Meet Our Staff
Brilliant Minds has an amazing group of instructors and Behavior Analysts! Please take the time to get to know our staff!

Gina Ballone, MS, BCBA Clinical Director Gina Ballone has been working in the field of ABA for over 11 years. She first gained experience in teaching language to children with autism during her undergraduate studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee. She was part of a research team under the supervision of Dr. Bailey and his doctoral student Dr. Scott Cross. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she decided to pursue her Master’s degree in Psychology/ABA through FSU at their Panama City campus (FSU-PC). During graduate school she and another student started an in-home therapy group, in which they trained other students to work with children with autism in their homes... a program that exists to this day! After her completion of a graduate degree, Gina was offered a position at Behavior Analysis Inc., in which she worked under Dr. Starin, as well as other prominent behavior analysts. During her work there she supervised a team of behavior therapists, as well as wrote verbal behavior programs, precision teaching and behavior reduction programs. She also did parent trainings and workshops for families. Her company appointed her to be the Behavior Analyst to consult at the Miami Children’s Hospital, Dan Marino Center. There she oversaw all verbal behavior therapy programs as well as conducted on-site consultation to non-behavioral staff at the Dan Marino Center. She had the opportunity to assist in training Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapists as well as provide consultation at the Dan Marino Summer Camps. Gina has attended numerous workshops in Verbal Behavior, as well as advanced consultation workshops at the Carbone Clinic. She has presented at FABA, as well as other trainings throughout the years. She is the Clinical Director of Brilliant Minds and has been with the organization for over the past 6 years. Gina is also a practicum supervisor for the graduate students in the FSU-PC Master’s ABA program.

Sara Bittner, MS, BCBA Behavior Analyst Sara Bittner has been working with a variety of developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges over the past seven years. She has worked in various settings, including schools, homes, clinics and institutional/residential facilities. She has also worked with a variety of age populations, ranging from 2 to 55 years. Sara has worked with clients who have mental retardation, autism, asperger’s syndrome, PDD-NOS, schizophrenia, Tourette’s, seizure disorders, bipolar as well as intermittent explosive disorder. She has extensive experience in behavior reduction programming as well as verbal behavior programs. Sara is a Clinical Supervisor for Brilliant Minds, in which she develops language programs, supervises therapists and continues to implement the “hands-on” work of teaching language to children with autism and related disabilities.

Megan Bausch, MS, BCBA Behavior Analyst Megan Bausch received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of West Florida. She then went on to graduate school to the prestigious Applied Behavior Analysis Master’s program at FSU-PC. During her schooling, she presented at the 2008 Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) conference and attended many workshops on Verbal Behavior. Megan implements one-on-one therapy, assists in curriculum development, and conducts supervision and parent training. Her research interests include capturing motivation and increasing spontaneous vocalizations in early learners. Megan has worked for Brilliant Minds for over the past 3 years and continues to contribute to the success of our children!

Kassi VanderPloeg, MS, BCBA Behavior Analyst Kassi VanderPloeg earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in ABA from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, NE. She has over 2 years of experience working with children who have autism. Kassi was an undergraduate intern at the Monroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. During her experience there, Kassi was able to work in the early intervention program, as well as the severe behavior program, where she was able to help with conducting functional analyses and many other behavioral procedures. Kassi also worked in the department for pediatric feeding disorders with Dr. Cathleen Piazaa, one of the leading researchers in the area of feeding disorders. Before graduating the Master’s ABA program at FSU-PC, Kassi trained and supervised new graduate students and updated programs for her clients through FSU-PC. Brilliant Minds is so excited to have Kassi as part of their dynamic team!

Alison Thome, BS Behavior Therapist Alison Thome attended the University of Georgia where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Family Development in 2000. After graduating, Alison decided to pursue her dreams of acting in New York City. Her “acting” abilities and dynamic personality are what makes her such a strong therapist... it’s not uncommon to find her singing, dancing and doing handstands for the kids! After leaving New York, Alison was happy to find her true calling in working with kids who are developmentally delayed. One of her favorite aspects of ABA is implementing the Stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure (also referred to as Automatic Reinforcement procedure) and seeing children speak some of their first words. One of Alison’s future goals is to bring ABA/Verbal Behavior to other countries, where providers are very limited. She has been at Brilliant Minds for 2 years and is currently working towards her certification as a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.

Ashlie Grill, BA, BCABA Behavior Therapist Ashlie Grill is a 2nd year graduate student in the ABA Master’s program at FSU-PC. She received her original ABA training at Auburn University under the supervision of Dr. Gillis-Mattson and several Board Certified Behavior Analysts at the Learning Tree, Inc., an EIBI preschool for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ashlie currently works as a behavior therapist at Brilliant Minds and provides therapist supervision and parent training in FSU-PC’s in-home therapy program. Ashlie is the President of the Emerald Coast Association for Behavior Analysis and is the Student Representative for the Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group. Upon completion of her Master’s degree in May 2010, Ashlie plans to begin a Doctoral program in Behavior Analysis where she will conduct research in the area of verbal behavior as it pertains to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

James Blanchet, BA Behavior Therapist James Blanchet is a graduate of the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminology. His primary focus was on neuroscience with an intense focus on information processing within the brain. His research was conducted with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and how the patients can adapt and learn the skills of life. His work also extended into underdeveloped children and the assessment of delayed skills and concepts. Being a professional musician and a music major early in his education, Jim is fascinated with the creation and nuances in early speech and how sounds are manipulated in the mouth to create speech. Education and learning are at the root of Jim's training. His flexibility, creativity and understanding establishes a fabulous and exciting learning environment.

Samantha McGee, BA Behavior Therapist Samantha McGee received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State Polytechnic University. Before entering the field of ABA, Sam was the Director of a Day Camp for children, including kids on the autism spectrum. As an athlete and avid softball player, Sam has developed a special interest and skills in analyzing and teaching gross motor movements in children with motor deficits. She has developed lessons for teaching word recognition and early reading skills. Her main research interests include analyzing establishing operations as it pertains to language development. She is also interested in social skills training for children with Asperger Syndrome.

Last Updated: 1/26/10