There’s no place like ABC: ABCaba 2025 Conference Highlights

Action Behavior Centers' annual clinical conference, ABCaba, took place on June 13–14, 2025, in Austin, Texas. This special event is designed exclusively for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Clinical Directors, and other leaders in applied behavior analysis (ABA) within ABC. Rising Stars—aspiring BCBA teammates advancing through our renowned Everest Program—were also invited to attend!

ABCaba brought together hundreds of ABA clinicians for two days of clinical innovation, continuing education, and advocacy focused on improving global access to quality autism care.

Kicking off the action: “Discover Your Why”

The conference began with a warm welcome and an immersive “Discover Your Why” experience, a reflective and interactive event designed to help teammates reconnect with their personal and professional purpose. This powerful activity set the tone for a weekend grounded in meaning and mission.

Attendees also had access to the Rising Star Lounge, an exclusive space for tomorrow’s leaders to network, recharge, and celebrate their progress in the Everest Program.

Community impact event with Special Olympics Texas

The conference opened with a powerful community impact event in partnership with Special Olympics Texas (SOTX). Together, ABC teammates and Special Olympics athletes assembled more than 750 sensory bags to be distributed at upcoming SOTX events. Each bag contained:

• Noise-canceling headphones
• Soft blankets
• Sensory toys
• Personalized notes of encouragement

“At ABC, we believe that meaningful community engagement goes hand-in-hand with clinical excellence,” said Jonna Lang, Family Advocacy Manager at Action Behavior Centers. “This event with Special Olympics Texas reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding access to ABA therapy and creating a more inclusive world.”

Special Olympics athletes, including longtime participant Laurinda Smith, joined ABC teammates to complete the bags and prepare them for delivery. “I’ve been doing Special Olympics Texas since 2000, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” said Laurinda. “I’ve met so many amazing people, and everyone is so supportive. If I’m ever down in the dumps, someone’s always there to check on me. It’s just amazing how you get to meet people from all over the state and try different sports. I hope to go to nationals someday!”

ABC concluded the event with a charitable donation to Special Olympics Texas. “Our athletes felt so welcomed and were thrilled to receive high-fives and share their experiences,” added Liz Jones, Unified Champion School Specialist for SOTX. “It’s so important to recognize that no matter your ability, there is a place for you.”

Night of Honor awards

Our highly anticipated Night of Honor ceremony brought teammates together to recognize the heart of our mission: the clinicians whose dedication, compassion, and pursuit of excellence shape the future of ABA. This year also marked the debut of the Astra Via Award, presented to a teammate who is navigating the path to growth with purpose and passion.

Our 2025 honorees:

• CEO Award
  
  • Dr. Charna Mintz, Chief Clinical Officer
• Astra Via Award
  
  • Michael Cantu
• Core Value of Learning
  
  • Jalissa Green
  • Emily Carreon
• Core Value of Team
  
  • Hannah Macchi
  • Erica Rackers
• Core Value of Excellence: 
  
  • Courtney Leerssen
• Core Value of Caring
  
  • Linlin (Ruby) Liu
• Legacy of Learning
  
  • Dr. Mahshid Ghaemmaghami

This meaningful tradition continues to be a highlight of the year and a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.

Celebrating promotions across the organization

Recognition didn’t stop at Night of Honor. Throughout the weekend, we proudly celebrated several teammate promotions, including the credentialing of ABC’s first-ever Senior Compassionate Treatment Coach (CTC) at Level 6 in Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment (PFA/SBT).

Congratulations to these outstanding clinicians:

• Sr. Compassionate Treatment Coach (CTC)
  
  • Rachael Cruz
• Sr. Regional Clinical Directors (RCDs)
  
  • Heather Henderson
  • Audry Moore, Ph.D.
  • Kelsey Every
• Sr. Clinical Director (CD) 
  
  • Sadie Russell
• Assistant Clinical Director (ACD)
  
  • Paige Holman
• Sr. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)
  
  • Morgan Parsons
  • Kelli B.
  • Averi Falotico
  • Alonda Del Real

To each of you: your dedication, growth, and leadership inspire us. Thank you for everything you do to put our core values into action.

A powerhouse lineup of speakers

Throughout the weekend, attendees had the privilege of learning from some of the most respected voices in the fields of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), applied behavior analysis, speech language pathology (SLP), and behavioral science, including:

Dr. Linda LeBlanc, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Executive Director of the Action Institute for Outcomes Research at Action Behavior Centers

Dr. Gregory Hanley, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Compassionate Care at Action Behavior Centers

Dr. Jonathan Tarbox, Ph.D., BCBA-D
ABA Program Director at USC & Director of Research at FirstSteps for Kids

Dr. Ellie Kazemi, Ph.D., BCBA-D
CEO of Transform VXR, Learning Scientist, & Workforce Training Consultant 

‍Kaelynn Partlow, RBT
Lead Therapist at Project HOPE Foundation, Inc., Public Speaker, & Featured Participant on Netflix’s “Love On The Spectrum”

Landria Seals Green, CCC-SLP, BCBA‍
Founder and CEO of ExcelPrep, Schools Implementation Science Researcher, & CVO of Huddle Online

Dr. John Austin
Founder & CEO of Reaching Results, Author, Behavioral Science Expert for Businesses

Until next year…

To everyone who helped bring this event to life: thank you. Your energy, dedication, and heart made this a weekend to remember. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

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