Leadership
Aidan Vickers
Executive Director / Founder
M ED, BCBA, LBA• BA60765076 •
Aidan founded Engage ABA in 2013 to serve a need in the community for more teenage/adult services. Aidan’s experience is heavily shaped by his upbringing in England, particular the values of equality of opportunity and the inherent potential in everybody. As well his teaching background has provided a wealth of experience for him to draw on when working to create life long opportunities for clients.
Aidan’s work is very much geared to the teenage and adult population. He takes a person centered and wellness approach because this is often what is needed. He takes time to listen to the wants and goals of the client, which can take time. He is mindful of equity and that a dynamic approach is the longest lasting. During this time, he leans on the trainings he has received in Acceptance & Commitment Training (ACT), Accept Identify Move (AIM), DNA-V and the Program for the Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS). The goal being that the client can start to recognize what is important to them, and draw on the support of the team to meet the goals they have created for themselves and to achieve a sense of wellness.
As Executive Director, Aidan provides oversight and leadership to Engage ABA. He is often leading a training, meeting with Program Managers and ensuring Engage continues to stay mission focused. Aidan continues to thoroughly enjoy the entire experience of creating inclusive environments that open up the world.
Liz Bluechel
Director of Operations / Co-Founder
Liz’s autism awareness started in 2006, and since then she has been an advocate in the Autism community. She comes to the team with a wealth of experience in multiple areas. She is a Seattle native and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Psychology with an emphasis on business administration at the University of Washington. She spent 12 years working in the finance industry holding management positions in human resources, operations, and sales. Following her work in the finance industry, she spent 8 years in volunteer management within various settings. Since 2006, she has served as an Autism advocate with three years of involvement at Seattle Public Schools and three years on the Board of Directors of The Academy for Precision Learning, a Seattle K-12 school supporting children on the Autism spectrum. She has always had a passion for helping people, beginning her service in the community at the age of 14.
In 2012 she was fortunate to meet Aidan Vickers. Over time the idea of providing support to teens/adults with Autism in the wider community was hatched. Liz saw this need, having heard it from her years of advocacy. She brings her business expertise to Engage ABA to ensure things are running smoothly behind the scenes from human resources to finance to operations. She’s proud to have been at Engage ABA since the beginning, helping build and grow the organization and seeing it impact so many lives.
Bryce Kennedy
Assistant Clinical Director
Board Certified behavior Analyst M Ed, BCBA, LBA• #ba61083590
Bryce received her Master’s in Special Education (ABA concentration) from Arizona State University in 2019. Prior to becoming a Program Manager at Engage ABA, she worked as CBT at Engage ABA, working in home, school and community settings. She’s also been a soccer head coach for Special Olympics as well as providing supports for other sports. Bryce’s really enjoys working with the teen & adult population and increasing the communities that they can all participate in.
Administration
Engage’s Administrative Assistant is responsible for all aspects of scheduling as well as the day to day administrative duties.
Maria Johnson
Administrative Assistant
Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst • #AB61035184
Maria was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and moved to Seattle, Washington in July 2018. She graduated from Marquette University with a BA in Psychology in May 2018. Maria was introduced to the world of ABA by her professor at Marquette University when working as a research assistant. She received her certification as a behavior technician in Wisconsin while working for an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) agency. She has a wide variety of experiences working with children on the autism spectrum both in home and in a clinical setting. Having worked with toddlers through to adults, Maria builds a strong rapport with each client, regardless of their age! She found over time that her passion is working with young adolescents who are making courageous transitions in their life (e.g., going to high school) and nearing adulthood. Maria has worked as an intern in Wisconsin at a domestic violence shelter with women and their children who have fallen victim of domestic violence. Maria is thrilled to be working for Engage and plans to grow and develop even more with Engage over the years. In her free time, Maria enjoys the outdoors, hikes, cooking, and making long distant phone calls to her fellow Wisconsinites.
Program Managers
A Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) or a Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst (LaBA) acts as the Program Manager for your teen/adult. They are licensed by the state to assess, design and supervise programs and cases. They are able to train, guide and manage Behavior Technicians and provide training to parents, schools, and other organizations.
Caitlyn Whitfield
Board Certified Behavior Analyst M ED, BCBA, LBA • #BA61039656
Caitlyn has been working with neurodiverse individuals since 2017. Right after graduating from the University of California, Davis with her B.S. in Psychology, she began working as a behavior technician in Sacramento, CA. There, she soon fell in love with the field of ABA and decided to pursue a career. She moved to Seattle in 2018 to pursue a master’s degree in ABA from the University of Washington, where she graduated in the summer of 2019. Her passion for her previous experiences working with adolescents with autism led her to working with Engage ABA. In her free time, Caitlyn enjoys writing, recording and performing music, reading, writing poetry, and spending time with her dog, Lucy.
Michelle Pham
Board Certified Behavior Analyst M ed, BCBA, Lba • #BA61198146
Michelle has been working with individuals with neurodiversity since 2015. Prior to coming to Engage in 2019, she worked in early intervention autism research and provided vocational rehabilitation services for transition age learners and adults at the University of Washington. In the Spring of 2021, Michelle received her Master's in Special Education with an ABA concentration from Arizona State University, and transitioned from a CBT to a LaBA role. Michelle has experience working with people of all ages, both in home and out in the community. During her time at Engage, she has discovered the joys of working with adolescents and young adults on independent living skills especially out in the community, as she feels strongly about providing learners with skills to increase their independence, communication, and overall quality of life. Furthermore, she has made it a priority to provide learners with the tools to advocate for their needs, and empower them to develop their sense of autonomy. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys developing her creative skills though painting, crocheting, and photography. You can find her baking, forming bonds with her community and spending time with her family, her cat, and her friends!
Certified Behavior Technicians
A Certified Behavior Technician (CBT) is licensed by Washington state showing they have met the standards to implement programs designed by the BCBA. As they are acting under the Program Manager they will defer programing and scheduling questions to the BCBA. Upon being assigned a CBT, clients of Engage will receive information regarding Behavior Technicians directly.