Who We Are

Our Amazing Team

We are credentialed, experienced, passionate clinicians. We are committed to conducting ABA correctly, systematically and efficiently, with thoughtfulness and compassion. 

Lynn Wilson, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Founder / Director

Lynn Wilson, Ph.D., BCBA-D was one of the very first applicants nationally to receive certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked in the field of autism for over 20 years.

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Lynn Wilson, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Founder / Director

Lynn Wilson, Ph.D., BCBA-D was one of the very first applicants nationally to receive certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked in the field of autism for over 20 years. She has taught Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at the university level, published and presented research, and has an extensive background as a clinician. She received her undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees at Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, one of the most recognized universities in the world for the study of Behavior Analysis, and was lucky to have as one of her advisors the extraordinarily gifted behavior analyst and teacher of Verbal Behavior, Jack Michael, Ph.D.

Years prior to establishing ABA & Verbal Behavior Group, she was instrumental in developing the initial framework for ABA to be accessible to families through the San Diego Regional Center. She also conducted hundreds of behavioral needs evaluations for children with autism, made referrals for ABA, and reviewed corresponding ABA programs. This gave her an awareness and an aspiration to eventually open her own agency to provide effective and authentic ABA services which she has seen to be life-changing for children with a diagnosis of autism. As the Clinical and Executive Director of ABA & Verbal Behavior Group, she is both grateful and proud to be a mentor to the team of talented behavior analysts she has hand-picked and who are truly second to none in every way that matters.

As a result of her training at WMU, she is intimately familiar with how ABA works and how it should be conducted. Behavior analysis has been a life-long career and she is 100% committed to leading a company that provides genuine, ethical, and scientifically based ABA. Her employees know that she is passionate about the field and might jokingly tell you she practically sees the misapplication of ABA as a moral failing. But despite her adherence to the necessary precision of methods based in science, she has genuine care and compassion for each and every family and truly sees the progress of each child as a thing of beauty.

Chelsie Parent, M.S., BCBA

Assistant Clinical Director

Chelsie is an extremely passionate, creative, and well-rounded clinician who has been in the field of ABA since 2009. She has worked with children of all ages and capabilities, providing ABA therapy and consultation in a variety of settings including in homes, schools, and clinics.

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Chelsie Parent, M.S., BCBA

Assistant Clinical Director

Chelsie is an extremely passionate, creative, and well-rounded clinician who has been in the field of ABA since 2009. She has worked with children of all ages and capabilities, providing ABA therapy and consultation in a variety of settings including in homes, schools, and clinics. Chelsie works tirelessly to help children reach their full potential and ensure the best possible programming for each and every child. She specializes in verbal behavior, staff training, parent consultation, and natural environment teaching, and excels in building rapport and identifying what motivates children. Chelsie looks forward to celebrating each and every milestone with you and your child along the journey. Chelsie received her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Simmons College in Boston, MA in 2013 and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2014. She has both conducted and presented research on the topic at behavior analytic conferences. She has been a member of the ABA & Verbal Behavior Group family since 2013.

A great program has a culture of pride, where clinicians thrive on doing ABA to the best of their ability, share client successes with each other, and celebrate, personally and professionally, the progress of your child in which they had a hand.

Lynn Wilson, Director

BCBA Supervisors

Michelle Gunner, M.A., BCBA

Clinical Manager

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Michelle Gunner, M.A., BCBA

Clinical Manager

Michelle Gunner has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 2013. She is passionate about her ability to work closely with families and create the most effective learning environment for their children. She finds her role in each client’s communicative and adaptive growth personally fulfilling.
Michelle excels at implementing creative and client-customized ABA in the home setting. She is committed to early intensive intervention, data-driven curriculums and defined milestones to promote each individual child’s development. She believes it is critical to allow children to explore their environment and determine what naturally motivates them in order to both leverage and integrate that into their development plan. She is committed to the demonstrated value of ABA practice and that drives her to continue expanding her knowledge in this most-rewarding field.
She received her BS in Psychology from University of California, San Diego before pursuing her MA in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, CA. She received her certification in Applied Behavior Analysis from San Diego State University and went on to obtain her Board Certified Behavior Analyst title in December 2018. Michelle has been working with ABA & Verbal Behavior Group since late 2016.

Jetzabel Jauregui, M.A., BCBA

Clinical Supervisor

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Jetzabel Jauregui, M.A., BCBA

Clinical Supervisor

Jetzabel has been working in the field of applied behavioral analysis since 2013 and immediately became captivated by the fulfilling work of applying the science of behavior to address the needs of children with autism.

In practice, Jetzabel finds it of great importance to develop a strong relationship with families in order to create a satisfying and rewarding learning environment for both the parents and the child. She strongly believes that every child’s needs are unique and intends to implement individualized programming with to teach them the necessary skills to lead a safe, happy, and independent life. Jetzabel takes pride in having provided ABA to children over a wide range of ages (0-18 yrs), working in a variety of settings (in-home, daycares, and schools), and her applied experience in what effective parent consultation looks like. Jetzabel also strives to always maintain a fun, fresh, and energetic environment when teaching verbal, self-care, and play skills to improve the life of the child, and their family as a whole.

Jetzabel received her Bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in counseling and social change from San Diego State University. She then attended CSU San Marcos to seek her Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysis certification. Still eager to expand her ABA skills, she attended San Diego State University to earn her Master’s in Special Education with an emphasis in Autism. Jetzabel has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2019.

Nina Larsen M.Ed., BCBA

Clinical Supervisor

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Nina Larsen M.Ed., BCBA

Clinical Supervisor

Nina was introduced to home-based ABA in 2006 and her passion for ABA quickly grew.
She has an impressive track record of working with children ages newborn through middle school and in various settings throughout her life. In 2007, she began working as a Behavior Interventionist in San Diego while completing her schooling and completed the requirements to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2018.
Nina is driven by having complete confidence in our learners that they are able to achieve goals. She has developed amazing expertise with in-home programs, behavior consultations and parent trainings. Nina strives to always conduct and provide the highest quality individualized ABA services to clients and their families, and continues to be amazed and enthused by the progress of the children.
Nina graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University. She subsequently received her Masters of Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from National University and then completed her BCBA coursework through Florida Institute of Technology.
“What keeps me going is seeing one of our kiddos doing something that they have never done before. Even what seems like the simplest things, like imitating ‘ma-ma-ma’ and seeing the excitement in the kiddos and parents faces!!”

Karen Penaflor, M.A., BCBA

Clinical Supervisor

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Karen Penaflor, M.A., BCBA

Clinical Supervisor

Karen was first introduced to Applied Behavior Analysis in an undergraduate class and was immediately drawn to the principles used to teach skills to all individuals. In 2016, Karen sought a position as a Behavior Interventionist where she provided in-home ABA services to children with autism. When she witnessed first-hand how ABA could change the trajectory of children diagnosed with autism, her passion for the field was ignited.
Karen is committed to helping our learners achieve their fullest potential through providing high-quality, effective treatment. She strives to create highly individualized programming designed to motivate our learners to learn and to love learning from us. She is most passionate about collaborating with families to create an environment that is most conducive to learning.
Karen received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at California State University, Northridge in 2016. She received her Master of Arts in Professional Behavior Analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in November 2021. Karen has been working with ABA & Verbal Behavior Group since May 2018.

Assistant and Associate Supervisors

Leon Sanchez

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

M.S., National University, San Diego
Associate Supervisor

Jesse Selstad

Registered Behavior Technician

M.A., Arizona State University, Tempe
Assistant Supervisor

Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs)

Francisco Javier Puga

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

M.S., National University, San Diego

Rebekah Rodriguez

Registered Behavior Technician

B.A., California State University Fullerton
Bilingual; Insightful and sensitive
Pursuing an advanced degree in ABA

Ramie Yamaguchi

Behavior Interventionist

B.S., University of California, San Diego
Dynamic, positive and inspired

Carolina Ardini

B.A., San Diego State University
Fun, versatile, and imaginative

Jules Burner

B.A., University of California
Dedicated, clear, and efficient

Leslie Gonzalez

Universidad Xochicalco, Tijuana
Smart, committed, and experienced

Vivian Lyle

B.S., Chowan University
Dedicated, clever, and caring
Pursuing an advanced degree in ABA

Shannon Moore

B.S., University of California
Creative, outgoing, and enthusiastic

Tristan Neels

B.A., Gettysburg College
Smart, focused, and diligent

Jaylen Oliva

Miramar College
Kind, compassionate, and engaging

Garrett Putnam

B.A., University of San Diego
Creative, inspired, and energetic

Bailey Reynolds

B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara
Clever, skilled, and outgoing

Samantha Stump

B.A., University of Washington, Tacoma
Experienced, patient, and professional

Office Team

Our office team is second-to-none and without them, our clinicians would not be able to focus on the important work of helping children succeed and thrive. We have a harmonious group, and if one person does not have the answer, they know how to find out who does. All of our office staff go the extra mile to support families, from clarifying invoices to troubleshooting scheduling conflicts. They do it all with compassion, and they keep things moving efficiently, which is both grounding and a comfort for everybody. 

Michelle Nieves

Office Manager

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Michelle Nieves

Office Manager

Michelle received her B.A. in Liberal Studies from SDSU and has worked with children her entire life. Originally, her goal was to become a teacher, but after working in a classroom she realized that the best help a child can get starts in the home. So, she sought a position as a therapist and received her Registered Behavior Technician Certificate, while providing ABA services for families. It was a great accomplishment to see the difference she had made with each family and she was ready for more. She took a role in Administration, while continuing to provide services in the ABA field. Having the background of a Behavior Interventionist has magnified the knowledge and understanding needed to now be an efficient full time Office Manager for ABA & Verbal Behavior Group.

Michelle is responsible for creating a smooth flow on the hectic scheduling world. She coordinates and communicates with clients, supervisors and staff. Her tremendous organization skills have helped create different forms of tracking and a more consistent workflow. Michelle effectively tracks authorizations in order to provide enough time to process renewals, is in charge of providing new hire orientation and more.

Although she is now behind the scenes, Michelle continues to support families on a daily basis.

Terry Dadkhah

Accounts Receivable and Payable

With an extensive background in healthcare office support and administration, Terry shines when it comes to getting things exactly right for both the company and families.

Lisa Ray

Claims Manager

Although Lisa is behind the scenes and does not usually have contact with clients, she is a rock star ABA claims specialist and allows our company to thrive.

Marika Sawyer

Office Assistant

Organization is Marika’s superpower! From the office mail, to the company toy closet, Marika keeps tabs on it all and (because it’s her thing) has fun doing it.