Cardinal Pediatric Therapies

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Parent Support Autism Coach: How Group Family Coaching Helps Families Build Real Progress

Group Family Coaching offers parent support with an autism coach in a guided group setting. Caregivers learn practical strategies for communication, routines, and behavior support, then practice tools that fit real home life. The group format reduces isolation, builds confidence, and helps skills generalize across settings like school and community. Families also learn goal-setting and simple progress tracking, so changes feel measurable and realistic. This approach can complement ABA therapy by improving consistency among caregivers.

How to Deal With Autism Behavior Problems: ABA-Based Strategies That Respect Your Child

This comprehensive guide offers a compassionate and practical approach to managing challenging autism-related behaviors at home. Drawing on effective ABA-based strategies, it delves into identifying common behavioral triggers and clearly distinguishes between a tantrum and an autistic meltdown. The resource is designed to empower parents and caregivers with actionable techniques for de-escalation and equips them with essential, practical skills that can be taught to foster greater independence and emotional regulation in a child on the autism spectrum.

Communication Skills With Autism: Practical ABA Strategies for Everyday Connection

Communication is a fundamental skill that encompasses various forms, including spoken words, physical gestures, visual aids like pictures, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. This comprehensive guide details how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) effectively supports the development of essential communication skills in individuals with autism. ABA achieves this by breaking down complex skills into small, highly functional goals that families and caregivers can easily integrate and practice within their everyday routines, fostering consistent progress and real-world application.

ABA Clinics Should Be Ran by BCBAs, Here’s Why

BCBA-led care helps families get more consistent, ethical, and effective ABA therapy. This article explains why ABA clinics should be ran by BCBAs, including stronger assessment and goal-setting, better supervision of technicians, and faster plan changes when progress stalls. You will learn how BCBAs use data to guide decisions, support skill generalization across home and school, and create behavior plans that teach safer replacement skills. It also includes simple questions to ask when comparing ABA clinics and treatment models.

What Is Parent Training for Autism and How Can It Help Your Child?

Parent training helps caregivers learn evidence-based strategies that support a child with autism across real-life routines, not just in therapy sessions. This guide explains what parent training means in ABA therapy, how it helps skills generalize to home, school, and community settings, and why consistency can reduce frustration for both kids and parents. You will also learn common focus areas like communication supports, daily routines, social learning, and behavior strategies, plus simple ways to start practicing at home in a realistic, repeatable way.

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A Child Doing ABA Therapy

What is ABA Therapy and What Can Your Family Expect?

April 13, 2023

Applied Behavior Analysis, also known as ABA Therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that focuses on the principles of learning and behavior to help individuals develop appropriate behaviors and skills, and reduce challenging behaviors.

Dr. Mike Henderson, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA

Regional Operations Director

North Carolina

Mike Henderson, PhD, LBA, BCBA-D, is the Regional Operations Director at Cardinal Pediatric Therapies. With over two decades of experience in behavior analysis and organizational leadership, he focuses on mentoring teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and excellence in client care. Mike believes strong leadership and supportive systems are essential for helping clients, families, and providers succeed together.

Felicia Freeman

Clinic Manager

I am Felicia Freeman, the Clinic Manager for Cardinal Pediatric Therapies. I have been in ABA for several years now and am passionate about the community that we serve. I started out as an RBT, decided to go the administrative route, and worked my way up to managing clinics. I choose this field every day because I enjoy making a meaningful impact in the lives of our clients and building strong teams that change lives.

Amanda Dean, MA, BCBA, LBA

Johnston County, NC

Amanda graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2018 with her Masters in Psychology. She proceeded to complete her graduate certificate in ABA and became a BCBA in November 2020. Amanda has a passion for behavior reduction, tolerance training and functional communication training. She enjoys spending as much time as she can with her 3 children and husband. When she’s not working, Amanda is very involved in her local Pop Warner Cheerleading program where she is the Assistant Cheer Director and a head coach.

Becky Fronheiser

Operations Director

Arizona

Becky has worked in behavioral health for 7 years. She joined Cardinal in the spring of 2024.  Becky is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a passionate group of people and looks forward to supporting families with their specific ABA needs.  In her personal time, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, 6 kids and 4 grandkids and loves to travel and relax on the beach.

Matthew Wilkinson

Operations Director

Cary, NC

Matthew holds a bachelors degree from the University of Utah, Medical Degree from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and an MBA from Western Governors University. He has worked in the pediatric field for the majority of his professional life and has a passion for helping bring the best care to children in need. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and day trips to the coast.

 

Trisha Iannotta Bieszczad, PsyD., BCBA

Triad, NC

Trisha is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with extensive expertise since 2016 in applying behavior analytic principles to improve the lives of children and adolescents. Her professional journey began with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, emphasizing child and adolescent development. This foundation has equipped her with a deep understanding of psychological theories and practices, which she seamlessly integrates into her work as a BCBA. Outside of her professional endeavors, Trisha enjoys reading, spending time outdoors with her family & trying out new restaurants. Trisha’s dedication to both her career and personal interests reflects her commitment to continual growth and enrichment, both professionally and personally. Her multifaceted background allows her to approach each aspect of her life with a blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and a genuine appreciation for learning and exploration.

Tina Lee

Director of Finance

Tina Lee is the Finance Director for Cardinal with a variety of experience in the Healthcare Industry for over 13 years. She is compassionate and always eager to assist where she can. In the ever-changing Healthcare environment, Tina has played a vital role in putting processes in place to obtain high efficiency outcomes to help our clients get the care they need. Tina enjoys the outdoors and loves spending time with her family.

William Evans

Director of Outreach and Recruitment

William is a UNCW Graduate who started his professional career working in Marketing and Recruiting for a local technology company before looking for an opportunity to take those skills and help others. In his spare time he plays hockey, including annually for the North Carolina Autism Hockey Tournament, which is dedicated to the raising money and awareness for organizations helping local families with children diagnosed with autism.

Alice Okamoto, MA, BCBA, LBA

Chief of Staff

Alice has been with Cardinal for over 4 years and has worn many hats along the way!  Alice has a passion for working with clients and families as a unit, supervising behavior analyst trainees, and collaborating on strategic initiatives to ensure clinical efficiencies.  Alice‘s professional experience began with ABA in a school setting, and has worked in schools, homes, and clinics throughout the years while enjoying collaboration with related providers.  In her free time, Alice enjoys traveling, exploring parks with her dog, Oliver, and trying new restaurants. 

Darrin Miller

CEO

Darrin has dedicated his education and career to the field of behavioral health. As a licensed therapist and master’s in clinical counseling he works to create solutions that improve the lives of those impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder at a local, state, and national level. He strives to create a culture of caring and empathy while innovating solutions for improving families’ access to quality care as quickly as possible.