MOABA - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Certified Behavior Analyst

Ali Cooper is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) as well as a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Missouri. She completed her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Missouri where she also completed her certificate in Behavior Analysis. Ali currently works at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders where she provides Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) services in a variety of clinical settings. In this role, Ali also provides direct supervision to students pursuing certification as a BCBA. Her research and clinical interests include function-based interventions for problem behavior, and skill acquisition methods for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Job Titles:

• Treasurer
• Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri

Dr. Andresa De Souza is an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL), where she serves as the VCS Coordinator and Director of the ABA Programs. Dr. De Souza led faculty the development and approval of the newly approved M.S. in ABA degree at UMSL. She currently serves as the Dissemination Coordinator for the ABAI Verbal Behavior - Interest Group (VB-SIG) and has organized several online, live events with prominent VB scholars. Dr. De Souza received a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a graduate certificate in Human Resources from Universidade Estadual de Londrina in Brazil, her home country; a Master's in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL; and a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Munroe-Meyer Institution, in Omaha, NE. She completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Marcus Autism Center and Emory University in Atlanta, GA. During her studies, Dr. De Souza gained valuable experience in early-intervention applications for children with autism, the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, and autism diagnostic criteria. She has provided supervision and consultation for behavior analysts and agencies in the USA and abroad. Dr. De Souza has published several peer-reviewed articles and currently serves on the editorial board of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Her research focuses on strategies for teaching verbal behavior, the arrangement of conditions that can facilitate the emergence of novel language and decrease restricted stimulus control, and caregiver training.

Job Titles:

• Member at Large ( 2022 - 2025 )

Dr. John Guercio has spent much of his career researching effective staff training protocols and behavior intervention strategies for staff and clients in settings where severe aggression is present. Since obtaining his master's and doctoral degrees in behavior analysis and therapy from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Dr. Guercio has worked in settings serving as Director of Behavioral Services for the Missouri Department of Mental Health, and as Vice President of Clinical Services and Research at the Judevine Center for Autism/TouchPoint Autism Services in St. Louis. He also serves as adjunct faculty in the behavior analysis department at Washington University, St. Louis University and Central Missouri University. He has also given more than 100 presentations at behavioral conferences and authored and/or co-authored over 50 articles in peer reviewed journals as well as written several book chapters related to the treatment of intensive behavioral issues. Dr. Guercio serves on the Board of Editors of Behavior Analysis Research and Practice and a guest reviewer for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. In his career, Dr. Guercio has helped design and run a program for individuals with sexually deviant behavior and substance abuse issues and has developed an entire treatment protocol based upon that program. In his current role at Benchmark Human Services, Dr. Guercio serves as the Clinical Director. He develops and delivers behavioral services for clients with significant aggression and high risk behavioral needs, many of whom have been institutionalized for more than 15 years, often under restraints and heavy medication. Through Dr. Guercio's leadership, many clients' medication dosages have decreased and, they have developed positive compensatory behaviors and are being integrated into the community. Dr. Guercio currently serves as the Coordinator for the Practice Track of the annual ABAI conference and is a board member of the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis.

Job Titles:

• President
• Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst

Madeline Burke is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst in Missouri. She has been working with children with autism and related disorders during her undergraduate career in which she received a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders with a minor in Autism Studies. Madeline received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Maryville University. Madeline's Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis was earned from Ball State University and her practicum experience was completed at the Southeast Missouri State University Autism Center In addition, Madeline has a certificate of Autism Studies from Ball State University and a Certificate of Organizational Behavior Management from Florida Institute of Technology. Madeline has experience with in-home, clinical, community, and school-based services. She is currently the Clinical Director for ABA Squad, INC. in the St. Louis, Missouri Area. Madeline is dedicated to providing effective and ethical services to children and adults with autism and related disorders and their families. Additionally, Madeline is committed to providing mentorship to those working towards their behavior analyst certification and hopes to create a mentorship program within MOABA. Her clinical interests are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, function-based treatment, practical functional analyses and skills based treatment, and Organizational Behavior Management.

Job Titles:

• Board Certified Behaviour Analyst

Miin-An is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Behaviour Analyst (Kansas & Missouri). She holds an Illinois Professional Educator's License (PEL) with a Learning Behaviour Specialist 1 (LBS1) endorsement and a Missouri teaching certificate. Miin-An has worked with individuals and families with developmental disabilities, Autism, and psychiatric disorders for more than 20 years in public and private schools, in clinics, in homes, in residential settings, and in the foster care system. An immigrant herself, much of Miin-An's work experience has been with immigrant populations. She had the privilege to work within the Bosnian community of Chicago helping survivors of the Bosnian Holocaust and with Sudanese, Somali, and Kenyan Lost Boys (and Girls), as well as many other diverse people groups. Presently she serves as an urban public school district BCBA with the majority of her role divided between: providing quality oversight of treatment, providing staff professional development, special education diagnostics and evaluation, and multidisciplinary team collaboration.