Our Team
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Melissa V. Ruge holds a B.S. in Psychology, a B.A. in Behavioral Biology, and an M.Ed. in Special Education. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 22 years experience working with children and their families in schools, clinics, and homes. She specializes in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data necess
Melissa V. Ruge holds a B.S. in Psychology, a B.A. in Behavioral Biology, and an M.Ed. in Special Education. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 22 years experience working with children and their families in schools, clinics, and homes. She specializes in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data necessary for professional research and behavioral planning. Melissa is a skilled workshop trainer for parents, autism support groups, therapy teams, teachers, and school divisions regarding ABA program
development and implementation. She has a passion for challenging staff at all levels to implement ABA with a sense of urgency, maximum skill, and utmost benefit to children. Mentorship under Dr. Vincent Carbone, Ed.D., BCBA-D and Tamara Kasper, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA.
Melissa's professional passions include:
BCBA Skills Training
Fluency Based Procedures
Program Analysis
Curriculum Development
Barriers Analysis and Training to Success
Parent Skills Training
Language Acquisition
Functional Communication
Training Team Building
Community Collaboration for Accessibility to Client Learner Environments
Laura Carpenter, BCBA
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Laura is another of Connecting Bridges amazing BCBA's. After working with ABA in home, clinic, community, and school settings, she aspires to continue finding places in need and spreading awareness of the good ABA can do. Her favorite thing about ABA is I love showing people that we can improve quality of life for learners using kindness
Laura is another of Connecting Bridges amazing BCBA's. After working with ABA in home, clinic, community, and school settings, she aspires to continue finding places in need and spreading awareness of the good ABA can do. Her favorite thing about ABA is I love showing people that we can improve quality of life for learners using kindness, natural consequences, and least-restrictive practices over punishment. I also love showing that when we let the learners lead before we try to teach them, they teach us so much too.
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Kristin Robson, BCBA
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Kristin Robson, BCBA
Kristin is one of Connecting Bridges fabulous BCBA's. Her biggest objective is to simply leave an environment where I have worked better than how she found it, and to inspire those around me to learn more about applied behavior analysis.
Kristin favorite thing about ABA is that she loves being part of improving the world for the children,
Kristin is one of Connecting Bridges fabulous BCBA's. Her biggest objective is to simply leave an environment where I have worked better than how she found it, and to inspire those around me to learn more about applied behavior analysis.
Kristin favorite thing about ABA is that she loves being part of improving the world for the children, families and school-based staff she have worked with. She really enjoy working with adults who provide services directly to children and helping them feel more confident in their jobs each day. "If I can help an
adult change their behavior, I hope I’m having an impact on their life, and the lives they touch long after
I have left that environment, and that is exciting to me!"
Elle Jennings, BCaBA
Melissa Ruge, M.Ed., BCBA - Owner
Kristin Robson, BCBA
Elle is a BCaBA with Connecting Bridge who helps facilitate social skill development and behavior modification and intervention. Elle aspires to continue to grow in her knowledge in the field and to finish her fieldwork hours to become a BCBA. She enjoys the early intervention and social skills development side of her job as it allows he
Elle is a BCaBA with Connecting Bridge who helps facilitate social skill development and behavior modification and intervention. Elle aspires to continue to grow in her knowledge in the field and to finish her fieldwork hours to become a BCBA. She enjoys the early intervention and social skills development side of her job as it allows her to analyze different interactions with young kids and give them the skills to communicate clearly and effectively. One of her favorite things about ABA is seeing the progress of the kids and helping families learn the tools to best help with their children's needs.
Tisha Allen
Trey Childress
Chelsea Britt
Tisha is currently one of our amazing RBT's! She loves the ABA field so much! She is passionate about helping our students and their families. She aspires to continue to grow and learn as much as she can to continue to help students in the best way possible.
Chelsea Britt
Trey Childress
Chelsea Britt
Chelsea currently serves as one of Connecting Bridges RBT's who aspires to continue to grow in the ABA field. Her desire to learn and grow is very apparent in her interactions with clients and coworkers. She loves being able to teach kiddos how to communicate and advocate for themselves. As well as seeing their progress is so rewarding.
Trey Childress
Trey Childress
Trey Childress
Trey is currently one of Connecting Bridges RBT's. He has aspirations to continue to grow in his education within the field of ABA and become a BCBA. Trey's favorite thing about ABA is that He loves seeing the growth our kiddos make over time and also the happiness on their families faces after telling/showing them all the hard work their children do.
Destiny Howard
Trey Childress
Trey Childress
Destiny is one of Connecting Bridges fabulous RBT's. She has been using all of her knowledge that she has obtained to gain more understanding of children, and how to problem solve out of each individual. As of right now she aspires is to work hard so she can be an Art therapist for kids, and young adults because we all need guidance and s
Destiny is one of Connecting Bridges fabulous RBT's. She has been using all of her knowledge that she has obtained to gain more understanding of children, and how to problem solve out of each individual. As of right now she aspires is to work hard so she can be an Art therapist for kids, and young adults because we all need guidance and she want to be part of more children's success. Destiny loves ABA therapy because she feel part of something bigger than herself! She get to see progress and success not only in the lives of her kids but their parents too. It's striking to watch how impactful ABA therapy is, and she has become more inspired when she see trails go from baseline to mastered.
Gabriel (Gabby) Perry
Gabriel (Gabby) Perry
Gabriel (Gabby) Perry
Gabby is an amazing RBT on Connecting Bridges team. She is committed to a lifelong goal of promoting the evolution of my skills while working alongside her colleagues, in order to provide the quality service that our children need and deserve. What she loves most about ABA is loving to making a difference in the lives of others. Seeing a
Gabby is an amazing RBT on Connecting Bridges team. She is committed to a lifelong goal of promoting the evolution of my skills while working alongside her colleagues, in order to provide the quality service that our children need and deserve. What she loves most about ABA is loving to making a difference in the lives of others. Seeing a child achieve any milestones, no matter how big or small, is her motivation to keep doing what she loves the most (aba therapy)!