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Our Team
Jennifer
Link
M.S.Ed, BCBA
Jen started her career in Orlando, FL working in a group home with children and adolescents with severe behavior challenges. After receiving her B.S. from University of Central Florida, went on to teach at Princeton House Charter School, a school for children on the Autism Spectrum.
She then earned her M.S.Ed in Applied Behavior Analysis from Simmons College in Boston, MA. Under the supervision of Dr. Michael Dorsey, she worked for a non-profit organization, Vinfen, working with individuals in day rehabilitation centers throughout Boston. Jen went on to work as a head counselor and assistant director at Camp Akeela, a summer camp for children with Asperger’s Syndrome. Most recently, she has transitioned from a large company specializing in in-home ABA therapy to start a business helping families on all levels.
Jen launched Roots Autism Solutions because she saw the need for a more personalized, compassionate support system for children with autism and their families.
Jillian
Burgard
M.Ed.
Jillian began her career in education as a teacher at the early childhood level, with a B.S. in Education from Florida State University. Driven to find solutions for students in her class who were experiencing learning and behavioral challenges, she obtained a Masters degree in Education from DePaul University.
Jillian spent over ten years within the Chicago Public Schools as a teacher, case manager, transition specialist, school and district administrator. Her multi-faceted knowledge of the school systems within Chicago and the surrounding suburbs allows Jillian to guide families through all processes of schooling, from entering at the preschool level, transitioning through all grade levels, and to transitioning out of school into the greater world.
Whether your child is struggling to learn or you do not know where to turn when navigating the school system, Jillian collaborates with your family and school to provide lasting solutions.
Jake
Hansen
M.S., BCBA
Jake received his BA in Psychology from Illinois State University. During this time, Jake developed a passion for behavioral science and its many applications which led him to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Through his Master’s program, Jake was able to experience the implementation of behavioral therapy with a wide range of ages, skills, and settings. The culmination of these experiences led Jake to believe an individualized and collaborative approach to ABA produces the most significant results, which led him to work as a BCBA for Roots.
Olivia
McVey
M.S., BCBA
Olivia received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from The Ohio State University. During this time, Olivia worked as an Outreach Provider where she provided home and school based educational programs for children on the Autism spectrum. It is there that she was introduced to ABA and immediately knew it was the right field for her as it encompasses her love for working with individuals with disabilities, establishing meaningful relationships with the families of her clients, and breaking down skills to teach individual behaviors that lead to more significant benefits. Olivia went on to get her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she worked in multiple different environments including in-home, clinic, and school based settings providing ABA therapy to children ranging from 3 to 18 years of age. Olivia has been working as a BCBA at Roots since 2017 and enjoys being part of a collaborative team of professionals and truly loves seeing the progress made daily by her clients.
Kristy
Asen
M.S., BCBA
Kristy has been working in the field of ABA for the last 6 years. Starting off as a registered behavior technician, she quickly realized her passion for teaching and working with children with ASD and utilizing ABA strategies to break down and teach new skills. She received her graduate degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Southern Maine. Kristy has worked with clients from the age of 2.5-24 years old, teaching a wide range of skills such as fine motor imitation and potty training, to activities of daily living and tolerating no. Kristy is ecstatic to be working in a collaborative and supportive environment such as Roots, where she can truly watch her clients grow.
Sophia
Rizvi
M.A., BCBA
Sophia is a board certified behavior analyst with nearly ten years experience working in behavioral health. After receiving her undergraduate degree from DePaul University in fine arts with a minor in psychology, Sophia then earned her Masters of Arts in applied behavior analysis with an emphasis in autism spectrum disorders from Ball State University in 2017. Sophia has diverse background of experience working with individuals from 2 years old to 75 years old in school, home, clinic, residential home and foster care settings. Sophia takes a holistic approach to treatment, embedding family training and support as an integral part of care. She is thoughtful in working with each member of a child’s team to help them thrive. Sophia loves making learning fun and play-based, sneaking learning opportunities into the everyday. She is extensively trained in acceptance commitment therapy with expertise in treating individuals with complex, rigid behaviors that impede their ability to live fully. When Sophia is not analyzing behavior, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her beautiful baby, large dog and awesome husband.
Emily
Rubin
M.A., BCBA
Emily was introduced to Applied Behavior Analysis when she began working with young adults with special needs on job and workplace skills. Since then she has worked with individuals from ages 3-21 years old in school, community, in-home, and clinical settings. While working as a Teaching Assistant and later as a Registered Behavior Technician Emily earned her Masters degree from The University of Arizona in Special Education with an emphasis in Behavior Support. Emily continues to learn and grow as a clinician and BCBA in order to best support her clients and their families.
Sam
Anderson
M.S., BCBA
Sam Anderson received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Concordia University Wisconsin. During this time, Sam worked as a Behavior Technician at an ABA company that provided in-home services, where she was first introduced to ABA. Sam quickly found her love and passion for the field of ABA and knew she wanted to continue her professional career providing individualized services to children in need. Sam then earned her master’s degree in ABA at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology while also working as a behavior therapist within the clinic setting providing services to children on the Autism Spectrum. During this time Sam received her supervision from Roots where she was exposed to a variety of new skills. Since becoming a BCBA, Sam has loved working with a variety of children and families as well as her supportive team at Roots. Her passion for this field continues to grow each day and she loves working closely with families and seeing all of the kid’s progression being made.
Alexa
Steil
M.S., BCBA
Alexa received her bachelor degree in psychology and education from DePauw University. She worked at a behavioral intervention camp which sparked her interest into the field of behavioral sciences. She went on to get her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Through her master’s program, she worked as an RBT at Roots and gained knowledge through her supervision and direct experiences with clients. She looks forward to continuing her collaboration with her coworkers, families and other professionals as a BCBA and eager to see her client’s growth and development.
Gabrielle
Nitti
BCaBA
Gabrielle received her B.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northern Michigan University. Although initially pursuing a career in forensic psychology, she spent a year working as a behavior technician providing ABA services to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. It was in working with those children that she found her passion for serving kids with special needs. Since earning her BCaBA and starting at Roots, Gabrielle has continued to provide the best treatment she can for the kids and families she works with. Gabrielle plans to pursue a masters degree and hopes to one day work as a BCBA.
Therapists
We hand-pick the right team of therapists for your child based on your family’s and child’s needs. Your team will have the skills, experience, and qualities that match your child. High-quality therapist recruitment, selection, and retention is of the utmost importance to us at Roots. We take several steps to ensure that all of our therapists are a good fit for our team and your family.
Therapists are initially selected based on their years of experience and background in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.
You know your child best! At Roots, we actively recruit therapists who meet specific criteria requested by parents to the greatest extent possible.
We ensure that all therapists are either fully certified as a Registered Behavior Technician with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), or we provide the training as a part of our onboarding process.
