Since the apparition of the term ABA (applied behavioral analysis) appeared in the 1960s, it has never stopped evolving. This evidence-based behavior therapy focuses on skill acquisition and teaching adaptive behaviors while minimizing others, such as self-injury and aggression.
Most commonly practiced as a therapeutic intervention, it is usually catered to individuals that are on the autism spectrum. The primary focus is to evaluate the relationship between behavior and environmental factors, helping them along the way to develop new ones and modify which causes more harm to the individual.
As rewarding as it is, being able to help patients in this particular manner isn’t always easy and requires a lot more than hard work. Passion is what it truly takes.
Vanessa Bethea-Miller falls into this category. Currently pursuing her doctorate of philosophy in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), she holds a Master of Arts in Applied Psychology with a concentration in ABA, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, and an Associate’s degree in Business Administration. To say she is qualified is an understatement.
To help those around her and those in need, she strives to provide quality and effective ABA services to her community. A big part of her time was dedicated to working with people with autism or developmental disabilities. Her journey also took her all over the world, from Sweden, Florida to New Jersey, where she gives conferences to help others better understand the ins-and-out of this profession so they can, in turn, spread awareness and make the world a better place.
Her hard work and dedication made her what she is today, one of the leading experts in this field and the go-to resource in ABA. If there is something she can do, she will tackle it head-on.
Currently, she is the founder of her consulting service, Bethea-Miller Behavioral Consulting, and Shaping Tomorrow Child Care Services. She is also co-founder of the ABA Taskforce. Pursuing her mission, she is branching out to help others in other areas of life related to behavioral science, such as starting a business and parenting.
Her many books serve as a middle-man for those who can’t reach her to seek advice.
Tackling business strategies, Task Analyses for the ABA Therapy Practice Owner: Streamline Your Processes One Step At A Time, provides the information necessary to increase productivity for a therapy practice. If child care is the focus, she wrote Building an Applied Behavior Analysis Based Child Care Center: Steps for Success to help establish a child-care center and provide in-depth information to build a thriving environment for all children. Lastly, stepping away from her informational books, I Know What I Want To Be, written for children, allows them to discover different career paths.
As a leader, she uses her skills to give back, educate, and create a community. These traits set her apart from the crowd and show how much she strives to provide quality work.