Engage Behavioral Health Leadership

Leigh received her Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of South Florida and her Bachelors in Psychology from the University of South Florida. She has been working with children with autism and related disabilities in family homes and in schools since 2004. Leigh has spent the majority of her time working with children with varying developmental disabilities, particularly with autism. Leigh’s experience lies in developing, implementing and monitoring verbal behavior programs, behavior reduction programs, and skill acquisition. She also has experience implementing ABA programs with students in school settings and in the community. Leigh enjoys teaching others how to teach in the natural environment and make sure that skills learned become real!  Leigh strives to always go above and beyond for each of her clients and ensure that the whole family receives everything they need to be sucessful!

Email Leigh here.

Crystal received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Rhode Island College in 2003, and has been working with individuals with developmental disabilities ever since. During her internship, she saw the effects of how a good ABA program can make all the difference in the world in the life of a child. That is when she decided to make this her career. She completed the required courses for the specialty in Applied Behavior Analysis at Florida Institute of Technology and became board certified in 2008. She also has varied experience working as a therapist, behavior consultant and administrator for Sydney’s Academy. Crystal’s passion is helping children and their families reach their full potential using evidence-based practice in a caring, person-centered way.

Email Crystal here.

Kristin received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Florida. She began working with children with autism and related disorders in 2006. Then, in 2009, she went back to the University of South Florida to receive a master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. Kristin became an Associate Behavior Analyst in 2007, and then a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2010.  Kristin has experience working with adults with autism, mental retardation and Prader-Willi syndrome in group homes and adult training centers. However, the majority of her experience has been in working with children ages 3-12 in-home and in schools. Her primary focuses with children have been social skills training, classroom inclusion, appropriate peer interactions, verbal behavior and ABLLS programming. Kristin enjoys teaching appropriate peer interaction, functional communication and play skills with children of all ages. She also enjoys teaching adolescents how to develop friendships and life skills.

Email Kristin here.

Dr. Zern is a licensed clinical psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She recently joined the Engage Behavioral Health team after completing her postdoctoral residency at Family Psychology Associates in Safety Harbor, Florida. Prior to moving to the Tampa Bay area, Dr. Zern completed her internship at the Dan Marino Center, at Miami Children’s Hospital.

She specializes in assessment and treatment of developmental and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents, including autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, and feeding disorders. Dr. Zern is also experienced in Applied Behavior Analysis, and has extensive experience in providing therapy in a variety of settings (i.e., in the home, at school, and/or daycare) in order to generalize skills to the natural environment.

Specialized services provided by Dr. Zern include:

Diagnostic Evaluation/Assessment

• Developmental evaluations, including autism spectrum disorders (ADOS and ADI-R)
• Psychoeducational assessment
• Learning disorders
• ADHD
• Gifted placement

Therapeutic Treatment

• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy
• Parenting skills and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Family therapy
• Consultation with other professionals
• Habit reversal

Group Therapy

• Anxiety reduction
• Social skills
• Parent support
• Sibling support

Email Dr. Zern here.