who is reaching new heights?
Heather Closen is 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!
Heather holds licenses from:
- The Ohio 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 is now pursuing her Master’s at Cleveland State, and is completing coursework that fulfills requirements to become a BCBA! She is so happy every day she spends at RNH, and isthankful to be able to work side by side with such incredible, kind, loving people. When Laina is not at work, she enjoy spending time with her fur baby (a three-legged rescue dog named Champion), reading, and doing jigsaw puzzles. Laina 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!
""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
