Behavior Therapists

Caryn Mandel holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and has worked as a pediatric behavioral therapist since 2001. In addition to providing individual and family therapy, she has served as a behavioral consultant for the Suburban Speech Center in Short Hills, NJ, and Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ, The Fairfield Board of Education, and New Jersey's Early Intervention System.

BehaviorWise provides behavioral strategies within the home, school and other settings. Her philosophy is to teach, assess and shape the particular behaviors of children of all ages. The goal for each child is to learn appropriate behaviors using positive behavioral techniques.

Dana began her journey into ABA as a caretaker for her brother and generalization point for his programming. It was only natural that after receiving a dual BS in Neuroscience and Psychology from Ursinus College that she began a career in behavior analysis. After working with adults and teens with autism and comorbid psychological diagnoses, she was inspired to pursue an advanced degree in clinical psychology. She graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts from The New School in Manhattan and began her work with younger children. She has since worked with individuals on the spectrum as young as 15 months through the lifespan up to 40 years of age.

Dana brings a breadth of experience and scope to her practice, where she integrates family members and long term objectives from a very early age. Her goal is for every child to reach their full potential, and each family member to feel empowered, educated, and integrated into their loved one's development and success. Her areas of expertise include behavior reduction, verbal behavior, and play-based skill acquisition.

Shayna Germansky is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, with a Masters in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Rutgers University in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. Shayna received the majority of her BCBA supervision in the clinical and research setting of Douglas Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers University, where she was an employee. After receiving her dual undergraduate degree in Education/Special Education and History, Shayna began her career as a special education teacher. She is a NJ Department of Education Licensed educator in the following areas: special education, preschool through third grade, elementary kindergarten through fifth grade, and social studies as a content area specialty. Shayna has over 13 years of experience utilizing the methodology of ABA in varied settings: public school, in-home, private school, and within the community with individuals through age 13. She has supported individuals and their families with assorted needs, such as conducting clinics/data reviews, observations, parent training, and home consultation. Shayna is also an educational advocate with a genuine passion for assisting and guiding parents/caregivers through the process of receiving an advantageous and compassionate educational placement with appropriate support in order to thrive.

Ali from a young age had a passion for helping people and working with children. From working as a preschool teacher, interning at an ABA clinic, earning her BCBA, and providing early intervention services, she has extensive experience assisting families in multiple capacities. Ali graduated from Rider University with her master's degree in Applied Psychology. Ali believes in child lead therapy and utilizing natural environment teaching as much as possible focusing on functional skills. Currently, Ali works with a variety of clients to help create individualized learning plans for them for both home and center settings. What makes Ali such a great fit for her role is her unique ability to communicate effectively and build meaningful relationships with both clients and their families.

Vanessa's love for learning and teaching is closely tied with the rapport and bond she builds with her clients; believing that all children can learn and reach their highest potentials with the right supports and motivation. Spending the last ten years working academically with individuals with special needs, Vanessa finds her passion in utilizing individualized learning techniques based on a student's skill set to encourage and promote and lifelong curiosity for learning. After receiving her dual degree from the University of Connecticut in Psychology and Cognitive Science, Vanessa went on to work as a teacher and behavior specialist across multiple classroom settings at the Manhattan Children's Center specializing in individualized instruction plans. She then received her Master's Degree from Simmons University in Behavior Analysis, concentrating in Autism Development. Currently, Vanessa works in school systems creating individualized learning plans for students and provides center-based and at home training for children and parents including intake assessments.

Amy has been a practicing occupational therapist since earning her Bachelor of Science degree from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1981. She has over 30 years of experience in a variety of areas including evaluation and treatment of children with a variety of disabilities in clinic, school and home -based settings.

Amy is trained in Sensory Integration, The Listening Program (TLP), and the inTime programs. In addition, she is certified in Pediatric and Baby Training Neuro-Developmental Therapy, she has received training in multiple other areas including Handwriting Without Tears and implementing sensory diets in school and home-based settings. This includes designing and creating home sensory rooms for optimal carryover and to be utilized in real time. She consults with school staff, behaviorists, and physicians to provide a comprehensive approach of care.

Janai is a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in child development and nurturing young minds. Her heart lies in helping children with disabilities/ special needs where she witnesses their remarkable progress and improved communication. Janai earned her bachelor's degree in Family Science and Human Development with a minor in Psychology at Montclair State University in 2020. Janai has been an ABA therapist for four years and gained plentiful experience working in clinic, in home, and school settings. Her role as a mother of two has deepened her commitment to assisting families and children. Janai's mission is to continue transforming lives within the ABA domain fostering positive change.

Suzanne Kaner holds a dual Master's Degree in Elementary Education and Students with Disabilities (special education) from Mercer University and Caldwell University.

Suzanne has over 20 years of experience teaching in the general education classroom as well as the special education setting. Currently she has been teaching 3rd grade for the past 3 years. Prior to teaching in Essex County, she worked in Union County as a basic skills and a general education teacher. She also has worked as a behavior therapist for the state of NJ working with children of pre-school age.

Nicole has been practicing as a behavior therapist since 2020. Her passion for the field of ABA and clients she worked with motivated her to obtain her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis with a specialization in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is currently receiving supervision towards her BCBA certification. Her diverse ABA experience in preschool, elementary school, in clinic, and home therapy services has provided her with an abundance of experience with a variety of clients and families. Nicole uses client specific intervention to create the most appropriate and effective therapy for each client. She encourages play therapy to enhance naturalistic teaching opportunities!

Sam was introduced to ABA as an undergrad in her psychology program. She had a passion for teaching individuals, especially young children, to become more independent in navigating the world around them. After graduating with a dual degree in Psychology and Human Development, Sam enrolled as a graduate student at Teacher College, Columbia University with a Master's degree in ABA. Since she started her program, Sam has been a teaching assistant in a special education preschool for four years and has been a lead teacher for three years. Simultaneously, she has been involved in research seeking to maximize skill acquisition in classrooms as well as understand the complex timeline of verbal behavioral development. She is currently in the process of obtaining her BCBA.