.
Program Manager
Nicole is currently a student at Simmons College, completing her Masters Degree in Behavioral Education. She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a minor degree in Child Development from the University of Maine. Nicole has over 5 years experience in Applied Behavior Analysis and has worked with children of a variety of ages with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Delay. To contact Nicole Bessey via email: nicole.bessey@advancesonline.com
Matt Mosher, MFA
Program Manager
... To contact Matt Mosher via email: matt.mosher@advancesonline.com