About
Meet the Founder
Zandra Marie Santella, MA, BCBA
I’m Zandra, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 12 years of experience supporting neurodivergent learners and their families across home, school, clinic, and community settings. My work has primarily focused on supporting autistic individuals ages 2 through 20. I am also PEERS® Certified and a co-founder of the Asian and Pacific Islander Association for Behavior Analysis (APIABA).
In 2020, I founded Beauty in Behavior as a blog and platform to share honest, real-world perspectives on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) used as a therapy for neurodivergent populations. The mission was to support the industry’s growth and retention by highlighting both its beauty and its challenges. All behavior has meaning and understanding the why behind behavior is where compassionate, effective support begins. That’s the beauty I wish for all to know.
What began as a passion project has grown into consultation, fieldwork supervision for aspiring behavior analysts, and parent coaching services. Following the birth of my son in 2024, Beauty in Behavior became my primary professional focus, guided by a deep commitment to strengthening our field and supporting families with care that is ethical, human, and sustainable.
Today, I’m also on a mission to build a parent coach directory and community for behavior analysts who are deeply grounded in the parent-led model of care. After years of noticing the same patterns (revolving-door staff, overextended care, and stunted progress), I realized that the gap was in how providers were prepared to support parents. I believe parents should be equipped first-hand with the tools to support their families. My goal is to grow this space into our version of Psychology Today, a space that uplifts practitioners doing meaningful work while helping families find the support they long-deserved.
Our Values
Humility: We remain open and learn alongside those we support.
Curiosity: We explore new perspectives and discover better ways to apply behavior science.
Empowerment: We give families and professionals the tools and confidence to create meaningful change.
Connection: We nurture relationships and encourage collaboration, ensuring families and professionals feel supported, valued, and part of a community.
A Big Thank You to Our Collaborators
Beauty in Behavior is built on the brilliance of the collaborators who have helped shape our mission and services. We're deeply thankful to Nicole Ferdowsian, M.Ed., LBA for her intentional work on our supervision curriculum. Her dedication to quality ensures that the behavior analysts shaped through this curriculum are thoughtful, well-prepared, and impactful in their work. We also extend gratitude to Courtney Jackson, MA, BCBA for her pivotal role in designing our parent coaching framework, ensuring it delivers real, lasting value to the families we serve. Your contributions have left an incredible mark!
-
Nicole began her career in 2012 as a teacher, working in both general and special education classrooms. It wasn't until she began teaching in a self-contained special education classroom that she learned about the science of Applied Behavior Analysis. Nicole had the privilege of working alongside her district BCBA to support students, and staff, through development and implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans and evidence-based techniques to promote skill acquisition. She quickly fell in love with the science after seeing all the positive gains her students made and decided to pursue a graduate program. Nicole became a Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2018 and now has experience working in school, clinic, and home settings, servicing clients ranging from ages 2 to 20. Her passion lies within teaching and disseminating the science of behavior analysis to stakeholders, as well as the future generation of behavior analysts, through techniques such as Behavioral Skills Training. In her supervision work, Nicole emphasizes the importance of identifying and staying true to your values to best serve others. It is so reinforcing when others begin to recognize the beauty in behavior analysis, and how our methods can help individuals better navigate the world, advocate for themselves, and achieve their personal goals.
-
Courtney became a BCBA in 2017 and has over 10 years of experience working with the neurodiverse population, ages 6 months to 18 years. Her journey began when she worked as a behavior therapist and early interventionist in 2011. The introduction to ABA and the opportunity to work with the neurodiverse population got her hooked! Her primary role as a BCBA was working with the families of autistic children to target increasing skills, identifying positive supports, and improving overall quality of life. Courtney found her true passion in teaching and coaching parents in implementing strategies to support their child, while feeling empowered and more connected. Through the years of working in the field of ABA, Courtney has collaborated with speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, mental health professionals, caregivers, teachers, funding sources, and endless school staff, to broaden her scope and understanding of various therapeutic approaches. In 2019, Courtney had her son and realized how empowering it is to have the knowledge of behavioral sciences, in parenting. Becoming a parent further shaped her caring and compassionate approach to behavior-teaching procedures while instilling autonomy, independence and confidence.
Statement on ABA
We believe Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a powerful framework for understanding and supporting human behavior—one that, when used ethically and compassionately, can spark real, meaningful, and lasting change. We tailor our approach to each individual, ensuring our support is not only effective but also respectful, empowering, and human at its core. We recognize the harm that can result from the misapplication of ABA and are committed to moving the field forward through ongoing reflection, learning, and training. Through our content, we also aim to debunk misinformation and provide clear, accurate insights to better serve those seeking evidence-based support for themselves or their loved ones.