Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebeka “Beckee” Edge.
Hi Rebeka, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2020, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 54 children in the US is diagnosed with autism- 1 in 34 boys and 1 in 144 girls. We are a family that personally knows about Autism. Our son was diagnosed with autism at the age of eight; he is now 23. Autism Awareness and education have come a long way since our son was diagnosed. Many years ago we were told that our son could not have autism because he was too affectionate and too verbal; today we know that children with autism are affectionate and can learn to communicate very well along with so many other skills.
Our son was referred for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy shortly after being diagnosed. At the time my husband was in the military and Tricare was the only insurance covering this type of therapy. As of 2019, all 50 states now have insurance mandates to cover ABA therapy. ABA is considered the gold standard for individuals with Autism. After seeing how much progress our son made through the science of ABA, I decided to return to school to become Board Certified. In 2010, we opened our first center in Alaska; we now proudly serve families in Alaska, California, Florida, and Nebraska.
Autism Awareness month is all about education, from learning the signs of autism to acceptance within the community. Through increased awareness, some children are now diagnosed as early as 18 months old. Early intervention is effective in creating new pathways in the brain which can change the trajectory of a life. This is the most exciting part of what I do. The amount of progress we see every day is the reason I love my job and continue to advocate for families like ours.
For the rest of the world, April is just Autism Awareness Month, for our family, it is also Autism Awesomeness Month as we celebrate our son’s successes and prepare for his future journey into adulthood.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Being an Entrepreneur has almost been an accidental success story. When I started Behavior Matter, I was often heard saying, “I don’t know what I don’t know”. I started as a Sole Practioner, but due to the lack of providers in Alaska, I quickly found myself working 12 hours a day while trying to juggle home life with four busy kids. The learning curve for becoming a business owner and an employer is steep. There are so many factors- compensation, taxes, employee benefits, the list goes on and on. Networking with other business owners has helped us over the years.
One of the most important lessons is learning to plan- plan for success, plan for failure. In the early days, our business grew very fast and we needed to build an infrastructure to support that growth. At one point, our main payer had a contractor change which delayed our payments by four months. Prior to that, we were typically paid within 30-45 days, as a cash-based company, we were 30 days from suspending all services and laying off our employees. We started a grassroots movement by asking our families to contact the insurance company; through this grassroots movement, we were able to get paid faster than many providers across the US.
We have also had our fair share of failures over the years. We have hired the wrong staff, fired the right staff, grown a location too fast, and many more. I feel the secret to our success has been owning up to those mistakes and learning from them. The knowledge we earned over the years has made our decision process stronger and sustainable. Some of our most valuable lessons have been: Start with prayer, Network with other business owners, Listen to those that have gone before you, and read books on a variety of topics. The most important lesson we have learned is to grow intentionally and slowly. There are many opportunities but they may not be the best ones for you.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Behavior Matters is a pediatric Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) center. We were founded in 2010 in Anchorage, AK. We now serve families in Anchorage & Juneau AK, Vacaville & Stockton CA, Omaha, NE, and Lake Nona, FL. The owner and founder is the wife of a military veteran, mother to four amazing young adults, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Her oldest son is autistic and led her to become a BCBA. She started Behavior Matters because were not any in-state behavior analytic practices and she wanted her son to continue to receive this therapy at their new military assignment.
Behavior Matters is known as a business that cares for its families and employees. The CEO will take time to personally speak with any family or employee. She has spent many years learning firsthand about parenting an individual with autism and changing the trajectory of lives using the science of Applied Behavior Analysis.
Proud moment: In Anchorage, we have a therapeutic preschool setting in addition to our center, during the shutdown of 2020, we saw a need to connect with our families. Two of our staff went to the preschool weekly to film our circle time. So many of our families told us that watching these videos brought so much joy to their kids. These are the moments that we cherish.
We are happy to say that even as our business grows, we have strived to keep the feel of a boutique business by connecting through visiting our center, phone calls, newsletters, and virtual meetings.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I have always been a risk-taker, sometimes to my own dismay. I believe risk is a heart (instincts) and head (fact-finding) process. Part of my criteria for deciding on risk is to determine the benefits of the risk & what it could cost if it fails such as monetarily, time, and reputation to name a few. Sometimes I go with my heart even if my head says it doesn’t make sense.
In 2013, we transferred to FL from AK. I felt it was a big risk to be geographically distant from our business. I am extremely hands-on, both as a therapist and business owner. Since then we have opened businesses in states where we have never resided in.
There has been times when we felt a location was growing too fast or needed tightening within the team. During those times we have took a risk by shrinking the business. Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward.
Early on in my career I followed my heart more often than my head, As a seasoned business owner, I have found a thoughtful balance by following my heart while incorporating my head.
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@behaviormattersllc.com
- Website: www.behaviormattersllc.com
- Instagram: @behaviormatters
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/behaviormattersllc/
- Twitter: @BxMLLC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrVeFkB6R-8SlPzjNW9-8Bw
Image Credits
Behavior Matters, Simply Creative Photography.
