Our ABA Team

Barbara Divino is the founder of Divino ABA Services. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credentialed through Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, she has a B.S. in Behavior Disorders and a M.Ed. from the University of South Florida.

Barbara has been providing direct ABA therapy to individuals diagnosed with autism (ASD), intellectual disabilities and learning disabilities, as well as individuals with mental health diagnoses for 7 years. Prior to that she worked as a school-level and district-level behavior specialist for the Pasco County School Board. Barbara worked for 24 years in education, and in addition to her role as a behavior specialist she taught students diagnosed with ASD, emotional disabilities, learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities.

Cory Mangini was born and raised in Inverness, Florida where he graduated from Citrus High School in 2012. He currently resides in Hudson, Fl and has lived in Pasco County since 2015. Cory has a plethora of experience managing children in various settings including sports and volunteering. In addition, prior to providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, Cory worked for 4-years in a 24-7, live-in, rehabilitation center with minors. Cory’s wide-range of experiences assisted him in gaining the needed skills to treat children diagnosed with Autism and related disabilities. Cory has been credentialed as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with Divino ABA services since 2019 and he has become an expert in his role.  Cory is also a team player who truly enjoys working in the field of ABA. We are excited that Cory recently became a father in February 2021,  and as a result he is going to further his education to become a credentialed behavior analyst through the Behavior Analysis Certification Board.

Ashlyn Aitken began working with the special needs population in 2018. Her first experience was working in ESE classrooms in Hernando County Schools. In July of 2021, she became a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). Since then, she has provided direct ABA therapy in clinical, home, and school settings. Ashlyn has experience with a wide range of disabilities including sensory, intellectual, and neurological disabilities. Since starting her job as an RBT, she fell in love with the field of ABA. Now she is graduating with her Bachelor’s in Behavior Health with a focus in ABA, and she intends to begin her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis by fall of 2024

Alix developed an interest in learning about behavioral analysis during her AP psychology class in high school. While volunteering at a youth summer camp in 2018, she immediately fell in love with working with children and looked into how she could help them in other areas. After graduating from St. Petersburg College with her Associates of Arts in Psychology in 2020, Alix became a Registered Behavior Technician. She enjoys working on social skills, group skills, and helping her clients feel comfortable expressing themselves in a healthy way. This year she will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology. She has 2.5 years of experience working in a clinical setting and is excited to gain more knowledge while working at the treatment center. In the future she would like to continue to hone her skills in ABA and eventually obtain a master’s degree in ABA and/or OBM

Logan Marquis was born in Tarpon Springs, FL and grew up in the New Port Richey, Hudson area. She has two beautiful children. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time with her family and traveling. From a young age Logan knew she wanted to work with children. When she was in elementary school, she had a teacher who inspired her to see education and working with children in a different light. When she started her journey in education, her original plan was to be a teacher. In 2018 she worked as an ESE Instructional Assistant (IA) which is where she fell in love working with individuals with disabilities. Logan worked as an ESE IA for roughly 6 years. She was always interested in the ABA, so she decided to make the switch to become an RBT. This change led her to pursue her BS in psychology with a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis so she could become a credentialed BCABA. Logan plans to pursue her master’s to become a BCBA.

Amanda Goffinet born in Manchester New Hampshire but was raised in Port Richey Florida. Amanda’s favorite things to do on her free time are going to the beach, spending time with her animals, and trying new restaurants. She is currently enrolled at PHSC working on her degree in early childhood education. Her background experience consists of working as a paraprofessional for private and public schools.  She was also a cheer coach for many years. Working with children has always been a passion of hers. Her favorite part about being an RBT and working with children is watching them grow and develop new skills. Knowing that she is helping them progress is the most rewarding part of it all and brings pure happiness to her heart.

Lonnie Faillace-Garren fell in love with math after having a great teacher in high school and made the commitment to major in mathematics. During college she found a love for teaching math as a student tutor. A bit after finishing her AA, she landed in the role of a Pre-K ESE para. In this role, she learned that she enjoyed teaching more generally. It was really rewarding to help all the little ones grow up and move on to kindergarten as whole new people. While working as a para, Lonnie developed a passion for helping children overcome their communication challenges and worked as closely as she could with the speech pathology team at her school. Eventually, Lonnie had the good fortune of seeing a good ABA therapist work with a child in her classroom. After seeing the progress this child made in just a few short months because of ABA therapy, she began the process to become an RBT. Her career never went in the direction she intended it, but she is glad it ended up where it has.

Melinda Malkie received a master’s degree in 2001 in ESE education. Over the past 20 years, Melinda taught students with varying disabilities including autism, intellectual disabilities, neurological impairments such as traumatic brain injury, and behavioral disorders. Melinda began teaching 6^th through 8^th graders in Broward County in a self contained ESE classroom. After moving to Pasco County, Melinda taught 3^rd-5^th grade in a self contained ESE classroom. She then taught a combined class of k-5 in a self contained EBD class. Melinda transferred to a position as a behavior specialist at a school with 5 self-contained classrooms specializing in cognitive and developmental impairments ranging from VE PreK to fifth grade. This position involved developing behavior plans and implementing social instruction for all levels of functioning within the access points. Melinda collaborated with speech, occupational, and physical therapists as well as coordinated trainings for teachers and parents to implement individualized plans. After three years, Melinda transitioned to a position as a behavior specialist at Hudson Elementary School for a unit of three EBD classrooms. Melinda designed the behavior system in the program and developed individual behavior plans for each student. During this time, Melinda also trained basic education teachers to implement plans for the students in the mainstream as well as coordinated parent trainings and assisting them to navigate implementing plans in various settings. Prior to pursuing credentials for her BCBA, Melinda was working as a behavior specialist and intervention specialist at Sunray Elementary School. She facilitated behavior trainings, worked with school and district leaders to implement schoolwide token systems, developed individualized behavior plans for several students, and collaborated with families to develop behavior interventions for school and families. In 2021, Melinda began working at DABAS as an RBT while completing requirements to become a board certified behavior analyst.

Kim Loumakos is a registered behavior technician that has been working in the field for two years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies and Community Leadership Early Childhood Education. Kim has previously worked as a VPK teacher, Special Education teacher for 2- 6-year-old children, and a preschool director.  She is drawn to this field because it is so rewarding to see children progress in language, learning, and daily skills and see the positive impact that ABA has on families’ lives. Kim has lived in Florida for 31 years and has teenage twins. She enjoys working out and going to the beach.

Jayla Alfaro is an RBT who has a passion for advocating for individuals in need. Jayla graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology at St. John’s University in Queens NY, her hometown. It was attaining this degree where she found her passion for mental health and ABA. She has done extensive research on the intersectionality of juvenile delinquency, mental health, and autism. Jayla is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree at Nova Southeastern University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  She heavily believes in the transformative power of understanding and nurturing the human mind and is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, destigmatizing the fields, and continuing to learn and improve on providing the utmost care and support.

Eric Archelus has been an RBT for seven years, after working at a state college for 2 years. He has a wide range of experience working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) of varying ages and settings. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree, in Human Services from Indian River State College in 2016. He is also currently working on a Masters’s Degree in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis in hopes of becoming a BCBA.

Avonti Holt was raised in Tampa, Florida. She has been working with children since the age of 16. She had experience in preschool settings with ages 2-5. She was also a camp counselor for ages 5-14.  Avonti graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor’s in recreational therapy and a minor in psychology. After college, she learned about ABA through a peer. As a result, she became interested in ABA and saw how rewarding the role of an RBT can be. Ever since, she has remained in the field as an RBT. Avonti is working toward her BCBA credential withing the next few years. She has been a mother to a little boy since June of 2023. She enjoys going to the park and spending time with her family during her free time.

Kyra McGee was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida in 2022. Kyra will return to get her master’s in behavior analysis with the goal of becoming a BCBA. She has been an RBT for two years, and before hearing about this field she knew that she wanted to work in the medical field to help people, and make impactful changes in their lives. Seeing their growth, and helping them through the use of coping skills was the most rewarding for her. Kyra ‘s personal interests include staying active, going to the beach, reading, and being family oriented.

Sahira was raised in the Tampa Bay area. She has been in the role of an RBT for 2 years. Sahira is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology and a minor in public health at the University of South Florida.  Her long-term goal is a career in the mental health field. Sahira’s first experiences interacting with children diagnosed on the Autism spectrum began when she was in the role of a babysitter. Sahira’s plans include furthering her knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis and volunteering at Autism Speaks events. Sahira’s interests include gardening, weightlifting and spending time with her loved ones.

Madison is a Registered Behavior Technician with a commitment to behavioral intervention and professional development. She holds her RBT certification from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, and a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification from the Council of Professional Recognition. Madison is a Health Sciences major with a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis and is pursuing her master’s to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

With nearly a decade of experience as a paraprofessional and Behavior Technician in educational and behavioral services, Madison is dedicated to supporting clients with a range of disabilities, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), autism, intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy. She specializes in early childhood and non-verbal client intervention in West-Central Florida after being officially credentialed in the field in late 2022.

Sarah Mapilisan began working with the special needs population in 2002 in the role of a substitute teacher in Hernando County. Her first experience was working in a medically fragile classroom, which she loved so it motivated her to become a paraprofessional. In that role she worked with children who had varying exceptionalities, ages 2 to 18. She later worked in a private school specializing in children with special needs and worked along side other therapists to help the children progress on their goals. In June 2023 she became a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), since then she has provided direct ABA therapy in the clinic and home settings and loves watching her clients make progress.

Tamberly Segert graduated from the University of Florida in 2004. She received her BCaBA in 2007. She started her career in a psychiatric residential facility where she had the opportunity to work with adolescents in a variety of environments and with behaviors ranging from moderate to severe. She has worked in behavioral group homes, foster care, in clinic, and in-home services. Tamberly plans on attending the graduate program to obtain her BCBA in the near future.