Do you tend to stick to the black & white rules, or dive into the greyscale?

How often do you explore the cultural differences and similarities at work?

During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior analyst about her journey to ABA, which brought her all over the world. We also discuss being flexible, leaning into the gray areas, local traditions, and soup!

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About Ann-Marie Donovan, M.Sc., BCBA, LBA, IBAO

Ann-Marie’s journey began in 2004 at a special needs summer camp in New Hampshire, where she discovered the joy and responsibility of working with individuals with additional needs. The camp director’s question, “How do you know your camper had the best time of their year?” sparked her passion for making a positive impact and the importance of fun. 

After that initial summer she returned to Ireland and became a tutor in an ABA pilot school. She was back and forth between the US and Ireland for several years. She spent her time juggling roles in, in-home ABA programs, hospitals, and schools and the camp that started her career all while completing her master’s degree from Simmons College in Boston. In 2009, she proudly added a Master of Science in Behavior Analysis and a BCBA certification to her achievements.

Her adventure continued as the Director of an ABA pilot school in Ireland, then her adventures took her to Bahrain as the Director of an ABA clinic. It was there she met her husband, an Alabama native with the United States Coast Guard. They returned to the US in 2017, and Ann-Marie has been learning and leading as best she can since that time. 

Her hardest and most rewarding role to date is being Mom to twin girls (7) and an almost 5-year-old boy who have completely reshaped Ann-Marie’s perspective on many things, including how she practices.  

Ann-Marie’s journey is all about connection and mentorship. She believes that the secret sauce to meaningful progress is building strong relationships. With a blend of evidence-based practices and a sprinkle of fun, she attempts to create an environment where progress is celebrated, mistakes are embraced as learning opportunities, relationships flourish, and learning never stops.

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Follow Ann-Marie!

Instagram: ⁠@more_2_do

Website: ⁠more2do.com

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Review our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Apple Podcasts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read excerpts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from the episode on my website

Behavior Bites is hosted by Rosie Jeffers, MAT, BCBA, LABA

Chat with me on Instagram!— ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rosie.eats.bx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠