Welcome to Adapt
At Adapt, we have assembled a collection of the highest professionally trained individuals and supervisors within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and other evidence based approaches. We have also developed one of the most comprehensive introductory and ongoing training programs. In addition to our training programs, each employee at Adapt is regularly assessed within each of their cases and provided with direct feedback and modeling of intervention strategies. Continuing education through professional seminars, journals, and specialized trainings are also provided to Adapt employees to continue to expand upon their professional skills.
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The Collective
Philip Grant
CEO/Founder, M.A., BCBA
Philip began his career in ABA in 2003 as a Behavior Therapist. He cultivated his expertise over the last decade through various clinical positions ranging from Behavioral Specialist to Behavioral Consultant to Program Manager, and currently, as the CEO and Founder of Adapt. He has worked with hundreds of individuals from 2 to 70 years of age with varying diagnoses ranging from Autism to MR to ADHD to OCD. He is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a Master's in Education and an emphasis in Applied Behavioral Therapy.
Philip's professional goals are to advance the field of ABA through continued research and the development of modern, pragmatic applications, to educate "whoever wants to learn" on the principles and successful implementation of ABA, and to provide the highest quality of professional service to each individual he works with. He is truly inspired by redefining possibilities!
Amy Zora
Executive Clinical Director, M.A., NCC., BCBA
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Amy’s background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in ABA therapy. Amy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC,) as well as certified in PEERS TM. Her experience includes working with survivors of assault, providing counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children. Over the last decade, Amy has focused on working directly with children and families diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders using ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy.
Within the field of ABA, she has primarily worked in direct therapy and supervision, implementation of goals and treatment plans, parent training, and therapist training. Amy is always eager to continue her growth and development as a professional, to best help the clients she serves. When it comes to her work with children, Amy likes to refer to one of her favorite Dr. Seuss quotes, “You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so. . . get on your way!”
Brandon Garay
Clinical Director, M.ed., BCBA
​Brandon began his career in ABA upon completion of his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His first experience in the field of special needs took place while teaching in Madrid, Spain. After a year of teaching, Brandon returned to the states and began working in various public schools as both a behavior therapist and a paraprofessional in after-school sports programs for individuals with special needs. He have over 2 years of experience working in a public school setting and over a year of experience providing in-home therapy. After completing his Masters of Education degree in Applied Behavior Analysis Brandon began his goal of working towards becoming a BCBA. That goal was achieved recently as Brandon earned his official status as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst!
Ashley Macatangay
Clinical Director, M.S., BCBA
In 2014, Ashley completed her Bachelor's degree and acquired her license as an Occupational Therapist (OT) in the Philippines. As an OT, she worked with children from 1 to 15 years of age with various diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. In 2017, she joined the world of ABA as a Behavior Technician. She obtained her certification as a Board Certified Autism Technician in 2018 by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She practiced as a Program Manager, working with children ages 3 to 18 years for almost 3 years. She completed her Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2020 from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology then acquired her license as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2021. Ashley's passion for the outdoors and for helping children and their families have always been inspired by the saying "Leave Them Better Than You Found Them".
Directors & Managers
Jessica’s journey in the special education field began in 2013 when she was required to take additional courses to fulfill her full time student status. Her passion laid in the healthcare field and working with children. Although her major was nursing, she soon discovered a new passion. In 2014, Jessica switched majors from nursing to Communicative Disorders and obtained her Bachelor's from San Francisco State University in 2016. Soon after, she began working as a behavior therapist and obtained her certification as a Registered Behavioral Technician a few months later. As she continued to work closely with families and clients, she realized she wanted to continue her education, and in 2020 Jessica earned her Masters in Special Education from Arizona State University. More recently, Jessica completed her certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst!
Jessica Pavon
Program Manager/Clinical Director, M.A.,BCBA
Moying Tsui
Senior Program Manager/Clinical Director, M.S., BCBA
Mo Ying started her ABA journey back in 2015, building a wealth of experience working with people on the spectrum from ages 2 to 21. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology in 2015, obtained her M.S. in ABA in May 2021, and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in November 2021. She believes that building a relationship between the individual receiving therapy and the family is essential to build trust between the team and ultimately a successful intervention. Mo Ying is eager to learn new and effective ABA methods to continue strengthening her skill sets to better support families and looks forward to contributing to the growth of the Adapt team.
Alejandra Cornejo-Gonzalez
Senior Program Manager/Clinical Director M.A., RBT
Alejandra was born and raised in Oakland, Ca. She obtained a B.S in health science with an option in Nursing and minor in Music from Cal State East Bay. She completed her Master program in Education with a concentration in ABA from ASU and is currently completing her requirements to become certified as a BCBA. Beginning her journey back in 2007, Ali started working for the unified school district of Oakland as an aide to a special needs classroom and came in contact with the field of ABA. She has been working in ABA now for the last 5 years. Her passion is providing support to the kiddos and families of Adapt and making a positive impact in their lives.
Taron Smith
Program Manager & Executive Instructor M.S., RBT
Taron received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Education from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. During his college years, Taron built his professional experience in working with children as a teacher's assistant for various elementary schools to tutoring children in after school programs. It was when he moved to San Francisco that Taron discovered his passion for ABA. As a Behavioral Therapist, Taron has continued to develop his skills in teaching, analysis, rapport building, and client specific behavioral strategies and recently began his training as a program manger with Adapt. He recently obtained his goal of obtaining a Masters of Science degree in ABA, and is currently working on completing his certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Senior Therapists
Lizbeth Pinon-Sosa
Senior Behavior Therapist, M.A., RBT
Lizbeth earned her Bachelors and Masters degree at San Jose State University. She began working with kids shortly after graduating from her Bachelors. After working with kids, she found her passion to continue her education and build her skills and knowledge of children and teens. She is passionate and enjoys working with kids to positively impact their life as well as their families life. On the weekends, she enjoys volunteering and offering free art classes for kids and families.
ShainaMel Pilapil
Senior Behavior Therapist, M.A., RBT
Shaina earned her B.A in Psychology at UC Merced in 2018 and her M.A in Developmental Psychology in 2021 at San Francisco State University. Her passion for working with children began in graduate school as she worked as a researcher at a family interactions lab, working directly with preschoolers and their parents. Since joining Adapt, Shaina has fallen in love with the career as a Behavior Therapist and working with kids across all age groups. She values family and aspires to make a positive difference in other people's lives.
Vanessa Rodarte
Senior Behavior Therapist, B.A., RBT
Vanessa received a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. She began her career working with children and teenagers as a youth Mixed Martial Arts instructor. In 2019, Vanessa discovered her passion for ABA and in 2020, she completed her certification as a registered behavioral technician (RBT) by the Behavior Analysts Certification Board. Working with children has always been a joy for Vanessa. She is eager to continue to grow in the field of ABA with Adapt and continues to strive to positively impact the lives of others.
Hunter Cross
Senior Behavior Therapist, B.A., RBT
Hunter received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Cognitive Science and Music, from the University of California, Berkeley. They began their career working with children as an undergraduate researcher at the Language and Cognitive Development Lab of UC Berkeley's Institute for Human Development, in the Department of Psychology. In 2022, Hunter found their passion for ABA and completed their certification to be a Registered Behavior Technician. They continuously try to learn more about the field of ABA and make connections with their families.
"Invest in everything you do. There's fun in being serious" - John Coltrane
Jay Lee
Senior Behavior Therapist, B.A., RBT
A native of San Francisco, Jay's experience and passion for working with children begin at an early age working within his own family-run daycare. Before his work with Adapt Jay explored various other passions including earned a BA in Animation from The Academy of Art University, and working as an ECG Technician at San Francisco General Hospital. Jay feels as though he has found his true passion in his career as a Behavioral Therapist with Adapt and recently obtained his certification as a Registered Behavioral Technician. He also enjoys flexing his artistic and creative background while also making a difference in the lives of the community he works with.
Suzanne Hernanadez
Senior Behavior Therapist, B.A., RBT
Suzanne received her BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a minor in Human Rights. During her time at UC Berkeley she worked at an early childhood education program where she became familiar with the field of ABA. She has since practiced center based, home based, and school based ABA. Her passion lies with working with children and will continue to pour into the children and families she works with.
Sergio A. Duarte
Senior Behavior Therapist, B.S., RBT
Sergio started his career in ABA after earning a B. S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences as well as a B. A. in Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara. They gained experience in working with children and teenagers as a youth leader in their church. They have always felt a passion for working with the Spanish-speaking community and providing resources that are sometimes inaccessible to families that do not speak English. Through Adapt, they have become knowledgeable in ABA which has driven them to positively shape the lives of the families that they work with!
Marjorie Lacap
Senior Behavior Therapist/Program Manager, M.S., RBT
Coming Soon. . .
Jennica Ivy Capingian
Senior Behavior Therapist/Program Manager, M.S., RBT
Jennica was born and raised in Sunnyvale, CA. Wanting to branch outside of her hometown, she moved out to Southern California after college. Jennica received her B.A in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach. During her time at Long Beach, Jennica also started her career in ABA, working as an RBT for 2 years. Her passion to help others has only grown so much more as she entered the field. In 2022, she obtained her M.S in Applied Behavioral Analysis from National University. She hopes to one day direct her own ABA company and help many other families and children.
Therapists
Alex Flores
Behavior Therapist, RBT
Alex is an undergraduate student of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. His emphasis of study is in cognitive development and clinical psychology. He is a BCBA Registered Behavioral Technician, and a behavioral therapist at Adapt. Alex is committed to the prosperity of his clients and promoting their development across a comprehensive set of skills. He seeks to advance ABA therapy through dedicated inquiry, empirical achievement, and the collective success of Adapt.
Kathie Li
Behavior Therapist, M.S., RBT
Coming Soon. . .
Angelica Bacon
Behavior Therapist, B.A., RBT
Angie received her Bachelor of Arts from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Masters of Arts in Forensic Psychology from Grand Canyon University. After graduating, Angie worked with adults with severe mental illness and substance abuse issues in Brooklyn, NY. In 2022, Angie moved back to Daly City, CA after living in New York City for 5 years. Angie wanted to work with children after working with adults for 4 years. Luckily, she found Adapt and now loves what she does. In the near future, Angie will go back to school to receive a counseling license to hopefully work in a school setting!
Mirna Torres
Behavior Therapist, B.A.
Coming Soon. . .
Tara Roshan
Behavior Therapist, B.A.
Coming Soon. . .
Specialists
Dr. Mary Wong
Diagnostician Contractor, BCBA, Psy.D.
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Mary is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and licensed psychologist with experience in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as well as trauma, substance abuse, forensics, victimology, crisis, and both inpatient and outpatient services. Since 2011, she has worked with individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, including those dually diagnosed with Psychotic Disorders, Mood Disorders, and Substance Use Disorders ranging from 2 to 65 years old. Within the field of ABA, she has served different research, treatment, and educational roles including diagnostic assessment, clinical intervention development, caregiver training, and supervision. She believes learning never comes to an end and enjoys continually discovering new and unique methods to work with different individuals on a daily basis.
LaRonna Watson
Counseling Contractor, MA., LCSW
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Coming Soon. . .
Why is Adapt called a "Behavioral Collective"
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" We call ourselves a behavioral collective for two simple reasons...
One, at Adapt our intention is to assemble a collection of the most talented, passionate individuals in the field aimed towards the collective goal of providing the highest quality of service to our clients and their families. Two, within this group of people, diversity of thought and experience is paramount. Under the umbrella of ABA techniques and methodologies, we will continue to collectively develop an evolving, multi-faceted, and comprehensive approach to the individuals we serve. Our strength comes as a whole and every individual is hired with the intention to contribute in their own unique way with their own unique capabilities."
- Philip Grant (Founder/CEO)