Heather Cantillo, M.A.

Heather is the Program Director of Elite ABA Services, and mother to a child on the spectrum. Her child was diagnosed at age 13 months in 2010 at Knights of Columbus at Cardinal Glennons in St. Louis. There was very little research and resources on Autism 12 years ago and almost no programs for a child diagnosed so young. She is a firm believer in being your child's best advocate and never taking no as an answer. She fought hard for intense ABA services (16 hours a week), OT, and enrollment at First Steps despite his young age. Finally, at age 3 Rylan started saying words and progress continued. Today, Rylan is almost 13 years old and thanks to fantastic teachers, ABA therapists, speech therapy, occupational therapists, and a well-constructed IEP at her child’s school, he participates in his regular 7th-grade classes more than 85% of the time and is thriving academically.

Heather has an M.A. degree in English and has owned several businesses. She has successfully owned two companies, worked as an Executive Director for a radio station, and has over 18+ years of experience in Business and Program Management. She also worked for a residential center for people with disabilities for 4+ years. Having a child with specific needs has also contributed heavily in understanding the fundamentals of having an effective ABA team and tailored plan to fit your child's needs.

Additionally, Heather has on-site experience implementing behavior plans with clients, patients, and parents. She has created several parent training courses (available online), teaches RBT courses, and understands the world of applied behavior analysis in-depth.