The NDBI Navigator

In this episode, we welcome Janet Harder and Michaela Jelen of JHMJ Consulting, two highly experienced ESDM therapists and trainers who have worked extensively in early intervention, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), and parent coaching. Together, they share the story behind their innovative Relationship and Strength‑Based Coaching (RSB) framework — a model designed to place the heart of the coaching process squarely on the relationship between professionals and parents.

Both Janet and Michaela bring rich professional and personal perspectives to the conversation. Janet is a speech‑language pathologist and BCBA with deep expertise in autism interventions, holding multiple specialized trainings including ESDM, CERTS, and JASPER. Michaela, who has supported children with developmental needs since her teens, holds advanced degrees in disability studies and early intervention, and recently completed her PhD focused on parent coaching. Her lived experience as a parent of a medically complex child adds a unique depth to her understanding of the challenges families face.

In this episode, we’re honored to welcome Dr. Ana Dueñas, Assistant Professor of Special Education at San Diego State University and Verified Course Sequence Coordinator for their BCBA program. Identifying as transferisa — having grown up crossing the border daily between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego — Dr. Duenos brings a deeply personal and culturally informed perspective to her work. Her teaching and research focus on Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) and how to culturally adapt them to meet the needs of diverse communities. She shares her path to this work, the challenges of embedding NDBI content into traditional ABA course sequences, and her leadership in co‑founding the ABAI NDBI Special Interest Group (SIG) — a collaborative space to support instructors, practitioners, and researchers interested in integrating NDBI into practice.

In this episode, Dr. Jamie is joined by Jillian Schneider for a thoughtful conversation about Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) and why truly effective support must extend across the entire lifespan—not just early childhood. Jillian shares her professional journey into the field of ABA, which began unexpectedly while completing a research-focused master’s program. She reflects on why naturalistic teaching resonated so deeply with her from the start, describing it as creative, meaningful, and relationship-centered rather than rigid or purely clinical. After more than a decade working with young children, Jillian transitioned fully into teen and adult services in 2023—a shift that profoundly reshaped how she thinks about early intervention.

In this episode, I’m joined by Will Martin, BCBA, ESDM‑certified therapist, and apprentice trainer, who leads Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) implementation at SOAR Autism Center. With over a decade of experience in behavior analysis, Will shares how SOAR is weaving Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) into the fabric of their community‑based autism centers in Colorado and Arizona — and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. SOAR’s model is grounded in a developmentally focused, naturalistic ABA approach, with ESDM at its core. Will also shares his personal journey to NDBIs — from thinking all ABA was play‑based as an undergraduate, to discovering the developmental power of NDBIs through Project ImPACT, and receiving high-quality ESDM training at Vanderbilt.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Giacomo Vivanti, Associate Professor and Program Leader in the Early Detection and Intervention Program at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute. His work focuses on improving the well‑being and outcomes of autistic children by delivering effective early intervention to as many children as possible — and by conducting research to understand which interventions work best for which children, and how to implement them successfully in real‑world settings. Dr. Vivanti brings a unique global perspective, blending research, clinical expertise, and a deep commitment to neurodiversity‑affirming practice.

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Cynthia Zierhut Ursu, a child clinical and developmental psychologist whose career bridges early autism diagnosis, evidence-based early intervention, and inclusive early education. Initially trained in early autism diagnostic profiles. She later retrained in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and now specializes in the Group Early Start Denver Model (GESDM). Based in Sacramento, she leads Early Days, an organization dedicated to implementing and disseminating GESDM in preschools and community settings. She also shares the origins and evolution of GESDM — from its early classroom-based beginnings in Denver in the 1980s to formal adaptations in Australia — and how she brought this model to her own community to bridge the research-to-practice gap. Her work centers on inclusion, social connection, and the alignment of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) with neurodiversity-affirming early education practices.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Rebecca Thompson, a clinical psychologist and doctoral‑level Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over two decades of experience supporting autistic individuals and their families. Dr. Becky shares her professional journey, beginning with her early work at the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP) — inspired by her mother, WEAP’s first administrative employee — to her current leadership role overseeing early intervention services and staff training. Her story reflects the broader shift in autism intervention: from serving mostly school‑aged children with traditional tabletop ABA to meeting the needs of much younger learners through Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs).

In this episode of The NDBI Navigator Podcast, Dr. Jamie welcomes international guest Enron Seiti from Tirana, Albania, who shares the incredible 25+ year journey of the parent-founded nonprofit Help the Life Association. Enron describes how their team has expanded services across six cities, empowering families, training young professionals, and advocating for children with developmental disabilities in a country where less than 5% receive services. He discusses how Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), especially the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), are transforming care for young autistic children in the region. Enron also offers practical advice for professionals seeking to learn NDBI—find mentors, stay open to exchanging ideas, and be willing to question existing approaches in pursuit of more natural, effective, and freeing ways to support children and therapists.

In this episode of The NDBI Navigator Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Brooke Ingersoll and Ana Dvortcsak—developers of Project ImPACT and two leading voices in autism intervention, parent coaching, and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). The conversation dives deep into the evolving science and real-world application of parent-mediated interventions, with a strong focus on empowering caregivers, supporting generalization, and promoting engagement through play. Brooke and Ana share lessons from years of research and clinical experience, emphasizing collaboration, flexibility, and joy as key ingredients in effective intervention. The discussion also addresses common challenges such as fidelity, stress, and motivation—and offers practical guidance for balancing evidence-based practices with what truly works for families.

In this episode of The NDBI Navigator Podcast, Dr. Jamie is joined by clinical psychologist and implementation science leader Dr. Katherine Pickard. Katherine shares insights from her work at the intersection of autism intervention research and real-world community implementation. With warmth and clarity, she reflects on what makes parent coaching actually work—not just in ideal settings, but in homes, clinics, and systems that are often messy, under-resourced, and unpredictable. Together, they explore the importance of cultural responsiveness, family-centered values, provider flexibility, and the powerful role of attunement in early autism intervention. The episode also highlights how implementation science helps bridge research and practice by centering lived experience, equity, and sustainability.