Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Caravella
Hi Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Today I am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and therapy practice owner. Growing up I also wanted to be teacher so my professional goals always included wanting to work with children and families. While teaching prekindergarten in my early 20’s, I was also a Psychology undergrad student at UCF. When I wanted to pursue Psychology more, I emailed around 20 different psychology offices offering to volunteer in order to gain experience. Out of 20, I think probably 3 wrote back. During an interview with one of them, instead of a volunteer spot, they offered a paid position of being a Behavior Assistant providing behavior therapy to children with autism and their families. The pay was minimum wage and I remember leaving so excited for the opportunity because I had offered to do it for free. I fell in love on the first day on the job. I loved the science of the teaching involved, the connections made with the kids and families, and really just being able to provide opportunities to children who might not receive them otherwise. During this time, I earned a Masters degree in Education and Behavior Analysis and became Board Certified Behavior Analyst. I worked for a couple different agencies and had really special mentors along the way. I gained experience as a Behavior Analyst and as a Clinical Director, and in 2020 opened my own small private behavior therapy practice called Roots Behavior Consulting. Since then we have worked with over 50 families, we partner with many local schools, and have 30 outstanding therapists on our team. Our first therapy center we opened in 2020 is located in Winter Garden; we are opening a second location in Mount Dora in April! We are really looking forward to servicing Lake County now in a meaningful way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Obstacles and challenges for us would be the long waitlists there are in our area for kids waiting for therapy and services that they really need. There are not enough trained therapists in behavior analysis and this makes it challenging for kids and families to get the services they need in order to grow and strive. Because there aren’t enough providers, kids either go without services or don’t receive adequate services. To combat this, we’ve created a strong training program for individuals interested in becoming a behavior therapist in behavior analysis. We like to hire and train people with a certain personality that is compassionate with others, flexible, and is coachable, instead of based on their experience. We’ve found this to be sweet spot for us. As we grow our team we are able to shape really amazing therapists this way, while providing them with strong mentorship and opportunities as well. So its a win-win for the community. Families get quality therapists, and our therapists get strong career opportunities. Our hiring process is a little more lengthy than maybe some other places, however because of this we have very little turnover which helps in our efficiency with providing therapy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Roots Behavior Consulting?
Roots Behavior Consulting is a small private behavior therapy practice in the Central Florida area specializing in behavior analysis and acceptance commitment therapy for children and families. We are located in Winter Garden with our second location opening in Mount Dora in April 2025. We take a very individualized approach to therapy, working to meet the child where they are at and building on skills only after a strong connection and relationship has been made. We are a “people first” operation- we put the child’s needs as a person above all else. Because we are a small company, families have direct and open communication with our leadership team and really become family to us. Because we are a small company, we can really offer more personalized care and take our time. Our mission that drives all of our decision making as a practice is to provide opportunities to those who would not receive opportunities and experiences otherwise; to open doors, instead of close them. For example, we’ve been able to create a homeschool co-op program for our current children that serves as a classroom experience for them, without them needing to go into a school setting where it may not be the best fit for them. We have community based experiences for the kids in order for them to have opportunities accessing new environments and to give them the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else. We also provide social skills groups weekly. Mostly, I’m most proud of the team we’ve been able to create. They are a group of outstanding therapists and people, most of them are masters students and young adults. They are intelligent, thoughtful, considerate, and excellent practitioners. They show up everyday to provide the best services to families and really are world changers. I’m proud of the work our team does for others and the way we do it.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I loved school and social opportunities, I loved being outside, loved animals. Personality wise I was always interested in what other people were doing, how families did things, very alert on others feelings and emotions. Our family never had much in terms of money or opportunities, and maybe opportunities for us in that way were limited which is certainly a drive for me to help at risk children and families in general.
Pricing:
- Insurance funded
- private funding
- step up scholarship
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rootsbehaviorconsulting.com
- Instagram: @rootsbehavior
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rootsbehavior
Image Credits
J & A Media
