I’m a compassionate and outcome-driven behavior analyst who loves serving the neurodivergent community. I started working with people on the autism spectrum in 2008 and found my passion for helping others learn skills that we often take for granted. While some people struggle to learn math, science, and reading, many other struggle to learn unspoken social rules, emotion regulation, communication skills, and impulse control.
In 2011, I moved from Illinois to North Carolina to pursue my Master’s degree in psychology with a clinical concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. Additionally, I accepted every training and work opportunity I could to learn how to best serve children and families with learning challenges. I worked at inclusive summer camps, church nurseries, clinics, an inpatient hospitals so that I could learn as many skills as I could to help families thrive.
Many therapy companies hire paraprofessionals to deliver therapy. While I think this is a necessary form of treatment delivery for some children, I found in my work that many kids and parents were not well served from this model. Some kids miss important life opportunities such as sports, family time, and travel because they were in therapy. Other children need a more advanced approach than a paraprofessional can provide. Additionally, many caregivers need education and skill development so that they can effectively and calmly get through inevitable life lessons with their children. Many of these needs are still unmet by the therapy practice models that are currently established.
Instead of hiring paraprofessionals to do my work, I decided to work directly with parents of children to teach new skills. My goal is to work myself out of a job by equipping parents with the critical tools they need to help their neurodivergent children learn to sleep independently, eat healthfully, exercise, communicate, take care of their bodies, delay gratification, set and respect boundaries, work on necessary life tasks, and make new friends.
My vision for the future is that rural neurodivergent families in South Carolina can join the community in meaningful ways and live in accordance with their family values. My job is to help them do this by giving them effective and compassionate teaching tools that help everyone in their family succeed.
Learn more about my work and business at Swift Achievements Learning Strategies, LLC.
Q: Tell us about yourself, including a little bit about where you grew up, your education, your family, interests, passions, and career?
I grew up in Southern Illinois, east of St. Louis. After pursuing many diverse opportunities around the United States, I finally settled down in South Carolina in 2022 with the mission of starting my own practice. Outside of my career, I have two cats – Jack and Luna, who keep me encouraged along my path to solo practice. I am an aspiring gardener, artist, backpacker, weight lifter, foster parent, and world traveler.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in The Golden Strip?
I moved here in 2022 and worked in a few clinics in the area. I hope to make my time here long, meaningful, and productive.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Most people don’t know that I want to live on my own farm and open a summer camp for people with disabilities.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in The Golden Strip?
I meet new interesting people every day. I think my favorite people are the farmers in Fountain Inn and Gray Court. The kindness and hospitality they provided the families I serve is not often found in other parts of our world. I also greatly enjoy working with one therapy business owner, Patrick Brown, who owns Firefly Therapy Clinic in Greenville. He and his staff are working tirelessly to provide meaningful changes to lives all over Greenville.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about The Golden Strip?
I love the small town feeling that Fountain Inn provides. I am interested to see how it will grow in the coming years, but I hope it maintains it’s small town charm.
Q: With so much growth in our area, there are always new places popping up. Tell us about the a “new to you” place that you recently tried.
Being relatively new here anyway, everything is a “new to me” place right now. I often find myself taking my laptop to Fountain Inn Taproom in downtown Fountain Inn. Steve and Stacy Byam are so personable and don’t look at me strangely when I come in to just work on my business.
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME or NEIGHBOR?
Supportive, Inclusive, and health-focused
Q: If you had friends or family visiting you from out of town, what is the one place that you must take them to?
Unterhausen The Castle Cellar Pub
Q: If you had a free day with no plans, what would you do? Or where can we find you on the weekends?
I would take a gardening or painting class or go backpacking in the Georgia or NC mountains.
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
I honestly don’t know how to answer this question because I am so often a lone wolf as a new resident. I think I would cast Kate Winslet to be me, but I am still looking for my co-stars.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I want to go backpacking for several months. I am not sure if that means thru hiking the appalachian trial, but I’m giving that serious consideration.
Q: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
Be curious, not judgemental
Q: Who would you like to see nominated for this project, The Faces of The Golden Strip?
Jacob McClain of Native Gems Nursery. He procures seeds from native plants in South Carolina and provides our community with access to native plants for their own gardens.
