Meet The Team

Erica is a graduate of the Behavior Analysis and Therapy program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She completed her master’s degree and obtained her BCBA certification in 2007. Erica joined Hope’s leadership team in 2023 as Senior Director to lead clinical excellence across Hope’s Autism Clinics in five states.

With a compassionate clinical approach, Erica has worked with individuals of all ages and abilities. Her experience spans diverse settings, including home, clinic, and community-based settings, where she focused on addressing severe challenging behavior. As a clinical leader for over fifteen years, she has supported BCBAs and multi-disciplinary teams, facilitating collaboration, delivering effective training, and fostering professional development to achieve meaningful client outcomes.

 Beyond her professional pursuits, Erica embraces an active lifestyle. You’ll often find her at the gym, reading non-fiction, following all Chicago sports, playing the drums, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, and traveling.

Meika Valerio is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with over a decade of experience in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) since 2016 and has been a valued member of the Hope family since 2014. Meika combines her clinical expertise with a strong commitment to client-centered care, ensuring that every client receives the support they need to succeed.

As Program Director, Meika leads the vision and strategy for the division, overseeing the delivery of high-quality ABA and speech therapy services. She is dedicated to fostering a positive, growth-focused environment where staff feel supported and empowered, and where families can rely on compassionate, individualized care. Meika’s professional interest in Organizational Behavior Management helps her develop systems that drive effective leadership, team development, and a culture built on strong values.

In addition to her work, Meika enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, reading, baking for family and friends, and unwinding with a good cup of coffee.

Hannah started with Hope in 2018.  She began her journey with Hope as in Intern in the Communication Department. After graduating from the University of Illinois, Springfield with her Bachelor’s degree, she joined The Autism Clinic as the Intake Specialist. Hannah was then promoted to Referral Coordinator for the clinics. Presently, Hannah assists with the on-boarding of new clients and schedules autism evaluations.  

Jen Jackson is a referral coordinator with a background in education and community-based work. She previously worked in special education with Columbus Public Schools and as the AmeriCorps Volunteer Manager for Meals on Wheels of Davidson County, experiences that shaped her care for supporting individuals and families.

She cares deeply about people in underserved communities and is passionate about helping connect others with the resources they need.

Outside of work, she can be found cooking for friends and neighbors, knitting a sweater, spending time hiking with her husband, and having uninterrupted time with her two daughters.

.  

Daniel Childress, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, has been working with children, teens, and young adults on the Autism Spectrum since 2011. He received his undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri—St. Louis in 2014. Daniel started working with individuals on the Autism Spectrum during his undergraduate studies. He began working towards his Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis in May 2019, and passed his board certification in August 2019. Daniel has worked in the field of ABA in a variety of settings, including clinics, homes, residential settings, and schools. His professional interests in the field of ABA include Functional Communication Training, Natural Environment Teaching, and desensitization programming.

Ashley Luberda, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, has worked with children on the Autism Spectrum for 7 years. She received her undergraduate degree in Music Therapy from the University of Evansville and began working as a music therapist in an ABA clinic. She began working towards her Master’s Degree in Special Education with an ABA emphasis from Webster University in 2021. She passed her board certification exam in June 2023. Ashley’s professional interests include Functional Communication Training and Skill-Based Treatment. 

Katie Tigue is a BCBA, originally from Indiana.  She graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Psychology and went on to the Florida Institute of Technology to study Applied Behavior Analysis and Organizational Behavior Management.  She has over 10 years of experience working with children diagnosed with Autism and other related developmental disabilities.  Her favorite things to work on with learners are increasing independence with activities of daily living such as potty training, and reducing and replacing challenging behaviors.  Outside of work, she enjoys spending time on the water with her family and trying new activities.

Becky Nelson, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst has been working in the field of ABA  with her master’s degree since 2018 and started at The Autism Clinic at Hope in May 2020. She graduated from SIU – Carbondale, where she gained experience at Project 12- Ways, providing parent training with families in the foster care system, and the Language and Cognition Development Clinic, a school sponsored ABA clinic led by Dr. Mark Dixon. Her passions in the field of ABA are decreasing severe challenging behavior, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and individualizing goals for each learner based on a variety of assessments.

Michelle Guenette has been passionate about helping individuals with ASD since she first joined the field of ABA in 2009 as a behavior technician. Since then, Michelle has worked with hundreds of clients from ages 2-18, supported families and caregivers,  mentored RBT’s, BCBA’s and Clinic Directors and has overseen multiple centers. Michelle continues to be amazed at the hard work that RBT’s and BCBA’s put in every single day to help our clients reach their full potential.

Megan Stone has been dedicated to the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder since 2016. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2016 and went on to complete her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 2018. Since joining Hope Autism Clinic in 2018, Megan has served as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, specializing in toilet training, functional communication training, desensitization programming, challenging behavior management, and parent training. Her clinical experience spans diverse settings including schools, clinics, and in-home environments, allowing her to tailor interventions to meet the unique needs of each individual and family. Outside of her professional role, Megan enjoys spending quality time with her family, friends, and her beloved puppy, Mia.

Natalya Gutierrez began her ABA career in Clarksville, TN as an RBT in 2018. Natalya loved the job and kiddos so much that she decided to return to Florida in 2020 to attend Florida Institute of Technology for her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis & Organizational Behavior Management to become a BCBA.

Natalya has specialized in early intervention and is very passionate about process improvement. The goal is to have staff excited to come to work while helping our kiddos and families grow.

In her free time, she enjoys being out in the sun, hiking, and adventuring around for the best food and music.

Jennifer “Jenny” Martin has been a BCBA for 20 years! She has been at Hope for 5.5 years. Jenny received her Masters in ABA from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (SIUC). She has been a member of Hope for several years. Jenny is passionate about providing quality and compassionate care to each of the clients and families that she serves. Jenny is passionate about preparing clients to be successful in home, school, and community settings. Jenny has a wealth of ABA knowledge and experience as both a BCBA and as a leader

Kyle Summers is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst based in Nashville, Tennessee. He began working in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2019 and went on to earn his graduate degree in Exceptional Student Education with an emphasis in ABA from the University of West Florida. Before pursuing ABA, Kyle worked as a professional teaching artist in Omaha, Nebraska, where he taught and performed theatre for children of all ages and abilities, an experience that inspired him to dedicate his career to empowering individuals with exceptionalities.

Within the field of ABA, Kyle’s interests include Behavior Skills Training (BST), the PEAK Assessment, Skill-Based Treatment, and tolerance programming. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time at the lake, catching Broadway shows at TPAC, and traveling with friends.

Melanie Tillman serves as Clinic Site Director of The Autism Clinic at Hope, Huntsville, AL. Melanie, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, began working with children on the Autism Spectrum in 2001 and earned a Master of Science in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2004. She worked as a Clinical Instructor and Program Evaluation Coordinator for six years at The Autism Program of IL at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she collaborated with University Speech Language Pathologists to provide supervision to graduate students in the Behavior Analysis and Therapy and Communication Disorders and Sciences programs. Melanie also served as the Site Director for The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She has provided direct ABA services and supervision in a variety of settings, including Early Intervention, in-home, and clinic-based services for children diagnosed with Autism.

Marianna was introduced to ABA in 2010 as a behavior tech and later became a BCBA in 2016. She has experience supporting individuals and families across home, school, clinic, community, group home, and telehealth settings, serving clients from 18 months of age through adulthood in multiple states.

Marianna is passionate about helping individuals develop meaningful functional communication and replacement skills that promote independence and reduce challenging behaviors. She creates trauma-informed, child-led programs with an emphasis on compassionate care. She is committed to mentoring and inspiring Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), and encouraging them to approach every day with enthusiasm, empathy, and clinical excellence, changing lives one session at a time. Dedicated to culturally responsive care, Marianna collaborates closely with families to develop treatment plans that honor each family’s unique values, strengths, and goals.

In addition to her clinical work, Marianna earned her Board Certification for Advocacy in Special Education (BCASE). Drawing on her background as a special education teacher, she is passionate about empowering families to navigate the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process and advocate confidently for their children.

Outside of work, Marianna enjoys spending time with her daughter and two dogs. She loves traveling, exploring holistic wellness practices, practicing Pilates, relaxing at the beach, and discovering new restaurants.

Megan Schneirder has worked with children and adults on the Autism Spectrum providing Applied Behavior Analysis services since 2016. She completed her undergraduate in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and Masters degree of Education in Special Education with an Emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis at Texas Tech University. Megan obtained her BCBA credentials in 2018 and has provided direct ABA services and supervision in a variety of settings, including clinic, home, community, and residential settings. Her professional interests include Functional Communication Training and Natural Environment Teaching. When she’s not in the clinic, she enjoys being outside and chasing after her toddlers.