© Copyright by BTS
Founder & Executive Director, Behavioral Teaching Solutions
Belle Stikeleather is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the Founder & Executive Director of Behavioral Teaching Solutions (BTS), a leading organization dedicated to empowering neurodivergent individuals, families, and professionals through ethical, evidence-based behavioral strategies.
With nearly a decade of international experience across the U.S., the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Africa, and the Middle East, Belle has worked with diverse cultures and underserved communities, providing training, consultation, and program development to enhance opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Now based in Florida, she remains committed to bridging gaps between clinical practice and real-world applications, ensuring inclusive opportunities for those who need them most.
As a lifelong learner, Belle is deeply curious and innovative, integrating strengths-based and constructional approaches, including Israel Goldiamond’s Constructional Approach, into her work. She was profoundly influenced by her mentor, Vicci Tucci, whose dedication to equitable education and behavioral support for underserved populations shaped Belle’s commitment to continuing her legacy.
Through Spectrum Speaks Florida, an initiative of BTS, Belle is pioneering efforts to create employment pathways for neurodivergent adults, educate communities, and build sustainable support networks. Her approach is deeply collaborative, working with organizations, educators, and employers to foster meaningful inclusion and ensure that neurodivergent individuals can thrive in professional and community settings.
Belle’s expertise extends beyond Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) into coaching, skill development, and advocacy for equitable opportunities. She is a sought-after speaker, mentor, and consultant, recognized for her dedication to creating lasting, impactful change in the lives of neurodivergent individuals and their families.
Aaron is a neurodivergent creator, advocate, and lifelong learner with passions for technology, language, and music.
Diagnosed in high school with what was then called Asperger’s Syndrome, he wasn’t informed until college due to concerns about being burdened with too many labels. While he understands their reasoning, he disagrees, believing that earlier knowledge of his autism might have helped him navigate academic challenges. He was also diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, though not full-blown OCD-traits that, in hindsight, closely align with autism.
Aaron holds a B.A. in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University and a B.S. in Cybersecurity from the University of South Florida. Passionate about politics, philosophy, and bridging communication gaps between neurotypical and neurodivergent communities, he is also a skilled programmer in Rust and Lua with working knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Spanish. A classically trained composer and arranger, Aaron explores music as both a form of self-expression and a tool for communication.
His journey reflects resilience, self-discovery, and advocacy-embracing neurodiversity while using his talents to inspire and empower others.
• Learn more about Aaron at his website: https://aaronfreed.github.io
Sarah Selvaggi Hernandez is an Autistic Deaf author, educator, occupational therapist, and international speaker. She was also the first openly Autistic person elected to serve in the United States government at any level. Sarah is passionate about occupational science, sensory processing and mental wellness, and positive disability identity. She runs the popular social media site The Autistic OT and is currently joining the autistic community’s effort to #StopTheShock used as aversives at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, MA. Sarah also serves on the advisory council of Disability Rights CT. Sarah can be found happy-flapping with her family in Enfield, CT, USA.
Vicci Tucci – My Guiding Light
As I write this, my heart is loaded with sorrow and gratitude. I pay tribute to Vicci Tucci, my mentor and my dear friend, who was a guiding influence who forever changed my life. She was not just a pioneer in the educational world; she was a compass for individuals seeking learning opportunities, including mine.
My path first intersected with Vicci’s in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During one of her classroom observations and visits to my classroom, I was among the first to implement the Competent Learner Model (CLM) Program in the Middle East. That pivotal moment set the course for a future I could barely imagine—one where my passion for education would be nurtured and my potential fully realized under her mentorship.
Beyond the professional sphere, Vicci (with her wife, Ruth) was a family. They made a foreign land feel like home, filling my days with laughter and comfort. My professional voyage bears the hallmark of Vicci’s influence. Being a founder of organizations that embody the same spirit of inclusivity and empowerment that Vicci championed, to the privilege of serving as one of her CLM certified coaches and a clinical director at
Tucci Learning Solutions in Monterey, California region, her character of service, generosity, and compassion has been a guiding light to me.
My educational journey, grounded in degrees from the Philippines and furthered by my work in behavior analysis, has always been driven by a commitment to lifelong learning—a value that Vicci exemplified and instilled in many of us. I carry Vicci’s legacy with me, aspiring to bring the force of behavioral analysis to underserved parts of the world.
Vicci’s confidence in me was transformative, igniting a passion that would extend beyond my life to touch countless others. Her mentorship was a collection of encouragement, wisdom, and steadfast support, winding through the challenges of my early days in the UAE to the impactful work I am engaged in today. Each life that is changed through behavioral science carries a piece of Vicci’s vision.
Though we mourn Vicci Tucci’s passing, we also celebrate the enduring resonance of her life’s work. Her dedication to fostering competency in education and compassion for learners worldwide continues to guide and motivate us. The beacon she lit shines on, illuminating the path for future generations.
Vicci’s story—my story—continues to unfold. Vicci’s journey may have reached its peaceful conclusion, but the direction she created is constantly dynamic, evolving, and expanding. Her legacy is our proclamation, and in her remembrance, we press on, uplifted by her contributions, that the world is indeed a better place because of Vicci.
Belle Stikeleather
February 21, 2024