Nicholas A. Maio-Aether, MAMFT, MSPSY, LBA, CSC, IBA, BCBA (he/they)

Nicholas (he/they) owns Empowered: A Center for Sexuality in St Louis, where he and his occasional teams of partnered Universities’ students work to assist humans with and without disabilities to achieve sexual access, sexual freedom, gender affirmation, and self-control of compulsive behaviors. Nicholas works throughout the US training BCBAs/Behavior Analysts so persons in Individualized Supportive Living (ISL) programs gain access to applicable and generalizable comprehensive sex ed and sexual opportunities. In addition to now running a comprehensive training and certification program (Certified Behavioral Sexologist/CBS), Nicholas provides Sexual Behavior Analysis, and has assisted polycules, kinksters, gay couples, trans and nonbinary humans, among others, on their journeys. Trained by GLSEN in 2003, Nicholas started Gay-Straight Alliances across Alaska while in high school, and provided them sex ed materials and trainings. Nicholas spent five years managing Hustler Hollywood in St Louis before moving into Behavior Analysis, and joined AASECT, where he is the current Bylaws Chair and a Certified Sexuality Counselor (CSC). He then completed a Sex Therapy practicum under Linda Weiner, LMSW, CSTS, in 2019 before getting a second Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy, and meeting those hour requirements under Angela Skurtu, LMFT, CST, along with his LGBTQIA+ Family Systems Specialist certificate in 2021. Last, he completed all doctoral education and a comprehensive exam in Clinical Sexology.

Sarah Trautman 

Sarah is the CEO & Co-Founder of defy community. defy community is focused on preventing and reducing Behavior Analyst burnout and helping practitioners improve their well-being (www.defy.community). Sarah has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2004 (she even took the exam using real paper and a pencil). In her previous life, Sarah founded and ran an ABA organization in the San Francisco Bay Area for 15-years. Sarah also served as the President of the California Association for Behavior Analysis and was a founding board member of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Sarah loves her family, coffee and hip-hop music (in that order).

Dr. Kathleen Dyer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LABA

Dr. Kathleen Dyer, is an Associate Professor, and has served on the faculty of Institute of Applied Behavioral Studies at Endicott College for the past 10 years. Previous to this position, she was instrumental in the establishment of the River Street Autism Program in 2000, where she served as Clinical Director. She is a Doctoral level Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Speech Pathologist and Certified School Administrator. Her research and training techniques have been disseminated widely through national and international presentations, as well as through books, encyclopedias and articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Her research findings in treating core deficits in autism are documented as evidenced-based practices by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders and the National Standards Project. She served as a contributor to The Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (Edited by F.R. Volkmar, Yale University School of Medicine). She has also served as a member of review boards for numerous behavioral journals, and serves as an Advisor of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.   Her research interests include the development of effective procedures for improving communication and learning in persons with ASD, choice and preference, treatment of challenging behaviors, staff training and organizational systems change.