Hey there, I'm Amanda!

I'm a board certified behavior analyst, nationally certified school psychologist, and CEO of Navigating Behavior Change. As a military wife, I've had the unique opportunity to work across various regions of the United States over the last 20 years. This has exposed me to many diverse educational settings and provided invaluable learning experiences.

Throughout my career, I've worn many hats—from the traditional role of a school psychologist to a behavior analyst in self-contained programs, a coordinator helping with program development and staff training at separate public facilities, and supporting districts in MTSS implementation. I have extensive experience conducting assessments, developing comprehensive individualized behavior intervention plans, and ensuring special education law compliance. I've served as an expert witness in due process cases and have over 600 hours of experience as a Nonviolent Crisis Intervention trainer.

My work has taken me from individual schools to district and state levels, where I've developed and delivered professional development workshops. I'm passionate about helping school teams implement positive behavior intervention frameworks and regularly provide training and support in classroom management strategies. As both an educational leader and consultant, I'm dedicated to empowering educators with practical, evidence-based approaches. In an effort to better reach and support more educators, I recently published my first book.

I hold a bachelor's degree in psychology from Alaska Pacific University, a master's degree and educational specialist degree in educational psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a post-graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis from St. Joseph's University.

Why I do what I do

My primary goal at Navigating Behavior Change is to assist educators in teaching and supporting students who exhibit challenging behavior. I'm committed to disseminating the science of behavior through professional development, coaching, consultations, and courses that empower educators with the knowledge and skills to proactively prevent and address challenging student behavior.

My work is founded upon research and evidence-based practices which help educators take a comprehensive, holistic approach to creating classrooms and schools that not only promote positive behaviors, but foster happy, engaged, and independent learners. At Navigating Behavior Change, I focus on increasing time teaching rather than responding to student behaviors, because I know that when educators have the right tools and strategies, they can spend more time doing what they love—teaching.

I understand that true, long-term behavior change requires the participation of a team of adults, and I'm proud to provide support to teachers, administrators, school psychologists, behavior analysts, related service providers, and paraeducators. Together, we can transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth and create learning environments where every student can thrive.