Abbie Koenig, MA, BCBA
Founder & Executive Director
Abbie is the founder and director of Colorado Autism Consultants. She went to Drake University for her undergraduate degree. Abbie then graduated from Regis University with a Master's in Non-profit Management and completed her BCBA coursework at St. Cloud State. She started in the ABA field in 1999, fascinated by the science of motivating factors. She believes ABA allows people to become more effective teachers, more effective learners, to run more effective organizations, and be more successful agents of positive change in the world. When she has free time, she likes to travel and learn about new cultures or spend time with her family.
Dana Stevens, ABD, BCBA
Director of Clinical Services
As a graduate from Lesley College and University of Washington, Dana has nearly 30 years of experience in the field and as a BCBA. She has served as an integral role in building clinical excellence and expanding access to ABA services across Washington State. She served as a faculty member at Whitworth University where she has taught coursework in Special Education, published professional articles, and regularly presents at conferences. Her professional career has spanned diverse populations, including more isolated districts in Alaska. She loves cooking, spending time with her family and her 200+ lbs dog, and experiencing Colorado living.
Adi Waissman, MA, BCBA
Lead Clinical Supervisor
Adi is Colorado Autism Consultants' Lead Clinical Supervisor. She earned a Master's degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and completed her coursework at the University of Colorado. She is BCAB certified and she enjoys looking at verbal behavior and language acquisition. In her time off she loves to be with her family and travel.
Maggie Byers
Revenue Manager
Maggie graduated from Oklahoma State University in News-Editorial Journalism and later became further certified in Medical Billing. She has previously photographed an ABA clinic and learned about the impact of ASD. She watched what ABA therapists do every day, and understands how much it means to the families who rely on those services. Maggie's hobbies include traveling with family and getting new perspectives on life. She is active in politics and enjoys photography when something inspires her.
People Operations Manager
Ethan received a Master's of Sciences in Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. He currently serves on the leadership team as the People Operations Manager and is BCBA and SHRM-CP Certified. Ethan believes a great working environment starts with the employee and their well being. Ethan feels the use of ABA on organizations is effective in creating meaningful work and a culturally responsive environment. Ethan's interests in the field of ABA are Performance Management, Organizational Development, Executive Functioning, and Social-Emotional Development utilizing ACT & AIM. In his time off, he enjoys hiking, video games, board game nights, and going to concerts.
Jessica Buehler
Scheduling Manager
Jessica has 5 years of experience scheduling for ABA clinics in multiple different states. She loves scheduling in the ABA field because she is be able to work closely with clinicians to make sure that clients are getting the best quantity (and quality) of therapy that they can get. In her time off, Jessica likes to go on long walks with her husband and dog, Zora. Her hobbies also include reading, cooking new dishes, and painting.
Diana Hernandez, BA
Intakes
Diana was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She is the middle of three, her oldest brother was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was 2 years old. At that time, being a primarily Spanish speaking family, her family faced many challenges accessing services for her brother. Since then, Diana has made it her mission to help families that may be facing challenges in receiving services. In May 2021, she graduated with a Bachelor of Human Development and Family Relations from University of Colorado Denver. In her free time Diana enjoys hiking, traveling, and drinking coffee!
Maria Gracia Valbuena, BA
Bilingual Clinical Assistant
Maria studied Literature and Grammar for her undergraduate degree at Zulia University in Venezuela. She has no direct link to ABA, but she passionately gets involved with everything that Colorado Autism Consultants does. Since she was a child she has loved reading, generally preferring children and young adult literature. In her free time she likes to get involved in the local theater. She has a puppet (Alma) with which she goes to hospitals and creates activities with children. She likes to travel, spend time with friends, laugh, and help people.
Erica Courtemanche
Recruiting & Scheduling Assistant
Erica first learned about ABA therapy during her time as a nanny in Wisconsin. When she became a Behavior Technician, she recognized the immense value of ABA in educating people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. She later joined the scheduling and administrative team, deepening her passion for the field as she gathered an understanding of processes within clinics and in-home therapies. Now living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, you can usually find her crocheting, playing with her cats, or fighting them for the yarn.
Kimberly Karukoh, BS
Community Relations Specialist
Kimberly graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. She loves experiencing how ABA can shape behaviors to benefit the clients she works with. When she is off, she likes to do snowboarding, rafting, and hiking with her dogs.
Brett Phillps, BA
Grant Manager
Brett comes to Colorado Autism Consultants with experience working in non-profits with a specific interest in grants and grant management. During his free time, Brett enjoys hiking, fishing, and running.
Mike Retland, BS
IT Special Project Specialist
Michael comes to Colorado Autism Consultants with a Bachelors in Business Administration in Technology. Mike is excited to be part of the CAC Team and to learn more about how technology impacts and improves service delivery. In his spare time, Mike like to make his own music and train his dog Pepper.