Kara is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Manager of Clinical Operations for Elevated Kids, bringing naturalistic and neurodiversity affirming early intervention and autism care to the greater Austin area. She has over a decade of experience as a BCBA specializing in early intervention and nearly 20 years of experience supporting individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities and their families in various capacities. Kara’s graduate and post-graduate school experiences have helped her hone her play-based and child-led approach to connecting with and teaching new skills to autistic children with her first priority always being to “find the smile.” Kara is a native Texan and has lived in Austin since 2003. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Edward’s University and her master’s degree in Education with a specialization in Special Education and concentration in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis from Texas State University. Kara is a loving wife and mother of two beautiful and silly daughters. She is also a dog mom and terrier lover. Kara’s passions include music, reading, and developing educational content to help others understand, accept, and appreciate the beauty and difference of autism.