OUR FAMILY
Sharronda and David are a wife and husband team that have blended their family values with ABA in order to provide the highest quality, dedication and care to their ABA services.
SHARRONDA ALLEN,
MA, BCBA
Founder and Executive Clinical Director
I began my career in ABA in 1999 volunteering in special day classes. It is at that time when I absolutely fell in love with the field and decided to dedicate my time furthering my knowledge in the application of ABA. Since then I have had roles of being a 1:1, Special Education Teacher, Clinical Supervisor and Assistant Clinical Director.
Throughout the years I have had the pleasure of seeing hope and joy on faces of parents when they hear their child speak for the first time, learn to walk, gain a friend and finally getting a good night’s rest because their child learned to sleep through the night. Those moments are transformational for both the parents and myself.
It is my belief that L.E.T.S. Grow being a clinician owned-and-operated agency allows me to continue to grow and develop my clinical skills and the skills of my staff on a daily basis in order to use powerful and effective ways to teach meaningful skills to children with autism to enhance each child’s quality of life.
Educational Background
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) , 2011
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Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis, National University 2011
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Master’s Degree in Human Behavior, National University 2009
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Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Cal State San Marcos 2004
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Minor in Sociology, Cal State San Marcos 2004
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Minor in Cultural Anthropology, Cal State San Marcos 2004
DAVE ALLEN, MA, BCBA
Executive Clinical Director
Having had many baby-sitting jobs with different families in high school, I knew that working with kids was something I enjoyed and kept my interest. In February 2000, I was fortunate enough to say goodbye to my manager’s position at Blockbuster Video and embrace the opportunity to work with kids with special needs as an Instructional Aide for severely handicapped children for the San Marcos Unified School District. In addition to being lucky enough to be in a field I found purpose and excitement for at the age of 18, I was very fortunate to have been given ABA training from the start which showed me that science can meld with passion to help others achieve a better quality of life.
During my five years as an Instructional Aide, I spent my time after school working as an ABA therapist in various homes, further cementing my desire to work closely with the autism community. After leaving the school district, I spent an additional five years as a behavioral therapist before becoming a Clinical Supervisor, and ultimately an Executive Clinical Director with L.E.T.S. Grow and Sharronda.
It has been my privilege to work with countless children with autism and other special needs helping them learn new language, more play skills, independence with self-help skills, and to better build relationships with friends and family, with the ultimate goal of having them become future contributors of society. While feeling humbled by the experience of being welcomed into so many families’ homes, I continue to feel honored in being able to show them that no matter how challenging behaviors or obstacles can be, improvement is teachable and obtainable.
Educational Background
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) 2013
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Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis, National University 2011
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Master’s Degree in Human Behavior, National University 2011
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Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology - with emphasis in Children’s Services, Cal State San Marcos 2009
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Associate’s Degree in Liberal Studies, Palomar College 2007
CLINICAL SUPERVISORS
Clinical Case Supervisors have obtained a Master's Degree in a related field, BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) and or Special Education Teaching Credential. Each Clinical Supervisor must have at least four years of experience utilizing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques with children diagnosed with autism. In addition, Clinical Case Supervisors must show competency in ABA teaching strategies, Behavior Modification techniques and conducting Functional Behavior Assessments.
BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONISTS (BI)
Behavior Interventionists have obtained a Bachelor's degree in a related field such as psychology, human/early childhood development or education. In addition, they have a minimum of two years’ experience working with children on the autism spectrum utilizing Applied Behavior Analysis techniques. All Behavior Interventionists have completed a 40-hour comprehensive theory in order to become a Registered Behavior Technician through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB.) In addition all Behavior Interventionists have completed a rigorous initial agency training as well as on-going trainings. The training consists of but is not limited to the following topics:
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Generalization & Maintenance Procedures
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Crisis Management
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Teaching Methodologies
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Reinforcement Procedures
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Cultural Competency
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Parent Training
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Community Outings
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School-Shadowing
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Stages of Play
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Creating a Language Rich Environment