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 has been a dedicated professional in the ABA field for almost a decade. She has extensive experience working as a CBT and LaBA directly with clients. For three years, Maria focused on early intervention with toddlers in Wisconsin, and for four years, she worked with adolescents and adults in Seattle. Maria holds a B.A. in Psychology from Marquette University (2018) and an M.A. in ABA from Arizona State University (2020). After many years of direct client interaction, she has transitioned to the administrative side of ABA to better support both staff and clients. Maria understands the demands of working directly with clients and values the importance of maintaining staff well-being to prevent burnout. She is committed to finding the perfect CBT match for clients to ensure their happiness and progress in treatment. Outside of her professional life, Maria enjoys spending quality time with her husband, their wonderful son, and their dog. As a family, they love outdoor activities, going to the beach, and cooking/grilling out!
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.
Clove Whitfield
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
M ED, BCBA, LBA • #BA61039656
Clove has been working with neurodiverse individuals since 2017. Right after graduating from the University of California, Davis with their B.S. in Psychology, they began working as a behavior technician in Sacramento, CA. There, they soon fell in love with the field of ABA and decided to pursue a career. They moved to Seattle in 2018 to pursue a master’s degree in ABA from the University of Washington, where they graduated in the summer of 2019. Their passion for their previous experiences working with adolescents with autism led them to working with Engage ABA. In their free time, Clove enjoys writing, recording and performing music, reading, and writing poetry.
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!
Nick Reynolds
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
M ed, BCBA, Lba • #BA60824734
Nick is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who first started working for Engage ABA in 2015. He graduated from the University of Washington in 2013 with an undergraduate degree in Community Psychology. After finishing his masters in 2017 at Arizona State University in Special Education with an emphases on ABA, he passed the BCBA exam to qualify as a registered behavior analyst. He began working with kids as a volunteer coach for basketball and soccer at the Boys and Girls Club. ABA therapy started shortly after his graduation in January 2014. Specifically, he’s interested in helping to increase independence in kids and young adults across school, home and community settings. He’s a firm believer in using kids’ strengths to help build confidence in aspects of life that need a little push. He strives to help his clients incorporate programs focused on a healthy lifestyle that balances education, independent living skills, exercise, fun, and executive functioning skills. In his spare time, Nick enjoys traveling and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, soccer, and spending time with his dog.
Eddie Dunn
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
M ed, BCBA, Lba • #BA61626998
Eddie has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) since 2016, beginning their career as a Behavior Technician before earning their certification as a Behavior Analyst in 2024. Over the years, they have gained experience supporting individuals of all ages across home, clinical, and community settings. Since relocating from Virginia to Seattle in 2022, Eddie has focused on providing support to adolescents and adults at Engage.
Eddie holds a B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University (2017) and an M.Ed. in ABA from the University of Washington (2024). They are deeply committed to offering empathetic, individualized care, with a strong passion for amplifying autistic voices and advocating for neurodiversity. Eddie prioritizes client-led programming within a neurodiversity-affirming framework, creating meaningful goals that foster independence and improve overall quality of life.
Outside of work, Eddie enjoys spending time with their pets, learning new languages, and exploring new music.
Nanami Frigillana
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
M ed, BCBA, Lba • #BA61639758
Nanami has been involved in the ABA field since 2019. She was introduced to ABA while working as a Home Care Aide in 2018, which sparked her interest in Behavioral Analysis. After earning her Bachelor's degree in 2019, she immediately pursued a graduate degree and completed a Master’s degree in Special Education with a graduate certificate in Applied Behavioral Analysis in the spring of 2023. Nanami has extensive experience in community, group, and in-home settings from a Behavioral Technician to a Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst, and now as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Her work with Engage has deepened her passion for supporting underserved adolescents and young adults, particularly in their transition to adulthood. She focuses on improving their daily life independence, social communication, and behavioral skills. Nanami is a strong advocate for consent/assent based ABA therapy, self-advocacy, and believes in rapport building to sustainably build and maintain growth.
In her personal time, Nanami enjoys exploring new restaurants, exercising, and spending quality time with her family and 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.