About

I've been working with children since I was 17.

Thirty years with children, in classrooms in Thailand and Brazil and now in applied behavior analysis. This year I became a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.

Email Angela Read the writing

Angela reading a picture book aloud, mid-story, with a big smile

My story

Angela as a young woman in Thailand, sitting with two small boys in pink shirts — In Thailand, where I first started teaching.

Actually I started even earlier. When I was 13 I was babysitting a family friend who was autistic, and even then I noticed he did things differently. By 17 I was helping in a homeschool kindergarten classroom, where I gained early experience supporting young learners.

I grew up in Thailand, doing missionary work with my family, and I taught English to elementary classes and worked as a homeschool teacher. Then I lived about ten years in Brazil. I started as an assistant teacher and became the head kindergarten teacher, with children from Japan, Korea, China, Israel, the U.S. and Brazil in the same room. You learn a lot about how children communicate when half of them are still learning the language.

When we moved to the U.S., I couldn't teach here without a license, so I worked as an office admin for a few years. And then in 2019 I found ABA. I started as an RBT, became a lead RBT, and spent a lot of my time training new therapists.

This year I became a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. I'm finishing my master's and working toward my BCBA, which I expect by mid-2027. After that, I want to focus on feeding.

What excites me about this work is the change. Change is always possible. And I love learning from everyone in the child’s environment, the teachers, the OTs, the speech therapists, the parents. The more knowledge, the better.

I'm still learning. I don't think I have it all figured out, and I'll tell you when I'm not sure.

Along the way

13: Started helping with children, babysitting a family friend who was autistic.
17: Worked as a homeschool kindergarten classroom teacher’s assistant.
Thailand: Grew up there and taught English in various elementary schools.
Brazil: About ten years. Assistant teacher, then head kindergarten teacher, with children from all over the world.
2019: Started in ABA as an RBT.
Lead RBT: Trained and mentored new therapists.
2026: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA).
Now: Pursuing a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and working toward my BCBA. Then feeding.

I've been working with children since I was 17.

My story

Along the way

Have a question about your child?