About Us | behavioranalysisnoka

About

Behavior Analysis No Ka Oi, Inc. provides both diagnoses and treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Services are provided in the clinic and also in the child's natural environment such as the home, school, or other community settings. We understand that each child, family, and environment is unique and therefore we tailor each program to meet the needs and goals of the individual child and family.

Our Team

Dr. Walton is the Executive Director at Behavior Analysis No Ka Oi, Inc. She was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and has been working with children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities for over 25 years. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University, her Master's Degree in Psychology from the University of Nevada Reno's Behavior Analysis Program under the direction of Dr. Jim Carr, and her Ph.D. in Psychology in West Virginia University's Behavior Analysis Program under the direction of Dr. Philip Chase. In addition, she respecialized in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hawai'i and completed her clinical internship at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She consulted to the Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Division for approximately 15 years and assisted people with co-occurring developmental disabilities and mental illness transition out of inpatient settings. Dr. Walton recently launched a learning lab called Fit Learning Honolulu utilizing precision teaching to teach academic skills. She also currently works part-time at Kapiolani Medical Center’s intensive pediatric feeding program. In her free time, she enjoys rescuing animals, running, and practicing yoga.

Christine K Walton, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA

Sara is the Clinical Director at Behavior Analysis No Ka Oi, Inc. and was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds a Masters Degree in Special Education, Severe Disabilities/Autism Specialization from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. She also completed her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Japanese from UHM and BCBA coursework from Florida Institute of Technology. Sara has worked with children with Autism and other disabilities since 1999 and started working in the field of ABA in 2008. She has served as an educational assistant in Special Education classrooms, as a paraprofessional for several behavioral companies, special education teacher in the DOE and as a Lead Instructor at BANKO. Additionally, Sara lived in San Francisco for several years and worked as a Behavior Analyst in the school and home settings. She is the past Legislative Chair of the Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA), and the only RUBI Certified Parent Trainer in Hawai'i. Sara is currently enrolled in Endicott College's Ph.D in Applied Behavior Analysis program under the direction of Dr. Caio Miguel. At Endicott she is also an adjunct professor as well as an advisor for Masters students. She has published a book chapter and most recently had an article published in a peer-reviewed journal. Sara was the 2022 B.F. Skinner Foundation Student Research Award winner. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, going to farmers markets and practicing yoga.

Sara Sato, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Hannah is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and is the Assistant Clinical Operations Director at BANKO. She earned her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts and her bachelors of science in recreation and leisure studies as Gordon College in Wenham MA. She worked as a BCBA in home, school and clinic settings in Massachusetts for a year after graduating and then moved to Hawaii. Prior to earning her Master’s, Hannah worked as a behavior therapist in home, school, and clinic settings for three years. In her free time she likes to cook, go for runs, read, knit, hike, and spend time with her family and friends.

Hannah Greenwood, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Joni is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received her Bachelor of Social Work from University of Portland and her Master of Social Work, with the concentration area of Child and Family, from University of Hawaii, Manoa. She has worked at BANKO as a Lead Techinician for several years, and had 6 years of experience working with children and teenagers in various settings prior to joining the BANKO 'ohana. Joni was a part-time teacher at an alternative learning center, an after school care group leader, and a basketball and softball coach. In her free time, she enjoys boxing for fitness, watching movies, outdoor activities with friends and family, and taking her dog to the park.

Joni Wong, M.S.W., BCBA, LBA

Faith was born and raised on the Leeward Coast of Oahu. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her Master's degree in Special Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Faith received her BCBA in 2018. Before joining the BANKO team, Faith has worked with students diagnosed with ASD in the school setting as a paraprofessional, as well as, in the home and community setting as an RBT. In September 2021, Faith began Doctoral coursework in ABA. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, fishing, camping, and traveling.

Faith Kahakeli'i, MEd., BCBA, LBA

Rachel is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who earned her earned her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Hawaii and her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2017. Before traveling to Orlando to pursue ABA, she worked in Hawaii as an RBT for 5 years, and as an after-school care leader for 4 years. She enjoys swimming, photography, gardening, shopping, and spending time with friends and family. She also loves animals and would love to own multiple pets when her housing situation allows for it.

Rachel Bressem, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Laura was born and raised in Massachusetts and received her bachelor’s degree in Applied Behavioral Science from The University of Kansas in 2016 and her Masters of Science in Behavior Analysis from Simmons University in 2021. She was a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst since 2017 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2021. While attending KU, Laura completed three practica in early childhood autism intervention classrooms and served on two research teams under Dr. James Sherman and Dr. Pamela Neidert specializing in pediatric feeding disorders, preference assessments, food selectivity, and administration of the VB-MAPP. In addition, Laura interned at The New England Center for Children, a premier institute in autism education and research outside of Boston, Massachusetts. After earning her certification, Laura worked at an out-patient clinic in Manhattan, Kansas for two years gaining experience in assisting a BCBA to develop programs, supervise RBT’s, implement behavior interventions and facilitate caregiver training. She was working remotely supervising staff and developing behavior interventions under the supervision of a BCBA for a home-based company in Virginia before joining BANKO. She enjoys watching Boston sports, KU basketball, hiking, drinking coffee, and spending time with her dog and husband.

Laura Simons, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Celina became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in 2019 and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Hawaii Pacific University, her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Chaminade University, and completed the behavior analysis course sequence from the University of West Florida. Celina has always had a passion for working with children and has worked with children with disabilities and special needs since 2013. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with family and friends.

Celina Garces, M.S., LMHC, BCBA, LBA

Jessica was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She graduated from Pacific University (Forest Grove, Oregon) in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Learning/Psychology. After taking a year off to gain more experience in the field of ABA, she started a Master of Education in Special Education with a BCBA track through an online program with University of Hawaii at Manoa. Jessica will continue her studies through an online program with Arizona State University and is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Special Education with a concentration in ABA while working towards her BCBA certification as a behavior analyst. She has worked in various elementary and middle schools as a volunteer, tutor, teacher’s aide, skills trainer/paraprofessional. She admires children’s curiosity to learn and being a part of their journey to grow as individuals. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys music, dancing, singing, eating, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.

Jessica Noochan, M.A., BCBA

Kennedy was born in Los Angeles, California but raised here in Hawaii. He graduated from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He entered the field of ABA as a paraprofessional but soon became an RBT shortly after. Ever since he fell in love with the field and received his Master's degree in Behavior Analysis through the Florida Institute of Technology. He enjoys playing soccer, hiking, eating, and watching movies with family and friends!

Kennedy Spencer, M.A., BCBA, LBA

Kylie was born and raised on the west side of Oahu and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Seattle University. After graduating, Kylie returned home where she received her Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in children and families from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She completed her BCBA coursework at UC Santa Barbara. Kylie has been an RBT at BANKO for a couple of years before getting her BCBA and is passionate about the field of Behavior Analysis. In her free time, Kylie enjoys sports, board games, video games, singing, dancing, and spending time with family and friends

Kylie Teramoto, MSW, LSW, BCBA

Tayler Gorgas, B.S., BCaBA

Tayler is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA). She was born and raised in New Jersey. She has also lived in Vermont, Maine, and Florida. Tayler moved to Hawai’i in January of 2022. She holds a Bachelors in Behavioral & Community Sciences with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of South Florida. Before joining the team at BANKO, Tayler started working in the ABA field in June of 2018, became an RBT in September of 2018, then became a BCaBA in October of 2020. Tayler loves learning from her clients just as much as she hopes they will learn from her. In her free time, she enjoys taking dance classes, going to the beach, exploring new places, and spending time with her loved ones.

Devin was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She moved to Oahu in 2010 to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which is where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2014. When Devin was living in Alaska, she volunteered for a non-profit program for over ten years called “Rainbow Connection.” Rainbow Connection was a therapeutic horse-riding program for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is where Devin’s passion for teaching (and learning) bloomed. Devin is currently enrolled in Endicott's Behavior Analysis Program. In Devin’s free time she enjoys going to the beach, fishing, hiking, playing music, and being with family and friends as much as possible.

Devin Gabay, B.A., RBT

Julia was born and raised in South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and French from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Upon completing of her degree, she began her work in early intervention, becoming a Registered Behavior Technician shortly thereafter. She moved to Hawaii in August of 2019. She has a passion for classical music, opera, as well as language learning and teaching. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, eating new foods, and traveling.

Julia Pitts, B.A., RBT

Brendan is an RBT who was born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu. After graduating from Kahuku High School he went to Washington state where he obtained his Bachelors degree in Psychology with an Emphasis in Neuroscience from the University of Puget Sound. After college Brendan traveled to South Carolina as an Americorps VISTA, where he worked with non-profit organizations to bring behavioral health resources to the community. It was after this that he found the field of ABA. Being able to work with the children and their families gives him a chance to follow his passion of helping others. Now Brendan has come back to Hawaii to be closer to family and continue that work. In his downtime Brendan enjoys traveling, movies, reading, and practicing martial arts.

Brendan Joanou, B.A., RBT

Leia was born in Japan but raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at University of Hawaii at Manoa, and her Master’s degree in Criminology with Forensic Psychology through Middlesex University in London. She began working as an RBT after completing her Bachelor’s degree, took some time off to pursue her Master’s, and returned to ABA due to her passion for the field. Leia is currently enrolled in a Behavior Analysis Program. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, going to the beach, reading, going to the gym, and traveling.

Leia Reynolds, M.A., RBT

Meir Mok, B.S., RBT

Meir was born and raised in New York City and moved to Oahu in February 2020 to pursue a position as an RBT. She has a Bachelor of Science in Management, with concentrations in Finance and Consulting & Leadership from Binghamton University. After 10 years in the finance industry, she decided it was time to pursue a different avenue, one that she has continually thought about throughout the years. Meir was introduced to the field of behavior analysis during the summer of her junior year of college, when she worked as a one-to-one aide in an early intervention classroom at a school in Queens, New York. Upon returning to college for her senior year, she approached the program director of the Psychology Major ABA Track and requested to take the child behavior course in the ABA Track, which had students complete practicum experiences that included direct contact with children enrolled in the Institute of Child Development’s programs on the Binghamton University campus. Meir was ecstatic to have had the opportunity to take this course to learn more about ABA. 10 years later, she is once again ecstatic, this time because she is joining BANKO as an RBT. She enjoys cooking, weight lifting, paddle boarding, and face timing with her friends and family back in New York.

Logan was born and raised in Waipahu, Hawaii. He attended Saint Louis High School and was involved in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program and the National Honors Society. After High School, he graduated from Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska) with a Bachelors of Arts in Healthy Lifestyle Management. He worked in the Mainland for 2 years and returned to Hawaii where he transitioned into the field of Behavior Analysis as an RBT at BANKO. In his freetime, Logan enjoys art activities, exercise, hiking, but most all spending time with family and friends.

Logan Gonzaga, B.A., RBT

Mia was born and raised in Massachusetts. In 2016 she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in International Development Studies at Calvin University, formerly known as Calvin College. Mia fell in love with the islands while on a vacation with her family. After graduating from Calvin, she accepted a position to work as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Honolulu, HI. She entered the field of ABA working as a paraprofessional in local schools and earned her RBT credentials. Mia is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis online, at Arizona State University. She loves spending time outdoors, eating, traveling, and fostering cats.

Mia Onorato, B.A., RBT

Rejil was raised in Honolulu, HI. She received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Biology from the University of Hawaii-Manoa. After graduating, Rejil began working with children with special needs and received her Master of Public Health degree focusing on global health from George Washington University. Rejil is an RBT and currently enrolled in Hawaii Pacific University pursuing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She is also currently a behavior analyst in training at University of Hawaii. In her free time, Rejil enjoys spending time with her extended family, traveling, and baking.

Rejil Joseph, MPH, RBT

Jennifer was born and raised in California. She attended Hawaii Pacific University and received two BA’s in Public Relations and Advertising. She spent a lot of time working with young kids and youth teaching ESL, leading health and fitness classes, and organizing activities. Jennifer has experience in collaborating with a diverse population to include Hawaii, Saipan, Africa, the South Pacific, and Indonesia. As an RBT she is continuing to pursue her passion to work with kids and help others. She recently completed her master’s in psychology with emphasis on ABA from Purdue Global University and is working toward her BCBA certification. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, going to the beach, stand-up paddle, watching sunsets, and traveling outside her element.

Jennifer Young, M.A., RBT

Raven was born and raised in the island of Guam. She has been residing here in Oahu for about two years. She received her BA in Psychology at Hawaii Pacific University. After graduating, she is now attending school at Kapiolani Community College majoring in Natural Sciences. Raven currently has two passions she wants to pursue, one being an RBT and another being a Physical Therapist. She has volunteered at Moon Physical Therapy Clinic and applied here at BANKO, once graduating. During her free time, Raven loves to spend time with her family, making memories with her nephew and niece, baking, shopping, and playing animal crossing. One day, she hopes to travel the whole world.

Raven Capati, B.A., RBT

Valerie is from Honolulu, Hawaii. She graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with degrees in Geography and Spanish in December 2021. She studied abroad for a semester in Seville, Spain where she got to immerse herself in Spanish culture and tutor kids in English. Valerie has taken prerequisite coursework in Communication Science Disorders and has years of experience with kids as a lifeguard, swim instructor and babysitter. She is excited and motivated to have the opportunity to pursue her passion in helping children communicate and socialize better. In her free time she likes to surf, cook, dance, practice yoga, learn new languages, and free dive.

Valerie Eshelman, BA, RBT

Shelby was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, but spent half of her childhood growing up on a farm in Palmetto, Louisiana. She relocated from Ohio to Hawai’i in February 2022. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Secondary Education and Performing Arts from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Shelby has worked with children with disabilities and autism since 2014 with the DOE in Columbus, Ohio, as a Paraprofessional and a Substitute teacher in Special Education classrooms. She has also worked with several students in the Columbus, Ohio area through the Boys and Girls Club serving as a mentor and summer camp counselor and also CIArt Institute as a mentor, art instructor, creative writing instructor and acting coach. She has traveled extensively on tour performing various productions, entertaining audiences of all ages. Shelby has a passion for theatre arts, poetry and mixed media art. Her hobbies include listening to music, sewing, writing poetry, attending stage plays, watching documentaries and creating art.

Shelby Holden, B.A., RBT

Cheyenne was born in Tucson, Arizona. She has been living in Hawai’i since she was ten years old. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in American Studies from University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Cheyenne has been working with children with autism and other disabilities since 2010 as a Special Education Assistant in Hawai’i public schools. As a mother of three, Cheyenne spends most of her free time with her children. They enjoy listening to music, watching sunsets, family game nights, spending time at home with their pets, and visiting with family and friends. In the near future Cheyenne plans to return to school, working towards earning her BCBA

Cheyenne Chavez, B.A., RBT

Jacey is an RBT who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She moved across several states in the mainland due to her dad’s military service. After graduating Patterson High School in California, she moved back to Oahu to attend Hawaii Pacific University. Jacey holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and is eager to dive into the field of behavior analysis at BANKO. During her free time, she likes to sing, dance, play the ukulele, and go hiking.

Jacey Fernandez, BA, RBT

Taylor was born in Los Angeles, California but had the pleasure of being raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i. He graduated from Saint Louis High School and then attended Creighton University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He joined the field of ABA his first year out of college and fell in love with it ever since. He has about 2 years of experience working with children with Autism ranging from 4-16, with plans of applying to Graduate school to further his education and become a BCBA. In his off time, he tries to enjoy his passions which are, but not limited to, going to the gym, jogging, drawing, hiking, swimming at the beach and occasionally binge new shows!

Tay Spencer, B.A, RBT

Keely was born and raised just outside of Richmond, Virginia. She moved to Honolulu in 2019 and is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Keely has had a passion for working with individuals with special needs since she was a kid. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, dancing, spending time with friends, painting, and discovering new coffee shops.

Keely Dougherty, RBT

Caroline was born in Connecticut and moved to Massachusetts for college. She earned a Bachelor's of Science in Biology with a focus in Genetics and Child Development with a focus in atypical development from Tufts University. During her senior year she stumbled across a booth at a career fair for an ABA company and she discovered a passion for working on communication and language building with children and adults. After 4 years of working full time as an RBT in Boston, she decided to return back to school and is currently earning her Masters in Communication Disorders at the University of Hawaii and is working to become a Speech Language Pathologist. She's excited to work with a local community that has such a rich variety of languages. In her spare time she practices Taekwondo and is working on earning her 3rd degree black belt! She loves trying new types of food and then attempting to recreate them at home. She believes food is one of the happiest forms of communication and feeding people in her home is the best way to make people feel welcome.

Caroline Scheck, B.A., RBT

Anuhea Brash, Administrative Assistant

Anuhea was born in Waianae growing up in a country lifestyle but went to school in Kaimuki. Her immediate family consists of her parents, two older brothers, and a younger brother. Anuhea favors poke because she grew up around fishermen. Her biggest accomplishment is having the opportunity to sail on Hokule`a from Sand Island to Waimea Bay for the 2018 Eddie Aikau opening ceremony and having another opportunity to share information about the wa`a with the Leeward Coast. Before coming to BANKO Anuhea worked in the cargo industry full time for a year while also being a part time machine operator at the house printshop for the State Legislature. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family, going to the beach to fish and swim, hiking/off-roading in the mountains, and cooking.

Rusty is BANKO's rescue kitty. She was living in an empty lot behind the clinic as a feral cat. Rusty enjoys getting her ears scratched and interacting with our BANKO friends.

Rusty C.A.T.

Jax Oreo is a 5-year-old Holland Lop. Hops is an energetic 5-year-old Lion Head Dwarf bunny. Sugar is our youngest 2-year-old Holland Lop. All bunny colleagues were rescued animals. They enjoy hanging out with their BANKO friends and getting fed fresh veggies and hay.