Laura Lapen, PhD
BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Laura Lapen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and Founder and Executive Director of Beyond the Spectrum LLC. She received her Master of Science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and Therapy in 1996 and then a PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2018. Laura began working with families and children with special needs very early on in her career. Behavior analysis immediately became her primary interest as she discovered its efficacy and ability to help those with special needs. She has been working in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) field for over 20 years and has garnered extensive experience working with individuals with autism and related disabilities in school, home, clinic and group settings. Laura provides trainings to families, school teams and paraprofessionals about ABA. Her passion for the field has let her to found Beyond the Spectrum, whose mission is to educate and improve the lives of children with disabilities and their families. My specialty is applying principles of learning to improve socially important behaviors of children and adults with development disabilities, assessment, treatment, prevention of problem behaviors, and developing alternative treatments for severe problem behavior. Laura is proud to be working in the community she is so passionate about.
Jay Zimmerman III
M.S., BCBA
Jay Zimmerman III is a Behavior Analyst at Beyond the Spectrum LLC. He received his Master of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in 1995 and became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in the year 2000. He began working with families and children at risk of abuse and neglect with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services while still in graduate school and has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for the last 30 years across Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. Jay has extensive experience working with adults and children with autism and related disabilities and is currently licensed as a Behavior Analyst in Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina. Areas of professional interests include social skills training, problem behavior reduction, skill acquisition and staff training, with experience across a wide variety of treatment settings including schools, community living, clinics and state hospitals. He currently provides training to families and paraprofessionals and provides supervision to Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT’s) in a clinical setting, as well as to school teams locally. Jay is passionate about the field of ABA and strives to improve the lives of others through the sound application of research-based interventions to the children and families he serves.