Our Team
Autism From The Start® is proud of their credible staff of highly educated individuals who have dedicated their lives and professional studies to Autism. Please take a moment and get to know the team.
Executive Team
DR. MICHELLE MACRORIE, FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGIST
Michelle Macrorie approaches the world with the mind of a dreamer and the heart of a mother. Her happy place is spending time with her two teenage kids and husband…anywhere…anytime. She also loves her butterfly garden, long walks, and chocolate.
In 1999, Michelle earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology. She went on to spend years conducting developmental evaluations for young children which blossomed into a deep passion for, and specialization in, Autism. Given the marked needs that exist for these families, Michelle set out on a mission to do more….thus was born Autism From The Start®. Michelle took off the hat of psychologist in 2018 and donned the hat of CEO in order to give her full self to growing a strong, professional, compassionate, and thriving company. The results have been remarkable and the best part is that the wonderful journey continues to improve each and every year.
AMY SANNER, CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER, BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Amy Sanner is our “Lead Nerd”, the curator of our craft, and our resident ethics police. She loves research, all things chocolate, her three teenagers, and her super duper hubby (not necessarily in that order). Since 1996, Amy has enjoyed a varied history of working in the field of ABA that spans a wide range of ages, worldly locations (e.g., Taiwan), and settings.
Amy graduated from the University of Kansas in 2001 with her masters degree in Human Development (the then ABA Department) and has been a BCBA since 2002. Amy joined Autism From the Start® in 2015 and jumped into the role of our Clinical Director in 2018. Since then, she has developed and expanded our Clinical Programs and our Professional Development Programs, thus earning her the coveted role of our Chief Clinical Officer in October, 2021. Amy carries our clinical world on her shoulders and with her strength, wisdom, and experience to lean on, she moves us forward in the right direction each and every day. She is undoubtably the right person in the right seat. We are so fortunate to have her at the clinical helm.
RACHEL FERBEZAR, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Rachel Ferbezar is a beautiful balance of an intellectual, Type-A personality and a sweet, kind, and gracious soul. She and her highschool sweetheart husband are the proud parents of Riley, their dog. Rachel is a dependable worker, a great listener, and a sounding board for all.
A Shawnee-native, she and her husband relocated to Michigan for a time so Rachel could earn a Master’s Degree in ABA from Western Michigan University in 2016. While in graduate school, she specialized in Early Intervention and Organizational Behavior Management and takes a special interest in our youngest children with new diagnoses. She worked as our senior BCBA for years before being promoted into the role of Clinical Director in 2021. Rachel was elevated again to the executive position of Chief Operations Officer in October, 2022 where she can fully shine—utilizing all of her knack for processes and people along with the vision and discipline to help the company grow. She is a rare fine and a gold mine for us!
Directors
ANNIE MARTIN - SHAWNEE CLINICAL DIRECTOR, BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Annie always thought she would grow up to be a doctor, so helping and caring for people has been a natural part of who she is. Luckily, Annie ditched the doctor goal and became a Behavior Analyst. Annie unleashes her creativity through cooking, baking, and painting. Sunlight, trees, and the sound of nature are her happy place; cheesecake is her life; and her two cats have her heart. She was recently engaged and is planning her married life to begin in 2023.
Annie graduated from University of North Texas in 2018 with a Master’s Degree in Behavior Analysis. While in Texas, she focused her studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder, Early Intervention, and aberrant behaviors. After graduating, she made her way back home to Kansas and started her journey as a BCBA. Annie joined Autism From The Start® in early 2020, survived her career launch during a pandemic, and was promoted to Lead BCBA of our Shawnee Children’s House in September, 2022. Go girl, go!
LAUREN DAVIS - LENEXA DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Lauren is our hardworking ‘Steady Eddie’. She is motivated, dependable, consistent, level-headed, and responsible. In 2020, she married a man who loves her to the ends of the earth. Lauren loves him right back along with their two dogs, KU basketball, the Kansas City Chiefs, and children with autism.
Graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in ABA and a minor in Psychology, Lauren has been an integral part of our Autism From The Start® family since April 2017. Two years later, she earned her Master’s Degree in ABA and became one of our rockstar Behavior Analysts (BCBA) in February 2021. In September, 2022 due to an overwhelmingly positive reviews and pleas from the administrative team, Lauren was promoted to Lead BCBA of our Lenexa Children’s House. They are in such good hands now.
SAMANTHA INGRAM - SHAWNEE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Samantha is a dedicated, friendly, easygoing fountain of happiness at Autism From The Start. You can often find her caught up in a good book, creating art, or hiking a new trail. She has a natural ability to connect with, and gain adoration from, any child. She is an avid learner, a consummate professional, and a darn tootin’ nice person.
Samantha graduated in 2011 from the University of Kansas with a degree in Applied Behavioral Science with a focus in early childhood intervention. After working with children in a center-based resource and later while cruising around the world on voyages for children with special needs, she joined our family in early 2019. She completed her Master’s Degree in 2021 and rolled right into passing her board exam in just a few months. Samantha is one of our home-grown BCBAs and you can tell that the AFTS DNA is alive in well in all she does—her skill level, intuition, and clinical acumen are well beyond her years and we couldn’t be more grateful for her.
JESSICA BENNETT - LENEXA CLINICAL DIRECTOR, BEHAVIOR ANALYST
Jessica is a person of great empathy, strength, and love for others. She has a giving nature and selfless spirit that is appreciated by all around her, including her husband of 5 years, Elliott, and her furry family, which includes her dogs Lucy and Jack, and her cat Stanley. Jessica is a prolific reader—often times reading multiple books within one week. When spending time with her loved ones, she enjoys venturing around KC in search of new places to explore, which she hopes will one day become overseas travel.
With a BA in English and Psychology from UMKC and an MA in Professional Behavior Analysis from Florida institute of technology, Jessica was a perfect fit for our team. She has accumulated 12 years of experience in the ABA field, having worked in multiple clinics, schools, and in-home settings before eventually landing at the doorstep of AFTS. Jessica loves leading social groups and helping our children learn functional communication. Our kids enjoy her creativity in every session, and our staff enjoy her warm and caring way she collaborates, teaches, and leads. We are grateful to have her in the AFTS Family!
Administration
Karen is much more than just our talented billing manager—she is a funny, fast paced worker, with deep loyalty and passion. Karen has expertise and talent in working with animals, aesthetics and makeup artistry, as well as photography. In her free time, Karen enjoys working out, traveling, raising her daughter, and caring for her pets.
Karen graduated from the University of Missouri in 1993 and joined the AFTS team in 2018. She now spearheads our Billing Department and keeps this complicated part of the business in check.
SARAH GREGAR, OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Sarah has a wicked sense of humor, an easygoing nature, and a laid-back vibe. She and her husband love to travel and she is a superfan of all things sports. Sarah is the leader of our March Madness Pool, and advocate for Red Fridays (go Chiefs!), and a diehard loyalist to our local sports teams. Her superpower is connecting with people and remembering all of their details.
Sarah graduated from Avila University in 2010 with a degree in Middle School Education. She has worked with children of all ages since 2002 and focused exclusively on children with autism since 2011. She has been part of our Autism From the Start® family since June 2017 and quickly stood out as a leader in our clinical staff. In the fall of 2023, Sarah was promoted to our Human Resources Manager and has kept the ‘people’ part of the business organized and happy. Sarah is a support beam in our structure—we count on her to keep us strong, centered, and totally cool.
Behavior Analysts
Tara is a woman who does it all—she is a caring mother to her daughter, a fun and fabulous partner with her fiancé, and a dependable worker for us at AFTS. When she’s not busy changing the lives of children with autism, you can often find her out having a girl’s day with her daughter, whom she considers to be her twin. She also finds happiness in shopping, binging Lifetime movies, and doing crafts of all sorts. Her hopes and dreams consist of being surrounded by a big, loving family.
Tara attended Pittsburg State University where she earned her undergraduate degree in 2015. While in Pittsburg, she also attended graduate school where she pursued an emphasis in development disabilities, eventually earning her graduate degree in 2019. She worked as a BCBA for three years prior to joining the AFTS family in 2022. Since she joined our team, her super strength and kind soul have impacted the children and adults of AFTS alike.
Morgan is a caring, down to earth, and authentic soul. She wholeheartedly loves her large family, her pets, her boyfriend, and kids. She has nannied, babysat, and worked with children most of her life. From these experiences, she has developed a superpower of being able to read children’s cues, and use humor and play to get the most out of them. Morgan also has wicked organizational and cleaning skills….just a part of her DNA and we love it!
Morgan graduated from the University of Kansas with an undergraduate degree in speech and language and a minor in applied behavioral sciences. She started working with children with autism in the public school system as a para-educator until AFTS scooped her up and hired her as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). While she was a fabulous RBT, Morgan had bigger and better things in mind…she wanted to have more impact and become a BCBA…so she did. Morgan obtained her master’s degree from Arizona State in 2021 and passed her board exam in October, 2022. She is our newest BCBA and perhaps the kindest one we have. She is a true asset to our company and to the children and parents with whom she works.
Clinical Trainers
Intern
KALEIGH
Kaleigh is a dedicated mom of two, an independent thinker, a lover of all things in nature, and a loyal rule follower. We count on her to keep our place safe, to ensure we are adequately caring for the environment, and to share with us a host of random facts.
Kaleigh is a 2012 graduate of the ABA program at the University of Kansas and worked in the field of autism ever since. Kaleigh has been a consistent and dependable figure at Autism From The Start® since the opening of the Children’s House in 2016. She was been a trusted veteran RBT for years and then earned a long-standing role as one of our Program Coordinators. In the fall of 2022, Kaleigh was promoted to Clinical Trainer and all I can say is HALLELUJAH for that! Kaleigh shows up every day with a positive spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude. She is a problem-solver, a motivator, a protector, and steady source of support, humor, and camaraderie. We love her so!
SKYLAR
TARA
Registered Behavior Technicians
LEXI - Clinical Floater
SAM - Program Coordinator
EMILY - Program Coordinator
MEME - Program Coordinator
RATHI - Program Coordinator
BAILEY - Program Coordinator
BROOKE - Program Coordinator
JULIA - Program Coordinator
KARA - Program Coordinator
CARISA - Program Coordinator
SHELBY
SARAH
LEXI
AZUL
BREA - Special Interests Groups Coordinator
MICHAELA
RAELYNN
IZZY
JESSICA
MEGHAN
EMILY - Special Interest Groups Coordinator
SARAH
CIARA
BAYLEE
SEAN
For our employees: https://mrf.healthcarebluebook.com/trustmarksb