Committees

Ambassador's Committee

The Ambassador's Committee aims to disseminate information about ABA to relevant groups outside our field, with a set introduction to ABA that can be presented to any group followed by a short presentation about the application of ABA relevant to that group. We are working on materials and selecting target audiences right now and would love your assistance. If you are interested in either preparing materials or presenting to audiences, please fill out the form below and we will contact you shortly.

Want to get involved? Email us at [email protected]

School Committee

ORABA's School Committee is dedicated to help Oregon public schools gain access to ABA providers and support for students and teachers currently receiving ABA services, as well as participating in local collaboration groups and assisting with the creation of formal procedures related to ABA in schools.

Want to get involved? Email us at [email protected]

Conference Committee

ORABA's conference committee organizes our yearly ABA conference (in October) and includes planning all aspects of the event (theme, guest speakers, location, food, sponsors, parent and student opportunities, materials, brochure, CEU setup, etc.) It meets approximately once a month via zoom.

Want to get involved? Email us at [email protected]

Legislative Committee

This committee is working on legal issues related to the regulation of the practice of ABA in the state.

Want to get involved? Email us at [email protected]

LeAnn Decker-Shah
Ambassadors Committee Co-Chair
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LeAnn Decker- Shah is the co-chair and jointly leads the Ambassadors committee along with Alexandra McCallen (ORABA Board Vice President). LeAnn Decker-Shah received her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She then completed her master’s degree in Childhood Education (with certification in Special Education) through Mercy College in New York City, NY. While teaching in a residential facility for developmental disabilities in New York State, she was introduced to the science of ABA and immediately began her BCBA coursework through the Florida Institute of Technology, remotely, while remaining a teacher full-time, and beginning as a behavior technician part time. LeAnn Decker-Shah is now in her third year as a student in the distance doctoral program for Applied Behavior Analysis at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is a BCBA and LBA (OR/WA/VA). In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, exploring on foot and bike, and spending time with her dogs.

Sydney Singer
Co-Chair
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Sydney Singer is the co-chair and jointly leads the School committee along with Sophie Millon Meza (ORABA Board Secretary). Sydney Singer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University Northridge. She then went on to obtain a Master’s of Science, in Applied Behavior Analysis, from California State University Northridge in 2015. During her graduate internship, she worked at Pacoima Elementary school, providing both individual and school-wide behavior support.

Sydney Singer is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA). Prior to practicing in the state of Oregon, Sydney Singer practiced in California, providing ABA services in the home, community, and school settings across Los Angeles County. She now works as the Clinical Director for Behavioral Learning Network, providing in-home and community-based ABA services in Multnomah and Clackamas Counties.

Desiree Salzer
Conference Committee Co-Chair
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Desiree Salzer received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. In 2008, she began working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as a Behavior Technician, providing direct therapy to individuals and families impacted by autism. She then went on to complete her Master’s degree in Education, concentrating on Autism and ABA, at Texas State University.

Desiree Salzer is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in Oregon. She moved to Oregon in 2014 and has worked as a BCBA in center and in-home settings. She has worked as a Clinical Director, and crisis intervention staff trainer. She recently completed the Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) Specialist program through Florida Institute of Technology. Outside of ABA, she enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors, and staying busy with her family and houseplant collection.

Ambreen Shahabuddin
Conference Committee Co-Chair
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Dr. Shahabuddin is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D). She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Nevada-Reno. She went on to obtain a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis, at Eastern Michigan University. Additionally, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University/Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford Children's Health.

Dr. Shahabuddin moved to Portland in 2019 where she provides outpatient assessment services and evidence-based treatments for youth with autism in the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Shahabuddin is an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine at OHSU and supervises psychology trainees. She has a variety of research interests in the field of ABA, including treatment of complex challenging behaviors, improving functional communication skills in children with ASD, and increasing the effectiveness of caregiver training. In her personal life, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and watching football.

Jaclyn Connelly
Public Policy Committee Co-Chair
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Jaclyn graduated from Brandman University with a Master of Arts in Marriage Family Therapy and went on to complete coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis at National University.  Jaclyn is a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in the state of Oregon. Jaclyn has been practicing in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for twelve years.

Prior to practicing in Oregon, Jaclyn practiced in California providing ABA services in home, community, school settings, residential facilities, and adult day programs. Jaclyn has worked in various capacities from a Behavior Technician to a Region Director. Jaclyn now works for Kadiant as the Region Director for the Pacific Northwest. In her spare time, Jaclyn enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and dog as well as hiking and exploring Oregon.

Analise Herrera
Public Policy Committee Co-Chair
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Analise Herrera is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst in the State of Oregon. Analise received her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Cloud State University in 2012. All of her training and experience with behavior analysis has taken place in Oregon and she is proud to have watched the expansion of services and the further development of this science in this state.

Analise's primary clinical focus includes the provision of Autism Services to young children in both clinic and home based services. In addition, Analise is committed to the development of strong clinicians and has interest in teaching the science of behavior analysis to others. In the last several years, Analise has focused on the development of effective supervisory practices to develop the skills of new BCBAs and graduate students. Additionally, Analise has a strong commitment to racial and ethnic diversity within the field of behavior analysis and is committed to mentorship and professional development of young behavior analysis of color.