Today we’d like to introduce you to Ko-Nisha Anderson.
Hi Ko-Nisha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in 2016. I was preparing to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University and my goal was to find a job back in the city I lived in, at the time, before leaving campus for good. I also knew I wanted to work with children. I have always been interested in childhood development. So naturally, I applied for positions that required the use of my degree and the ability to work with pediatric-aged children. I had no experience or knowledge of the field when I applied but I did have experience with working with a child on the autism spectrum, due to a previous job. Shortly after applying, I was working my first ABA job as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), This is where I received my RBT, of course, and this company also inspired me to continue on in the field of ABA. In late 2016, I decided that I wanted to continue on my educational journey with goals of owning my own practice. I received my Masters of Arts in Special Education from Ball State University in 2018, That degree opened many doors, with the main one being able to test for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam. When I got approved to take the BCBA exam, many things within my personal life became difficult. At the beginning of 2019, I lost my mother to cancer. I was also scheduled to take my Boards Exam in May, only 2-3 months following her death. I grieved more than I studied during that time and I’ll be honest I did not pass the exam the first time I took it. I wasn’t sad afterward either, I knew what life had just handed me and I took it as a chance to “get a feel” of the test versus beating myself up about something I couldn’t change. I quickly reapplied to take the Boards Exam again and the second time was the charm. I passed! From there, I spent about a year continuing to learn more about the practice of ABA as well as the business side of things. In October 2020, I started Center for Success and Beyond (CSB/ CSB Therapy) started as an in-home and community-based therapy company. However, owning a center location had always been my dream. After operating as an in-home therapy provider for over a year, CSB opened its doors to the first location in the Southwest area of Houston.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No. There are moments when things are going smoothly, of course. I believe to actually learn those valuable lessons of business, things have to be rough and/or uncomfortable at times. The first struggle and the hardest, that I still deal with is losing my mother. Not having her around when she was a lot of my motivation and reason why, is hard. Another struggle was not quickly seeing the return on the investment. I had to be dedicated at all times, even when it was easier said than done. I had to grow personally for this entrepreneur journey and I’m still growing. Lastly, realizing patience is truly a virtue.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Center for Success and Beyond provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. We service children ages 2-16 who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We create individualized treatment plans are centered around your child’s needs and family needs and tailored specifically for your child, however below is a list of commonly targeted areas:
Imitation
Social Skills
Communication Skills
Self-Help Skills
School Readiness
Behavior Reduction
Toilet Training
Basic Living Skills
We believe it’s important to have consistency across therapy goals and in doing so, our BCBAs regularly communicate with each child’s therapy team members, including (but not limited to):
Parents and/or other caregivers
Speech Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Physical Therapist
Social Workers
Teachers
Therapy is offered in our center as well as in-home to generalize skills and maximum opportunities to teach age-appropriate skills. Our goal is to give your child all the tools to feel comfortable in their community, school, and home. We pride ourselves on using play-based, naturalistic strategies to teach children and create positive therapeutic relationships.
Any big plans?
CSB’s plans for the future are major. I want the Center for Success and Beyond to expand throughout Texas. We’ll soon be offering other therapies within our center to allow clients the opportunity to receive all the needed help in one building.
Contact Info:
- Website: Centerforsuccesstherapy.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/csbtherapy
- Facebook: Facebook.com/csbtherapy
