Crystal A. Harms, M.Ed, BCaBA Founder and Executive Director

As the founder of Behavior Counts Therapy, Crystal A. Harms oversees daily operations and a 55-member staff.  She primarily works with school districts to craft support programs for children with developmental and behavioral disorders and trains faculty to implement those plans.  She also provides one-on-one counseling and tailored reading instruction to children with autism spectrum disorders.  Crystal serves as or supervises the lead consultant on every Behavior Counts case, and closely follows each client’s unique experience and development. Crystal earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis in 1994, and a master’s degree in special education in 2001 from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania — a nationally renowned program in which she later taught as an adjunct professor.  She became a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst in 1997 in Florida, where certification in the field originated.  She is a charter certificant of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s national program and has served on the organization’s board of directors since March 2006.  Crystal has also been certified by New Jersey as a teacher of the handicapped since 2004. Throughout her career, Crystal has worked as a behavior analyst, teacher, program director and learning consultant in public and private facilities and in homes.  She has treated children with autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and many other conditions, working in partnership with their parents and educators.  Her expertise has been recognized with honors including the Behavior Change Success Award from the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis and the Star Award from the Autism Society of America.  Most recently, she helped write the only two grants awarded in Burlington County under Gov. Jon Corzine’s Autism Initiative for 2007-08, which created regional classrooms for children with autism in public school districts.  Crystal is now providing training and consultation to Burlington County’s winning districts, Moorestown and Mansfield. She lives in Lumberton with her husband, son, daughter and two dogs. Jennifer Snow Office Manager Jennifer Snow is the public face of Behavior Counts Therapy.  The main contact for parents and the first person visitors meet when they enter the office, Jennifer also answers phones, files and handles daily business communications. Sensitive to the stress and grief that parents of disabled children can sometimes experience, Jennifer often takes their phone calls or text messages after business hours and on weekends. A graduate of Triton Regional High School in Runnemede and the Prism Career Institute, where she earned a certification in business administration, Jennifer was not familiar with autism or other developmental or behavioral disorders before she began working at Behavior Counts Therapy in mid-2005.  Since then, the Bellmawr resident and single mother of one son has learned some helpful parenting techniques by watching her colleagues work with children. Jennifer prides herself on ensuring that the Behavior Counts office runs smoothly, and she feels especially good when she makes a parent happy. Karen Meredith Director of ABA Consultation Karen Meredith trains Behavior Counts Therapy instructors to implement in-school support plans for children with developmental and behavioral disorders.  In addition to creating some of the materials used with those children, Karen monitors the progress of the school-based programs, offers guidance to faculty and trains parents to use complementary techniques at home.  She conducts functional behavioral assessments on children and helps to train Behavior Counts instructors by demonstrating appropriate behavioral and teaching techniques for children. A Moorestown resident, Karen joined the staff of Behavior Counts Therapy in late 2005, changing the course of her career.  A TV and radio advertising sales representative for 10 years, Karen learned to instruct special-needs children as she worked at home with her identical twin boys, who were born in 1997 and have autism spectrum disorder.  In order to give them the best instruction she could, she took the coursework necessary to become an associate behavior analyst and earned her certification in 2004.  The recipient of a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts sciences from the University of Kansas, Karen employs her business experience to work efficiently and effectively with school districts.  She enjoys writing programs that help children remain in their district schools and teach them to effectively express their wants and needs. Steffany Miller, BCaBA Consultant Steffany Miller is responsible for training parents and fellow staff members to implement at-home behavior intervention plans and language-based educational programs for children enrolled with Behavior Counts Therapy.  She also conducts functional behavioral assessments on children, monitors the collection of data about the success of her home-based programs, and models effective techniques for Behavior Counts instructors by demonstrating with children. Before joining Behavior Counts Therapy in early 2006, Steffany was self-employed for six years as a consultant and an instructor of children with autism and other developmental and behavioral disorders.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers University and is board certified as an associate behavior analyst. Steffany had been planning a career in forensic psychology until she met and began working with a 4-year-old autistic boy in 1999.  He inspired her to switch her focus to behavior analysis, and since then the Blackwood resident has found great satisfaction in helping children, parents and fellow staff members to realize their maximum potential. Joann Masterson Director of Art Interactions Joann Masterson’s primary responsibilities are as director of Art Interactions, an innovative course designed to give children who lack expressive or receptive language the chance to participate in art classes that improve their fine and gross motor skills, social skills and peer interactions and help desensitize them to overwhelming sensory experiences.  She also trains Behavior Counts instructors to implement behavior intervention plans and creates and refines teaching materials. During her years in the field, Joann has instructed children with developmental and behavioral disorders, trained instructors to implement programs and overseen student art programs in a day-care setting.  She earned an associate’s degree in art therapy/art education from Burlington County Community College in 1995 and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers University in 1997.  Joann has been with Behavior Counts Therapy since late 2004. Her interest in working with children with behavioral disorders was sparked when she was 5 and became friends with a boy with autism, often sticking up for him when he was teased by other youngsters.  She remembered the boy when a college professor suggested that she consider a career in behavior analysis, and soon began working with special-needs children and their families.  Today, Joann relishes the sense of pride her art students take in their work and enjoys watching them learn new skills. A Hainesport resident, Joann is engaged and has a houseful of pets including a snake, a snail, two birds, two turtles and a cat.  When she’s not working, she enjoys sewing, making mosaics, scrapbooking, painting and sculpting with polymer clay. Rebecca O’Brien Junior Consultant Rebecca O’Brien trains instructors at Behavior Counts Therapy to implement behavior intervention plans.  As part of that job, she creates Social Stories — simple explanations about why certain behaviors are appropriate — that instructors can use when interacting with children.  She also develops program content, models appropriate techniques for instructors by demonstrating with children, and makes weekly visits to clients’ homes to supervise instructors and train parents in teaching techniques. Rebecca was inspired to pursue a career in behavior analysis at a Florida day-care center, where she worked with two children who exhibited symptoms of autism.  The children responded very well to her, but not to others. As someone with dyslexia, Rebecca felt she had an intimate understanding of how children with nontraditional learning styles functioned and processed information.  As a result, she sought out additional opportunities to work with autistic youngsters while she was at Rowan University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology and the Specialization in Behavioral Services for Children and their Families. Rebecca joined Behavior Counts Therapy in early 2005 after completing the coursework necessary to become an associate behavior analyst, and has found it deeply rewarding to help children gain awareness of the world around them.  She also enjoys a high level of support and communication from her colleagues that she credits with fostering her professional development. A Philadelphia resident, Rebecca devotes her nonworking hours to her husband, her two standard poodles and her church. Joan Yesner Director of Social Skills Training “Miss Joan” is responsible for developing and teaching weekly, hour-long Social Skills classes to small groups of children matched by age and skill level, whether they are on the autism spectrum, have other developmental disorders or simply need help learning social cues and playing successfully with friends.  Joan uses concrete methods including crafts projects, stories and role modeling to teach skills that children can apply in their daily lives, such as turn-taking, sharing, winning and losing, game playing, being a friend and interpreting facial expressions. Joan also works as an in-home therapist for young children with developmental delays and has taught kindergarten and pre-kindergarten enrichment at the Cherry Hill JCC since 1999.  Before joining Behavior Counts Therapy in early 2006, she taught Social Skills at another facility and wrote about children’s issues for a parenting newsletter.  The recipient of a bachelor’s degree in English and economics from Rutgers College, Joan is certified as a teacher in New Jersey and recently completed the coursework to become a Certified Associate Behavior Analyst.  She regularly attends workshops on child development and behavior intervention techniques. Joan first encountered a child with autism in a general education classroom while she was studying to become a teacher, and she found she was able to interact unusually well with him.  Later, at the JCC, she taught more children with autism, and their parents and therapists encouraged her to become a behavior analyst.  At Behavior Counts, Joan is thrilled at how quickly her students absorb and use new social skills, and appreciates the gratitude their parents express. A Cherry Hill resident, she spends her off hours with her husband, her three children and her three dogs. Featured Employee of the Month Kate Wark Direct Instructor Kate Wark teaches behavioral skills to special-needs children in their homes and schools.  Most recently, she has been working exclusively with five autistic children who range in age from 3 to 10. Kate joined the staff of Behavior Counts Therapy in April 2007, a month before she graduated from Rutgers University in Camden with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  She’s currently considering whether to pursue a graduate degree in education or earn her certification as an associate behavior analyst. One of Kate’s first opportunities to interact with special-needs children came when she served as an intern at Behavior Counts Therapy the year before she graduated.  The experience left her certain that she wanted a career in the field.  Kate also has worked one-on-one with students in a Sunday-school class for children with developmental and behavioral disorders. While her work at Behavior Counts Therapy can be emotionally and physically challenging, it also brings rewards: the satisfaction of seeing her students make progress and the knowledge that she’s offering support and hope to families. A Riverton resident, Kate relaxes by doing Pilates and spending time with her dog.