After graduating from College certified in elementary education, early childhood education and learning and behavioral disorders, Theresa Stovell made a beeline to NYC public schools. There she attempted to teach in each area she was certified in, but was instructed by the district to choose. This began her 30+ year career teaching Special Education. After ten years in the classroom and one year as an administrator (Crisis Intervention Teacher, Assistant Special Education Supervisor, and 6th grade Dean all at the same time), she stumbled into Early Intervention while looking for part-time work. She began teaching infants, toddlers and pre-K students full-time, specializing in medically fragile, super preemies, rare genetic disorders, Trisomy 21 including Mosaic Down’s, and since 2004, those with ASD. Her love of teaching reading and writing was reignited when she branched out to treating school age children privately. Her desire to become a BCBA was initially the result of a rumor that only those with the credential would be permitted to continue treating those with ASD. It was fostered by the realization that she would be able to teach the teachers and others in each child’s circle of support and guidance. Her goals include minimizing or preventing the need for Special Education service for those with ASD and, in the case of those already in Special Education, helping them to exit the program or move to a less-restrictive environment. She is a firm believer in “Each one teach one, Each one reach one,” using the structured evidence-based approach of ABA and Verbal Behavior.
