Phoenix &
Tucson Area
ABA Therapy

Julianne McKenzie is AST’s Clinical Director in Arizona. She leads a team of Supervisors and Behavior Interventionists serving families in and around the Phoenix area. During her undergraduate education, Julianne served as an Academic Advisor and ADA Coordinator (Americans with Disabilities Act) and developed a passion for helping individuals with disabilities access resources to support their independence. Julianne received her master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University. Julianne is a Licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has worked with individuals with autism for over 10 years. Julianne specializes in advanced social programming, including cognition and executive functioning, and has extensive experience working with young adult populations participating in transitional and vocational services.

Christina Ricciardelli is AST’s Assistant Clinical Director in the Phoenix, Arizona region. She leads a team of BCBAs and Behavior Technicians serving families in and around the Phoenix region. Christina studied at Arizona State University for her undergraduate degree, where she first became interested in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and quickly realized how much she liked working with families. Christina then received her master’s degree in ABA from the Florida Institute of Technology. Christina is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has worked with individuals with autism for 13 years. Christina has been with AST for the last seven years, fulfilling the roles of technician, trainer, supervisor, and now Assistant Clinical Director. She enjoys supervising and working with graduate students who are preparing to obtain their BACB certification, and she is actively involved in their supervision.

Dr. Daneshvar received her Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from Claremont Graduate University with a concentration in behavioral treatment of developmental disabilities. Dr. Daneshvar is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral. She has presented at numerous state and national conferences and authored articles for peer-reviewed journals in addition to co-authoring a chapter in Whalen’s Real Life, Real Progress for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2009). Prior to joining AST in 2006, Dr. Daneshvar worked at several organizations in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Daneshvar is an active member in the autism community, having previously served on the Autism Society of America’s San Diego Chapter as a member of the Board of Directors and Director of the Research Committee. In addition she has served as a Guest Grant Reviewer for Autism Speaks and a Guest Reviewer for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (2014). Dr. Daneshvar has taught graduate level courses at California State University, Fullerton and currently teaches and supervises master’s students at San Diego State University. Dr. Daneshvar is a licensed psychologist in California (PSY #28358).