Center Director

Emilye Schmale

First and foremost, I am the mother of a nine-year-old autistic boy who was diagnosed 7 days after his birth with Hydrocephalus. This resulted in three brain surgeries and a later diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. Just before my son’s third birthday we received yet another diagnosis, this time Autism. I have walked this journey with many others in the DFW area for many years and I‘ve seen the pain and the joy, the success over the little things and the daily struggles and stress from a firsthand perspective. I connect with fellow ASD parents in groups, online forums, at playdates, doctor appointments and special needs functions and conferences. I have felt the desperation and desire for help and support. I saw a way to make a difference. As a parent of a special needs child I desperately want my son to receive the very best care, but it goes further than that, it is important to me to provide a safe place where parents and their special children can feel secure and understood. After over 15 years as a sales & marketing professional in the corporate world, I am now immersed in my true passion, this is Shine.

Lead BCBA, LBA & Clinical Director

Evan Skelton

Meet Evan Skelton, she holds both her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and her Masters’ in Applied Behavior Analysis from USF. She is certified by the national Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) as a BCBA and has over 9 years of experience working directly in the field. Working with children is Evan’s passion, but for her nothing compares to working with children on the Autism Spectrum. She takes great pride in getting to know each child and their families personally. Through the daily implementation of ABA as well as collaborating with the variety of disciplines we bring together at Shine Evan feels honored to be brought into the world of our children, and to see the beautiful souls, intelligence, and sense of humor many others may not be lucky enough to see. For Evan there is no better reward than improving the quality of life for our special need’s children and their families.

Office Manager

Juliana Jo

Meet Jo. Texas Born and Louisiana raised, found her way back to Texas in pursuit of her passion and advocacy for mental and behavioral health. Her birth mother was diagnosed bipolar with paranoid schizophrenic tendencies along with 3 siblings on the spectrum, she wanted to better understand their struggles, and worked in a psych-ward locally for 2 years in administration while continuing her education. Upon discovery Juliana Jo wanted to contribute to a more therapeutic approach and environment. For 2 years Juliana cared for children on the spectrum as a nanny and saw behavioral therapy in action. In that time she decided it was an approach with results she could see and agrees with. In 2021 Jo came to Shine Behavioral as a Behavioral Therapist with over 10 years of child-care experience, not including her background with having 13 siblings and 7 years of administrative work in health care, hospitality, and health insurance. Now Jo exercises her administrative and interpersonal communicative skills in a company with a mission she believes and supports. Jo says, “ I can really see the heart and passion of the staff geared towards each kids best interest and educational future. I love that Shine gives each kid the opportunity to learn in a school setting while receiving the tailored specific care that they need”.

BCBA, LBA

Bianca Matamoros

Bianca holds her Bachelor’s degree in Child Learning and Development from The University of Texas at Dallas and her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Cincinnati. She is certified by the national Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and has joined the Shine Behavioral team as a Board Certified Behavior Analysis (BCBA). She has worked in Applied Behavior Analysis in various capacities for over three years while pursuing her Master’s degree. She has a passion for helping children of all backgrounds learn how to utilize their strengths to grow and achieve their goals. With a background in early childhood education and as a previously certified elementary teacher in a local ISD here in TX, Bianca understands the value of learning through play as well the more structured setting of ABA. Both methods help promote school readiness and peer engagement. Her approach is to interact with each individual child who walks through the doors of Shine and then to support our therapists and families to help them live their lives to the fullest.

BCBA, LBA

Clarisvel Carranco

Hi, my name is Clarisvel Carranco, but I go by Claire for short. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in 2014 in psychology from Texas Women’s University and my master’s degree in 2016 in human development and childhood disorders from the University of Texas in Dallas. Soon after graduation, I started working at a school with the special education department and fell in love with the kiddos which led me to pursue my BCBA certification and received it in 2021 after completing additional courses at Texas Tech University. While pursuing my BCBA I worked from 2016-2021 as a Senior Registered Behavior Technician continuing to grow my skills in ABA.

I love working with kids because I can be as silly as I want with them without feeling judged…most of the time. Regarding ABA, I fell in love with ABA because I love helping children reach their milestones and love helping families who are in need. My current interests involve feeding and picky eaters, and my goal is to increase my skill set by incorporating interventions using positive reinforcement.

M.S., BCBA, LBA

Madeline Canas-Granados

Meet Maddie, she has her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Stetson University in Florida where she started her career in ABA as an RBT. She found her passion and went on to pursue her Master’s Degree at Capella University. Throughout her time in the field, she has worked in a multitude of settings (home, school, and center) to help children with ASD in all aspects of their everyday life. She has experience creating and running social skill groups and groups where daily living skills are targeted, especially for older clients. Maddie feels that working directly in the schools has increased her advocacy level and broadened her horizons to give her a unique perspective on how far ABA can impact kiddos in all stages of life and development. She feels that meeting clients at their level whether that be through play or more structured activities ensures clients’ needs are met to their best interest! Every client is unique, and she loves to see their progress and improvement in life, it is something she feels very lucky to be a part of! Maddie comes to us from New York and is thrilled to be a part of the collaborate Shine team here in Texas, she looks forward to working with our families and clients as we grow!

Lead Speech Language Pathologist

Nancy Taylor

Meet Nancy Taylor, she received her Master of Education in Speech Pathology from Stephen F. Austin State University.

During her professional career, Nancy has had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings. Those settings include hospital, clinic, home health, and public school. While working in the public school, she had extensive training in the area of augmentative/alternative communication. She taught in a PPCD classroom for 2 years and was Supervisor of the Speech Pathology Department in Longview ISD for 11 years. She has supervised and trained Speech Therapy Assistants throughout her career.

Nancy’s years of experience have provided her with the skills to accurately and effectively evaluate and provide therapy to children with Developmental Delays, Oral Motor Disorders, Down Syndrome, Autism, Apraxia, Articulation/Phonological Disorders, Language Disorders, Fluency Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and Medically Fragile Children.

SLP-ASSISTANT

Sophia Montez

Hello! I started at Shine in May as an RBT, during my time on the ABA side I have had the privilege of learning and understanding many of our clients’ strengths and weaknesses, personality, and the way that they express language and communication.

I graduated from University of North Texas in May 2022 with a BS degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Communication Disorders. I have worked in the field of ABA therapy for three years now, as a Registered Behavioral Therapist. I am thrilled to now be transitioning to my true passion as an Assistant Speech Language Pathologist! My heart is so full of excitement to get started in therapy and see the progress of each child. I will also start pursuing my master’s degree this fall in becoming a Speech Language Pathologist at the University of St. Augustine.

If you ever have any questions or want to discuss your child’s progress or meet in person, please reach out!

SLP-ASSISTANT

Taryn Ruiz

Meet Taryn Ruiz, a UNT graduate who obtained her degree in May of 2022 in the field of Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology. While in school, she worked as a Registered Behavior Technician for 3 years before transitioning into the role as a Speech Therapy Assistant to merge the two worlds of ABA and speech. Utilizing her education in articulation, pragmatic, and language disorders, Taryn finds great fulfillment in empowering those with communication difficulties in order for them to maximize their communicative abilities. She does so by approaching therapy enthusiastically while prioritizing a positive experience.

As an aspiring SLP, Taryn seeks to further develop her professional skills to help individuals of varying abilities to set goals and achieve them. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, reading, and exploring DFW.

If you ever have any questions or want to discuss your child’s progress or meet in person, please reach out!

Occupational Therapist

Hannah Hardeman, OTD, OTR/L

Hello! My name is Hannah Hardeman and I am thrilled to work with the kids at Shine Behavioral and to be able to collaborate with their families to work towards their OT goals. I graduated and got my doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine in Austin, Texas and completed my undergraduate degree in kinesiology at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. Before beginning grad school, I had the chance to teach at a preschool and really enjoyed the energy and personality of each individual child. During grad school, I worked at a preschool called Let It Shine in Austin, TX where the emphasis was children with various diagnoses, including autism. I enjoyed the experience in Austin because it gave me a chance to work with children who have varying needs and who are different ages.

I am excited to get to know the kids and to learn from them as well.

Senior Program Manager

Chandler Van Beest

Meet Chandler, she holds her Bachelor of University Studies with an emphasis on Psychology and Education from the University of Mississippi. She has worked as a Registered Behavior Technician at Shine Behavioral since April of 2018 and previously worked with the autism population for two years prior to finding her way to us at Shine! Working with and supporting children with autism and their families is where Chandlers heart lies. She is inspired by our clients and wonderful BCBAs daily, which has driven her to further pursue her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis through Capella University to become a BCBA. Chandler supports our management team with all daily tasks in the clinic as well as manages Shine’s proprietary social skills curriculum and works with our kiddos to help develop the skills necessary for success in their everyday life. Chandler loves working with kiddos of all ages and looks forward to helping to develop a program for our older clients here at Shine as we continue to grow.

Program Manager

Maia Persinger

Meet Maia, she holds her Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas as well as an associate’s degree in Biology. She has worked as a Registered Behavior Technician since 2020 after helping coach Special Olympics throughout college and high school. Maia is continuing her education in pursuit of a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. She enjoys the constant learning environment and always-changing experience that working at Shine provides.

Currently, she is conducting research and writing articles for publication. Maia participates in a social justice lab that collaborates about cultural responsiveness and focuses on developing third-way approaches to common problems seen throughout behavior analysis. Her biggest goals are using non-aversive and constructional approaches to helping children learn new skills and adapt to difficult situations. In addition to contributing to the improvement of each child’s life, their families, and their communities.

Program Manager

Shayla Wright

Meet Shayla, she has worked with children for over 10 years. From summer camps in high school, to becoming a site director in an after-school program, to a lead teacher in an Early Childhood Academy and holding several different titles there for over 5 years. In 2021 Shayla joined Shine and found her calling working with children ASD. She has always loved working with children, but the kids at Shine inspired her to go back to school and work to get ger BCBA certification. Shayla’s favorite part of working at Shine is building relationships with children and make improvements daily.

Curriculum Coordinator

Selina Perez

I have always been passionate about the care of children since I was a child myself. At age 13 I began to volunteer at my church to help out in the daycare and preschool and this brought me so much joy! At age 19 I became a preschool Assistant and met my first child on the spectrum, I then knew my heart was gone! It was my mission from that point on to understand and help children with ASD. Since then I have worked diligently to support this unique population and to grow my knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis to best support each client but also their entire family. I have been with Shine Behavioral since 2017, I started as a Behavior Therapist on the very first day they opened their doors! I then became a Registered Behavior Therapist and most recently a Curriculum Coordinator. In this role, I help to grow our clients learning abilities in a wide variety of ways as well as provide ABA therapy and support the full management team. I also support in training of all new therapists that come into Shine to pass on the love and expertise I have gained for this population. I have loved every learning experience I have been exposed to here at Shine and will continue to grow my knowledge base in ABA to best support our kiddos each and every day. In my home life, I take immense pride in being a wife to an amazing husband and the mother of a beautiful baby boy. Outside of Shine, I enjoy many hobbies such as outdoor activities, braiding hair, nails, and dancing.