Maritza Torres
Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
Maritza Torres is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She has ten years of experience working with children in various settings. She was initially exposed to applied behavior analysis (ABA) when she worked as a children’s advocacy coordinator for the foster care system. That being said, she witnessed first hand how ABA positively impacted the lives of such a vulnerable population. Maritza is passionate about teaching children replacement behaviors, skill acquisition skills, and significant behaviors; while improving the quality of their lives. She has extensive experience training children to use functional communication as an antecedent method and teaching children alternative behaviors to decrease maladaptive behaviors. She has worked with children who have Comorbid Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette’s disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Speech Disorders, and Learning Disabilities. Furthermore, she has dealt with severely aggressive behaviors, tic disorders, pica, self-injurious behaviors, and echolalia. Additionally, she has had the privilege of working in school settings, home, aftercare programs, and clinical settings. Thereby, she has trained teachers, parents, families, and behavior technicians in ABA methods. Additionally, she has been an essential part of our social skills group and helped train new therapists. Rather than trying to cure Autism, Maritza believes that we should embrace neurodiversity and teach children how to engage in socially accepted behaviors, while still allowing them to be their true selves. In short, Maritza is compassionate, empathetic, level headed, and able to connect with children. She strongly believes in the science of ABA and its life-changing effects. She is eternally grateful that she found her calling because she gets to be a part of such an incredible mission.