Ashley Lehman – A Long-Standing Relationship with Autism Therapy Expands at Hopebridge

On a Quest to Never Stop Learning About Autism

Ashley Lehman started in ABA before Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) was a recognized certification, but when it comes to autism and behavioral therapy, she knows the education doesn’t end. From continuing her own studies to helping to spread awareness about autism, she uses her experience at Hopebridge to develop minds even beyond her kiddos. She’s on a mission to break down the walls of competition. One of her goals is to get those who work closely with individuals with autism spectrum disorders to collaborate across functions, clinics and even state lines in order to provide the best possible care.

Ashley began working in Applied Behavior Analysis through an in-home provider for a couple years until she learned about Hopebridge and decided to expand her role even further. She was drawn to the centers due to the Hopebridge360™ implementation. The significance of integrating therapies – occupational therapy, speech therapy and feeding therapy, in addition to ABA – is part of what keeps her so engaged.

“This job and these kiddos have changed me not only professionally, but personally. For those who have studied ABA, you know that it’s a way of life. If you start to use it in your personal life, it can change you for the better.”

While she teaches (and learns!) new skills every day at Hopebridge, she also realizes there is a whole world outside of her space at the Greenwood center. Professional development is top of mind at Hopebridge, and she values that her manager and the greater team advocate for continuing education to advance their services. This benefits not only the children they work with, but also their own careers.

Recently, Ashley took a trip to visit the NYC Autism Charter School in order to gather an alternate perspective of her field. A school atmosphere in a large city means more funding, resources and technology than many ABA providers have available to them, but there were a multitude of other eye-opening takeaways from everyone she met along the way. She’s already begun to implement some of the ideas in a way that’s right for Hopebridge.

What does this mean for the learners at Hopebridge? New opportunities, including a fresh take on schedule changes, for starters. The 30-minute transitions can often be chaotic. To combat this, Ashley is using her newfound knowledge to match the children with sensory stations order to keep them engaged in different activities until the next highlight of their day.

“This isn’t the type of job you can come and go from…you dive all in. Once you begin, you can’t really navigate away because your heart is in it.”

Ashley plans to continue her quest for information from different angles and encourages others in ABA to do the same. Stay tuned into our blog for tales of other therapists’ explorations and their impact on the children.

Get to Know Ashley

On her travel playlist: Everything from Zac Brown Band to Def Leppard.
Favorite food: Mother Bear’s Pizza, of course! It’s a local staple.
Celebrity idol: Gabrielle Union – she’s fierce, just like I want to be.
Fun fact: She’s an avid pickleball player! If you don’t know it, check it out. The game is like a combination of tennis and ping pong.

Want to stand alongside Ashley to simultaneously teach and continue learning with help from Hopebridge? We’re looking for passionate, talented individuals to join our team, so check out the Hopebridge job board.

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