I am a BCBA who has had the chance to work in just about every kind of setting you can imagine — from large organizations with layers of structure to small companies just getting off the ground. Along the way, I’ve worked in some of the most amazing clinics, stepped into lead organization that were in utter chaos, and launched clinics from the ground up. I have enjoyed the pure love this field can bring through helping those of the purest heart. And I have faced the burn out that this industry causes through high excessive workloads and to high of an emphasis on profits. And through it all, my passion hasn’t wavered. At least yet….

But more than any of that, I’m a parent. I’m blessed with two boys on the autism spectrum, and they’re what truly drive my passion for ABA. I don’t just see this field from the professional side — I live it at home every single day. That dual perspective keeps me grounded in the realities of what parents go through and pushes me to hold ABA to the highest standard possible.

Over the years, I’ve realized there’s a huge gap between what’s being taught in universities and practiced in clinics, and what parents are actually experiencing day to day. My goal is to help bridge that gap.

I get to see both worlds, and I want to use that perspective to create resources and conversations that are real, practical, and genuinely helpful for the clinicians in our field.

-J. L. Burton MA, BCBA, LBA