Individual Bios

Natalia first began as a member of ILABA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, was then appointed as a Board Member at Large and Chair of the DEI Committee, and now proudly serves as President.

As an English-Spanish bilingual doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), Natalia’s scholarly publications have focused on the distinction between open- and close-ended indirect assessments, sexism, observational learning, the importance of listening (from a Skinnerian perspective) to combat racism, a cultural adaptation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Spanish-speaking caregivers of autistic children/children with autism, stimulus-stimulus pairing, an intersectional examination of disability and race models in practice, pay equity among practitioners who serve children, and a contextual behavioral framework for enhancing culturally responsive services for Latino families.

Zhihui’s research interests include relational frame theory, early intervention, and the neurological impact of behavior therapy. He has presented his research in more than 50 conferences and has published 14 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

She currently works as a professional development specialist and instructional coach, blending her love for teaching and learning with her skills and expertise that guide clinicians and educators to use science and compassionate care to provide effective programming.

Her interests include Behavior Skills Training, OBM, assent-based learning, and equitable service delivery. Kelly is passionate about disseminating behavior analysis to those outside of the field and using the science to teach skills and lead with compassion, respect, and a commitment to learning.

Experiences as an administrator of a community mental health center, a home and community-based service provider, and program development led to her 2010 Advocate of the Year award by The Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities. Marla is the proud parent of Eli, who is 25 years old, and is highly impacted by ASD/ID.

Her education in this field and experience working with children and adults with Autism, as well as other developmental and intellectual disabilities, has led her to implement a treatment approach that combines both traditional and contemporary strategies in the services she delivers as a BCBA. Bridget places an emphasis on developing derived relational responding in the repertoires of her clients to establish more flexible, generative language with novel applications. She has had the pleasure of serving in various leadership roles on Boards for a leadership program in Education and an Advocacy group for Disability Rehabilitation.

Bridget is passionate about trauma-informed treatment in Applied Behavior Analysis and translating applications of the current literature on Relational Frame Theory. This further aligns with her research interests. Bridget has been published in the Journal of Behavioral Education, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, and the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Catrina is a registered behavior technician by evening working in an ABA clinic. She works with clients in a social skill group setting. Her interest is to bring applied behavior analysis to students in schools who do not just have Autism. She wants to extend services to students who are diagnosed with an emotional disturbance. Catrina is very passionate about being an advocate. She wants to be able to give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves as well as teach those who do not know how to speak for themselves.

Jamine is dedicated to providing trauma-responsive, neurodiversity-affirming care to DCFS youth. She believes in taking a harm-reduction approach to intervention that prioritizes client autonomy. In addition to working as a consultant in the Comprehensive Assessment and Response Training System Program at UIC, Jamine works as a BCBA consultant with BIOS ABA Consultants and disseminates compassionate and responsive practices through mentoring other BCBAs, providing training to organizations, and presenting at conferences. She has also taught Applied Behavior Analysis courses as an adjunct instructor at both TCSCPP and National Louis University.

Ruchi is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Administrator for Visions LLC, which enables her to utilize this lens when serving individuals on her caseload and working in tandem with their families and team members, allowing for the best possible outcomes while treating everyone with dignity and respect. Ruchi serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair for ILABA.

Fun Fact! Ruchi grew up in Gaborone, Botswana, in Africa for the first 15 years of her life and immigrated to the United States on April 12, 1997.

Dr. Shawler has experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses across the lifespan and in a myriad of settings. Her main expertise includes the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior and teaching verbal behavior to individuals with Autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Shawler is passionate about training scientist-practitioners who can contribute to the science of behavior analysis as well as make a meaningful difference in the lives of the families she serves.

Over the past decade, Manish has gained experience in applying behavioral principles and systems analysis to problem-solve and influence functional change across a diverse set of populations (e.g., age and diagnosis), settings (e.g., group homes vs. clinics providing mental and behavioral health services), and organizations (e.g., mental/behavioral health clinics and theatre). Manish has served on the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committee of the Illinois Association of Behavior Analysis since May 2020 and has actively participated in dissemination projects while providing guidance for data collection and aiding the conceptual understanding of DEI challenges from a behavioral perspective.

In the past, he has successfully performed as an assistant editor for the Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal, managed a research lab at Southern Illinois University under the tutelage of Dr. Shane Koch, instructed and/or assisted at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and mentored thesis students and applicants for the BCBA and BCaBA certification both locally and internationally. He is passionate about influencing the cultural health of society by bridging the gap between research and practice through translational applications.

To do this, his objective is to explore the generalization of rule-governed and contingency-shaped behaviors while evaluating the conditions/context in which instructional control breaks down. Currently, his responsibilities include supervising and training students and establishing and informing systems-level changes at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder (SIUC) for research and practice while assisting with data collection procedures for supervision and training of future BCBA’s. Manish is excited to become a board member at large and to serve Illinois-based behavioral practitioners and collaborating professionals, including applying behavioral principles to enact diversity, equity, and inclusion-based initiatives.

ILABA is proud to align with leading organizations in behavior analysis. These affiliations reflect our commitment to upholding the highest standards of practice, ethics, and education in the field. Together, we foster professional excellence and support the growth of behavior analysts across Illinois.