About Advance ABA

Compassionate care that makes an impact

We’re a privately-owned agency, founded with one goal: to help children and families with ASD advance. With a passion for high-quality, compassionate services, we want every family we meet to find support and success with us.

Clinicians who care

Our job involves lots of knowledge, skill and monitoring of data. But most importantly, it starts with heart.
Quality over quantity

We started out small, and as we grow, we’re dedicated to preserving the high standards we started with.

More About Us

Meet our leadership:

Passionate, professional and people-first

Heather Couchenour, BCBA

Senior ABA therapist

Heather Couchenour is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) that began contracting with Spectrum in May, 2017. In her career, she has been able to experience direct success and behavior improvement in children.

Her measurable success led her to the field of Senior ABA therapist, providing mentoring through Families for Effective Autism Treatment. In the early 2000’s, she began to design in-home ABA programs that helped families across the mid-west, including North Dakota and Iowa. She became a Clinical Supervisor in Maryland, and has since completed her Master’s Degree in Special Education through the University of MD College Park, Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from John’s Hopkins University, and has started her Doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Heather is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Maryland and also practices in Florida and South Carolina.

Partnering with you

Your intuition + Our skill = Meaningful results

As parents, you know your child best. We collaborate with you throughout the therapy journey to deliver our professional services in the way that works best for you and your child.
This is what partnership means to us:

Trusting your intuition
Listening to your concerns
Scheduling sessions around your routine

happy girl with glasses wearing a yellow school bag

Building a therapy plan with your goals in mind
Keeping in contact with regular updates
Improving our services according to your feedback

FAQ

Were you wondering?

What exactly is ABA?

ABA, or Applied Behavior Analysis, is an evidence-based approach to understanding and changing behavior. It’s proven to help people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ABA focuses on improving specific behaviors such as social skills, communication, and learning. ABA therapists teach skills by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable steps and using various techniques including plenty of positive reinforcement.

What is a BCBA?

A BCBA, or Board Certified Behavior Analyst, is a professional who holds a graduate-level certification and has completed extensive coursework and supervised experience in behavior analysis. A BCBA’s role is to work with you and your child to assess your child’s needs, develop treatment plans, and oversee therapy sessions to ensure that they are effective and ethical.

What is an RBT?

An RBT, or Registered Behavior Technician, is a trained assistant who works under a BCBA. RBTs carry out the day-to-day tasks of ABA therapy, working with your child regularly and meticulously collecting data on their progress. They use a variety of techniques and activities to help your child learn, practice and master new skills. RBTs must complete a training program, pass an exam, and follow a code of ethics to ensure they provide consistently high-quality therapy.

Our mission

To empower children and families with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
to lead a high quality life and advance to their highest potential

Partner with us to help your child advance.

Let’s Talk