Our Passion / Our Team / Testimonials
At Steps Therapy, your child’s program is led by a team of highly educated, talented and dedicated professionals.
Our team of caring professionals come together from a wide range of backgrounds and are committed to excellence in service.
Lisa Wade, M.S., BCBA
Executive Director/Founder
Founder and Executive Director, Lisa Wade, has a longtime passion for working with children, which led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in special education, with a focus on early childhood education. She obtained her board certification in behavior analysis through Rutgers University in 2006. Lisa has over two decades of experience working with children with special needs. Her vast experience includes various positions such as teaching in a variety of classrooms, providing supervision for home-based programming and being the ABA Director for a large New York City agency. The inspiration for Steps Therapy came from her passion to provide the highest quality programming to those in need of education and behavioral services. Lisa designs, implements and supervises behavior intervention programs, conducts parent and staff training, and conducts workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area and the New York metropolitan area. Lisa is a mom of three who loves spending time with her family and friends.
Johanna Ploude, MA, BCBA
Regional Clinical Director
Johanna Ploude is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has been practicing in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for 19 years. A graduate of San Francisco State University, Johanna received her Master’s Degree and teaching credential in Mild/Moderate Disabilities (K-12). Initially having a desire to be a teacher, Johanna felt that she could make more of an impact focusing specifically on individuals with Autism, their learning differences, and coaching others to understand this type of learner. After working intensively in the field, she attended Pennsylvania State University to pursue her coursework and board certification in Applied Behavior Analysis. Johanna has been a part of the Steps Therapy team for 13 years, and is continually motivated by the dynamic team of professionals and growth of the organization. Johanna is passionate about working and partnering with families through the Early Intervention process, in addition to working with administrators and educators to strengthen individual and classroom programs. In her spare time, she can be found hiking trails in Northern California, or exploring hidden spots to eat in San Francisco.
Candice Berkebile, MA, BCBA
Clinical Director/Director of Professional Development & Training
Initially introduced to ABA in Dallas, Candice entered this field in 2006 and never turned back. Across the past fifteen years, Candice has worked closely with students between the ages of 2 and 10 in a variety of settings. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education with an Early Childhood emphasis and has strong interests in early intervention, assistive communication technology, classroom management, and application of ABA to students with complex social and behavioral needs. She spends her days in classrooms and homes across the Bay Area, collaborating with parents and teachers to help create individualized, effective learning environments. When not at work, Candice enjoys being with her dogs and trying out new restaurants.
Eva Sheridan, M.Ed., BCBA
Clinical Director
Eva completed her Masters in Education at Arizona State University, and is now a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She started her career in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in 2012, and has experience working with children and adolescents across professional settings. Eva has a strong passion for early intervention and increasing verbal behavior. When Eva is not at work, she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, and exploring as much of the Bay Area as possible with friends.
Clare Rock, MA, BCBA
Associate Clinical Director
Clare received a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Early Childhood Development from UC Berkeley. She is currently completing behavior analytic coursework at Florida Institute of Technology, while simultaneously enrolled in the Early Childhood graduate program at San Francisco State University. Her experience as a first grade teacher’s aide, camp counselor, mentor, and tutor have greatly fostered her passion for early intervention. Since entering the field of ABA, Clare has enjoyed applying her passion to both home and classroom settings. She continually feels grateful for all that her Steps’ families have taught her. Outside of work, Clare enjoys camping, hiking and spending time at the beach.
Kayla Derby, M.S., BCBA
Program Director/Behavior Analyst
Kayla received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Washington in 2015 where she worked as a research assistant in the UW Autism Center on Human Development and Disability. After graduation, she worked as a teacher serving 15-21 year old’s at the NYC Autism Charter School, a school dedicated to serving students with autism. Kayla received a Master of Science in special education with a focus in severe disabilities from Johns Hopkins University in 2020. She is currently in the process of completing her BCAB coursework through Texas A&M and gathering supervision hours to be able to sit for exam. In her free time, Kayla loves spending time with her family and friends, watching documentaries, and hiking in Point Reyes.
Kristi Lui, M.S., BCBA
Behavior Analyst
Kristi is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis. Kristi was first introduced to ABA in 2016. Since then, Kristi has developed a passion for working with children and creating individualized plans as a registered behavior technician and program supervisor. She was born and raised in San Francisco and greatly looks forward to working with families in her hometown. In her free time, Kristi enjoys rock climbing, playing volleyball, and playing board games.
Lacey Parodi-Cabral, M.S., BCBA
Behavior Analyst
Lacey received her Master of Science in Psychology and is a practicing Behavior Analyst. She comes to Steps Therapy with 3 years of experience in the field, with a focus on providing parent training and consultation to families. Early intervention, and providing high quality, naturalistic teaching is a passion of Lacey’s. When not developing programs and training families, Lacey enjoys watching sports and baking.
Alexa Smith, MA, BCBA
Program Director/Behavior Analyst
Alexa began her career with Steps Therapy in 2017 upon graduating from University of La Verne with her BA in Child Development. Working with children has always been a passion of hers, but once she joined the Steps team, she quickly discovered her love for ABA. She is a recent graduate of SFSU, earning her Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Mild to Moderate Disabilities. She continues to find joy in her everyday work as she closely supports families and children in reaching their individual goals. In Alexa’s spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, watching sports, staying active, and spending time with family and friends!
Jasmine Turcios, MS, BCBA
Program Director/Behavior Analyst
Jasmine received her B.A in Psychology and Criminal Justice from San Francisco State University. She’s recently completed her behavior analytic coursework at the Florida Institute of Technology. Jasmine began working with kids in 2020 and quickly discovered her passion for teaching and ABA. During Jasmine’s free time she enjoys hiking, spending times with her dogs and crocheting.
Abigael Scarborough, RBT
Program Director
Abigael graduated from San Francisco State with a Bachelors of Science in Speech Language and Hearing Science. She is currently enrolled at Florida Institute of Technology working towards her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has been working in the field of ABA since 2016, and in her free time she likes attending concerts and hiking with friends.
Alyssa Ilsey
Program Director In-Training
Alyssa graduated from UC Davis in 2021, where she received a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at Florida Institute of Technology. She has worked as a Registered Behavior Technician for three years and continues to find joy in connecting with her clients and helping them meet their goals. Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys reading and exploring the Bay Area.
Amber Wong
Program Director In-Training
Amber received her B.A in Child and Adolescent Development from San Jose State University. She was initially interested in being a preschool Special Education teacher. However, she had the opportunity to work in the field and apply the skills and knowledge she learned while pursuing her higher education. Throughout those experiences, Amber discovered her passion for ABA. She hopes to contribute to future research in the field one day. She is currently completing coursework at Florida Institute of Technology to obtain her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and become a BCBA! In her free time, Amber enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and going to concerts.
Abigail Miranda
Human Resources Coordinator
Abigail received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. She has over a year of experience in Human Resources and is currently working on attaining her SHRM specialty certification. Originally from San Francisco, Abigail enjoys going to Giants games and loves reading in her freetime.
Lauren Delfin
Scheduling Coordinator
Lauren received her B.A. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Cal State University Fullerton and has been working with youth for three years at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She has a passion for working with children and their families in order to provide them with the services they need to thrive. In Lauren’s spare time, she enjoys drawing, writing, and playing video games with her friends and family.
