Samantha Zaldivar
Samantha Zaldivar McFarland began working with children with autism in 2004 as an in-home behavior technician while pursuing a masters in school counseling at Virginia Tech. After graduating with an M.Ed in school counseling, Samantha worked as a school counselor with Roanoke City schools, and although she had a love for counseling in the schools Samantha was drawn back to the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and missed her prior work focusing on children with autism. Starting summer of 2008, Samantha began her employment with the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center (BRAAC) as a traveling consultant working with school districts and families. She now serves as Clinical Director helping oversee all three BRAAC locations, providing supervision of those seeking board certification, consultation to BRAAC Behavior Analysts about student programs, and trainings and consultations for the community. Samantha is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and is licensed by the Virginia Board of medicine (LBA) to practice as a BCBA. She considers herself fortunate to have had a wide range of experiences that fuel a passion for teaching Verbal Behavior in early intensive intervention as well as expanding to adolescent programming focusing on necessary life and community skills. She maintains her license in school counseling now utilizing that expertise to help enhance programs for students who need teaching in social skills, coping strategies, and desensitization to aversions.