Achieve Beyond Presenters
Workshop Presenters at Achieve Beyond
Tara Karen
M.S. Ed, BCBA, LBA, Director of Service Provision
Tara Karen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst (CT, MA, MD, TN, NY ) who has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education since 2009. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from SUNY Stony Brook, a Master’s degree in Childhood Education from Dowling College and completed her BCBA coursework at SUNY Stony Brook. Tara is a New York State certified teacher, holding multiple certificates in children with special needs.
Tara join the Achieve Beyond team in 2013, and has worked as a clinical supervisor, school consultant, CSE provider, EI supervisor, clinical director, operations director, and now has the honor of overseeing all the clinicians at Achieve Beyond. Guided by her love of ABA, she is passionate about teaching our clinicians, administrative staff, and families how ABA can help change the world.
Lori Estien
M.A., BCBA, ABA Clinical Director
Lori is a Board Certified and a New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis with individuals with special needs and abilities since 2010. After completing her undergrad in psychology, Lori realized her interest and passion for ABA and pursued her Master’s of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis. While completing her Master’s with Capella University, Lori worked in a public school setting as a 1:1 classroom behavioral support and home services technician to assist student’s with generalizing skills learned in the classroom to the home as well as help parents with their own skills in supporting their child’s progress and skill development.
Prior to Achieve Beyond, Lori worked as clinical BCBA/LBA supervisor and then Assistant Clinical Director for a non-profit agency where she provided in home treatment supervision, clinical support to the clinical supervisor, parent training and training development for staff. In 2019 Lori began working with Achieve Beyond as a fee-for-service BCBA/LBA clinical supervisor.
Lori quickly learned that Achieve Beyond’s core values and dedication to clients matched her own and she came on board as a full time clinical supervisor. This allowed Lori work with many great families in Suffolk County and help them create meaningful and significant change in their child’s life.
Lori has always been passionate about working closely with the families of her clients so that she can ensure the treatment approach and goals are individualized and socially significant to their child's unique needs as well as the family's values. Additionally Lori is also dedicated to collaborating and assisting fellow colleagues in her field. As Achieve Beyond's ABA Fieldwork Supervision Coordinator, Lori worked closely with others to develop a comprehensive and immersive program that provides future behavior analysts with supervision while completing their fieldwork.
In January of 2021, Lori stepped into the role of Assistant Clinical Director for the Melville location where she works closely with the Regional Operations Director in providing clinical support to staff, conducting assessments, overseeing program changes, as well as continues to ensure clients are receiving effective and evidence based- treatment approaches in a fun and supportive environment.
Gina Ballone
MS, BCBA, LBA, ABA Clinical Director
Gina Ballone has been working in the field of ABA since 1998. She first gained experience in working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during her undergraduate studies at Florida State University. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she decided to pursue her Master’s degree in Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis, having the privilege of learning under Dr. Jon Bailey and Dr. Al Murphy. During her graduate studies she co-founded an organization that provided ABA services to children, which is currently a practicum and assistantship opportunity for graduate students at FSU.
After completion of her graduate degree in 2002, Gina was offered a position at Behavior Analysis Inc, a leading ABA company in South Florida. During her work there, she supervised a team of behavior therapists, as well as developed verbal behavior programs, precision teaching, and behavior reduction programs. She conducted parent trainings/workshops and presented at state conferences. The company appointed her to be the Behavior Analyst to consult at the Miami Children’s Hospital, Dan Marino Center. She oversaw all ABA programs as well as conducted consultations to non-behavioral staff. In doing this, she had the opportunity to consult with Speech, Occupational and Physical therapists as well as provide training at the Dan Marino Summer Camps.
Gina has attended numerous workshops in Verbal Behavior, as well as advanced consultation workshops at the Carbone Clinic. She has presented at FABA (Florida Association for Behavior Analysis) as well as other conferences throughout the years. She was the Clinical Director of an ABA therapy clinic in Destin, Florida for 8 ½ years, where she also served as the practicum supervisor for the graduate students in the FSU-PC Master’s ABA program.
Gina became the Clinical Director of ABA Services at Achieve Beyond in the Virginia/DC Metro in 2012. She is passionate about using Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior to teach language and communication skills to individuals.
Michelle Altamura
M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD, S, Lead Speech Therapist
Michelle Sisto is a New York State Licensed and ASHA Certified Speech Language Pathologist who has worked in the field of Special Education and Speech and Language Pathology since 2017. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint John’s University and a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Molloy College. Michelle also holds her teaching license from coursework taken at Molloy College.
After completing her education, Michelle completed her Clinical Fellowship Year in a special education preschool setting. She has worked in a variety of settings, including home-based, preschool, and high schools, serving a variety of different populations with varying levels of support needs.
Michelle has worked for Achieve Beyond, since 2018, where she began as a special instructor before transitioning to the role of speech language pathologist, when she obtained her license. This year, Michelle has taken on the new role of Clinical Supervisor at Achieve Beyond, mentoring and supporting clinical fellowship therapists. Michelle’s drive comes from the mindset that every individual deserves a voice and has the right to access functional communication. She utilizes evidence-based practices to ensure the highest level of care and professionalism for all she work with. Michelle has a passion for learning and teaching to increase awareness around complex and important issues within the area of speech language pathology.
Michelle loves being a part of the Achieve Beyond family and thoroughly enjoys all of the individuals she was the pleasure of working with. She believes she has just as much to learn from her clients, as they have to learn from her!
Jessica Restivo
MS, OTR/L, Lead Occupational Therapist
Jessica Restivo is a pediatric board-certified occupational therapist based in New York City. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from SUNY New Paltz in 2015 and her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences in 2018. Jessica serves on the Board of Directors for the National Perinatal Association, mentors occupational therapy students, and supervises occupational therapy assistants.
With diverse experience across diverse setting, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), pediatric units, early intervention, and telehealth, Jessica specializes in supporting children and families with an emphasis on developmental outcomes. She is a certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist through Creative Therapy Consultants and has completed the Small Baby Specialist Program offered by Engage Grow Thrive.
Jessica has presented on pediatric topics at institutions such as NYSSHLA, Wagner College, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, and the National Perinatal Association Conference. Her publications include “Using an Interdisciplinary Educational Video to Enhance Pediatric Residents’ Understanding of OT Services” in Physical Medicine and Rehab International and “Infant with a Hereditary Blistering Disorder: An Interesting Case in the NICU” in Oxford Medical Case Reports. Jessica is passionate about coaching and empowering caregivers to promote their child's development through collaboration and cohesion.
Jill Gessner
M.S. Ed, BCBA, LBA
Jill Gessner embarked on her journey in the field of ABA in 2004 as a teacher’s assistant at Developmental Disabilities Institute. Over time, she became a licensed special educator, before becoming a licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She joined Achieve Beyond in 2013 and has worked as an ABA clinician in Early Intervention, ABA supervisor for EI program throughout the five boroughs.
Throughout her career, Jill has gained extensive experience working with children aged 2-19 in diverse settings, including schools, clinics, early childhood centers, homeless shelters, community programs, and homes across all five boroughs and Long Island. She has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of families and train dozens of therapists in various areas such as ABA, Functional Communication, toilet training, feeding issues, self-help skills, play, and social skills. Jill firmly believes that active listening, keen observation, and the establishment of strong relationships are fundamental to making lasting changes in her clients’ lives.
Suchitra Kamath
PT, DPT
With over 25 years of experience as a licensed physical therapist across three continents, Suchitra Kamath has developed a diverse and impactful career, specializing in pediatric physical therapy for more than 15 years. She has worked in various clinical settings, including comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient care, acute care, home-based, and school-based environments, with a strong focus on pediatric populations. Ms. Kamath has extensive experience treating a wide range of developmental, neurological & orthopedic conditions, providing specialized care in both early intervention and school-based settings. She is highly skilled in evaluating, diagnosing, and creating individualized treatment plans to meet the specific needs of each patient.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Ms. Kamath has served as a clinical instructor, guiding and mentoring future physical therapists in their academic and professional development. She has a rich background in working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, and she is dedicated to promoting evidence-based practice.
Ms. Kamath holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Physical Therapy from Kasturba Medical College in India. She is also a certified yoga instructor, incorporating a holistic approach to her physical therapy practice.
