Barbara Nelson, MsEd, LBS, BCBA has spent her career working with children from age 2-18 as a teacher and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Also a Yoga and Meditation Teacher with over 500 hours of training, Barbara draws from her vast experience when working with children and families. She is a Licensed Behavior Specialist in the state of Pennsylvania, and works under the clinical supervision of Kelly Corbitt, LCSW at Newtown Therapy & Wellness Center.

Barbara received her Bachelor’s in Social Work from New York University and then completed her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education at City University of New York, Hunter College. She has worked extensively with children and families across diverse populations and settings.

She was a lead teacher at the Pacific Primary Preschool in San Francisco where she taught using project-based curriculum to create engaging and creative program from her students, oversaw the after-school program and worked closely with families to address the social emotional needs of the children she worked with. After the birth of her first child Barbara transitioned to working at start up, Early Childhood Matters, focused on building curriculum aimed at educating parents on toddler brain development along with giving parents strategies on how to manage typical toddler behavior.

After taking time off to stay home with her young children she transitioned back to work with the goal to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Barbara completed her clinical training at Potential Inc, a center treating individuals with autism. There she worked with clients from age 2 to 15 in home, the community and in the clinical setting completing assessments and writing and implementing behavior plans. Individualizing services to address the unique and specific needs of each client, Barbara worked closely with families to identify areas of need improve quality of life across different domains of functioning.

Currently, Barbara is employed at the Philadelphia Charter School for Arts and Sciences where she works with students, direct support staff and teachers to improve learning for students with disabilities. Barbara works with students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities, ADHD, ASD, OCD, ODD. In addition, many of the students she works with also have a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety.

In clinical practice Barbara brings her experiences, both professional and personally as the mother of 3 children, to identify areas of need that are impacting the quality of life for both children and their families. She uses the behavior analytic framework and draws from her yoga training to incorporate mindfulness to create meaningful change that is attainable and measurable.