Sara Beth Kaufman, BCBA
Sara earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and then she went on to earn her MA in Counseling with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from California State University, Los Angeles. She has been in private practice for over 8 years, where she specializes in program development, parent education, and school and home consultation. Sara is passionate about helping families in need and facilitating positive development for children. We asked her some questions so you can get to know her, too!
Why did you choose to take a more holistic approach to working with neurodivergent children?
All children are different, particularly neurodivergent children, and you never know what strategies will work with each child, so I believe it is important to have an open mind, try new things, then use data to evaluate whether those strategies are effective. I love to collaborate with other professionals to put together the most effective treatment package for a child and watch them grow!
In your experience, which behavioral treatments are most effective for kids and why?
Behavioral treatments that are most effective are treatments where the replacement behavior matches the function of the challenging behavior that is occurring. There isn't one treatment that works for all; behavior support plans really need to be individualized to the child and the behaviors they are experiencing within the environment.
Can you talk a little bit about applied behavior analysis and why it’s helpful for neurodivergent children?
Applied Behavior Analysis is the observation of behaviors and development of treatment based upon what can be seen of the behavior, and how that behavior is affected by the environment. I find this specifically pertinent to neurodivergent children who often cannot articulate what is causing them to feel one way or another, or why they are engaging in specific behaviors. We can use ABA to help increase positive behaviors such as communication and social skills and decrease challenging or maladaptive behaviors.
We love having Sara as a part of our team, and we are thankful for her work with Willowcrest School. ✨
