""We started seeing Sara in October 2017. My 3 year old son took to her right away (which he never does!) and really loved going to her! It's been amazing to see his development. When we started going, his speech was pretty incomprehensible; he left the ends off of most words and was struggling to say sounds in a consistent way. By February (non even 6 months later!) he's now almost completely understandable and we're getting SO MUCH SPONTANEOUS SPEECH. It's really wonderful, and we credit Sara with a big part of that. We highly recommend her!
-Mother/Attorney
who is reaching new heights?
Heather Closen is the ABA Director and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) at Reaching New Heights. She earned her BA in psychology and early childhood education at the College of Wooster. During her seven years in roles ranging from classroom teacher to school administrator, Heather provided ABA services as a tutor during the after-school hours. Soon after, she decided that ABA therapy was her passion and pursued a M.Ed. degree with a focus in special education and behavioral interventions from Kent State University. Heather loves working with the children and their families and brings a unique perspective of both early childhood education and behavioral therapy to her sessions.
Heather lives in Lakewood with her husband, Kyle, two young sons, Brayden and Crosby, and cat, Mazel. Though she grew up in Michigan, Lakewood has become home and she can't imagine leaving. She loves spending time outdoors, especially during the summertime when she and her family go camping and visit the beach as often as possible. One of her favorite things about living in Cleveland is Playhouse Square and all the great shows that come through - she loves musicals!
Heather lives in Lakewood with her husband, Kyle, two young sons, Brayden and Crosby, and cat, Mazel. Though she grew up in Michigan, Lakewood has become home and she can't imagine leaving. She loves spending time outdoors, especially during the summertime when she and her family go camping and visit the beach as often as possible. One of her favorite things about living in Cleveland is Playhouse Square and all the great shows that come through - she loves musicals!
Katie Huba is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Reaching New Heights. She earned her BA in Speech and Hearing Sciences and her MS in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has been working within the Special Education field for 14 years within a variety of settings. Katie has worked with a variety of age groups including young kiddoes’ and older adults and has designed a range of behavioral interventions that focus on developing functional communication and independent living skills.
Katie and her husband Michael welcomed their first child in August 2019. Leo, as well as their fur-children Jake and Elwood, keep Michael and Katie busy but they love every moment of it. If you can do it outside, they Hubas will do it! As a family, they enjoy going on long hikes, spending days at the beach, gardening, and having picnics in the parks. They always stick to their family motto of ‘Always Be Ready for a HUBAdventure!”
Katie and her husband Michael welcomed their first child in August 2019. Leo, as well as their fur-children Jake and Elwood, keep Michael and Katie busy but they love every moment of it. If you can do it outside, they Hubas will do it! As a family, they enjoy going on long hikes, spending days at the beach, gardening, and having picnics in the parks. They always stick to their family motto of ‘Always Be Ready for a HUBAdventure!”
Katie holds licenses from:
- The Pennsylvania Board of Psychology
- Behavior Analysis Certification Board
Laina Culley is an ABA tech at Reaching New Heights. Laina received her Bachelor’s degree in education from Ohio University, and spent the last couple years teaching in public schools and at Monarch Center for Autism. During these years, she developed a passion for behavior, where behavior comes from, and how it can be taught. She has received her Master’s at Cleveland State, and has completed coursework that fulfills requirements to become a BCBA! She is so happy every day she spends at RNH, and is thankful to be able to work side by side with such incredible, kind, loving people. When Laina is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her fur baby (a three-legged rescue dog named Champion), reading, and doing jigsaw puzzles. Recently engaged, Laina is busy planning her wedding. She also has a burning passion for Mexican food, and would eat it every single day if she could! She thoroughly enjoys getting to know the kiddos and parents and working as a team to teach and foster growth!
Jen Craig is an ABA tech at Reaching New Heights. Jen and Donna were co-workers in Solon City Schools and Donna knew she wanted her to be part of this new team. She has over 10 years of experience working with children, in grades K-12, including those with multiple disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Jen was instrumental in facilitating social skills and language groups where she used behavioral management skills and tools including visual schedules, token economies, and augmentative communication devices. Jen worked with a multi-disciplinary team that included a BCBA, Intervention Specialist, School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and Physical Therapist. Jen lights up when she sees a child succeed using the tools and strategies she has provided, and it is her passion to be able to help them reach their highest potential. When not at work, she can usually be found either snuggling with her cat Rosie or doing her son's laundry, as he is involved in track and field almost all year round. Jen also has a 19 yr old daughter who attends Ohio University.
Kara Miller is an ABA technologist at Reaching New Heights. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Communication Disorders at Baldwin Wallace University. After graduation, Kara worked for Akron Community Learning Centers and the Monarch Center for Autism as an associate teacher. Kara quickly learned she had a passion for making a difference in the field of special needs, specifically autism and behavior management.
Every day, Kara comes to work with a positive and enthusiastic attitude. When she is not at work, Kara enjoys playing volleyball, exploring local restaurants, and traveling to new places (mostly the beach!). She is so excited to be a new member of the RNH team!
Every day, Kara comes to work with a positive and enthusiastic attitude. When she is not at work, Kara enjoys playing volleyball, exploring local restaurants, and traveling to new places (mostly the beach!). She is so excited to be a new member of the RNH team!
Alex Clevenger is a Behavior Technician at Reaching New Heights. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). She always knew she wanted to help people but didn’t know exactly how. After working in a nursing home through college, she decided to take a leap and move to Cleveland from Pennsylvania. After working at Monarch Center for Autism she knew exactly how she could help people- applied behavior analysis! In December of 2019, Alex graduated with her master’s degree in applied behavior analysis with an emphasis in autism from Ball State University. She is currently working towards her BCBA.
When Alex isn’t working she loves to visit her family back in PA, hang out with her 2 cats, Roscoe and Leo, and loves going on vacation to explore new places with her fiancé (very soon to be husband!) David!
When Alex isn’t working she loves to visit her family back in PA, hang out with her 2 cats, Roscoe and Leo, and loves going on vacation to explore new places with her fiancé (very soon to be husband!) David!
Dana Kane is a Behavior Technician at Reaching New Heights. In 2007, while studying Fine Arts at Ohio State University, Dana fell into her first ABA position working with individuals with Autism in their homes. She immediately fell in love with the field and quickly changed her major to study Human Development and graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Since graduating, she has worked as a teacher at the Monarch Center for Autism and the STEPs Academy as well as working extensively in homes and center based programs as a behavior therapist. Despite her background in Discrete Trial Training, Dana’s therapeutic approach is deeply rooted in play based and sensory integration models and she loves finding any opportunity to incorporate art and language development into her therapy.
When she isn’t working, Dana enjoys cooking at home with her boyfriend. She loves hiking and biking, and when she finds the time, still loves painting and printmaking.
When she isn’t working, Dana enjoys cooking at home with her boyfriend. She loves hiking and biking, and when she finds the time, still loves painting and printmaking.
Sarah Ocacio is an ABA tech at Reaching New Heights. She received her bachelor's degree in early childhood education from the University of Mount Union. After graduation, Sarah worked as a classroom teacher in multiple K-5 classrooms. After 4 years as a teacher, Sarah knew her passion was helping kids, but she was ready to step away from the classroom and do so in a smaller setting providing one-on-one and small group therapy. Nothing makes her more excited than seeing a child grow and succeed using the tools and strategies that they are provided. Sarah loves coming to work and seeing her clients! When she is not at work, you can find her reading, enjoying time outside with her puppy and husband, or working out. She also loves to travel, so during time off she can likely be found in a different state, or even country! Sarah is thrilled to be at Reaching New Heights and can’t wait to make a difference in the lives of her clients and their families.
Alienna (Ali) Arnold is an ABA Tech at Reaching New Heights. She received her B.A. from Boston College in Secondary Education & English with a minor in Special Education. During her undergraduate, she volunteered in a music therapy group at the Campus School of Boston College, which serves children with multiple disabilities. After graduating, she worked in Special Education classrooms across various school districts as a substitute teacher, eventually becoming the preferred substitute of the Special Education Department at Lakewood High School. She was also a long-term one-on-one classroom aide and personal tutor for a 4th grader with autism at Rocky River. For the past two years, she worked at E Prep Cliffs in Cleveland as a 5th & 6th grade English Language Arts and Writing teacher, where she taught many 504 and IEP students in the General Ed classroom. Ali decided to take the leap to behavior therapy after seeing the fantastic work RNH does for special needs children. She is most looking forward to working one-on-one with students once again and finding creative solutions that are individualized for her clients. Outside of work, Ali performs in storytelling, improvised comedy, and sketch comedy shows. She also enjoys painting & crafting, volunteering in her local parks, and doing anything outdoorsy. She lives in Lakewood with her boyfriend Joseph and their two cats Walter & Willa.
""We had tried speech and OT therapies for our kiddo for over 2 years at two other places, but our child didn’t make progress. I threw a lot of money away before I talked with Donna, the owner of Reaching New Heights. How she has handled our child is heartwarming and we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Her assessments and goals are to the point. She talks to you and understands you like a friend who means well. Donna works very hard and treats all her patients as her own children. She is the greatest!
We also started ABA therapy for potty training at RNH six weeks ago. Heather understood what would work for our child as soon as she met him. And guess what? Our kiddo just started going potty this week. She never ceases to amaze me with her knowledge. Love her!
The whole RNH team is very good at communication. We have worked with most of Donna's team and we have come to the conclusion that she hires only the best. Since we started going there we have had countless numbers of tear jerking moments because our child is now excelling at all the goals and milestones. Hats off to this group of professional and compassionate women!"
-Mother
