About Our Team
William Mauldin, M.S., BCBA, LBA
While growing up, I experienced difficulties with learning and struggled to understand the “one size fits all” approach my teachers used. I realized that I was most successful when I dedicated my attention to topics I was most interested in, and sought support to learn about them in my own way. This allowed me to attend undergraduate school at Mississippi State University and earn a bachelor's degree in Psychology. After graduating, I was interested in gaining further knowledge on the technology of teaching. I worked with individuals with intellectual and emotional delays at a Summer Treatment Program at University of Alabama Birmingham and in a private clinic as a behavioral therapist. Using science to allow individuals to replace their motivation to engage in aggression, self injurious behavior, and major disruption with effective communication was the switch I needed to pursue a Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis in Developmental Disabilities at Auburn University and become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). However, after years of practice as a BCBA I began to realize that the majority of interventions I wrote were built from control and didn’t allow the learners to fully follow their self-motivation. I then began to research, develop, and teach strategies to support learners in gaining control of their own environment in positive ways. After finding success with this approach, I decided to dedicate my professional life to creating behavior intervention technologies that understand and emphasize the value of autonomy. Just like I found success through valuing my own autonomy, it is my mission to allow every individual to find success in similar ways.
Evelyn Reese, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with children. However, with so many options available, I wasn’t sure what type of position in this area would suit me best. I explored many options while majoring in Psychology at Mississippi State. After learning about the field from my brother, William, I became intrigued and decided to pursue a similar career. I attended Vanderbilt University and earned my master’s in Early Childhood Education and Applied Behavior Analysis. After graduating and becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), I worked for four valuable years at a very small company that focused on using ABA to support children in everyday settings, caregiver and teacher training, and training other BCBAs. This opportunity helped me develop a strong sense of autonomy by providing guidance, yet also allowing decision making power when individualizing clients’ treatment plans. Through this autonomous approach, I was able to create treatment plans that challenged traditional ABA techniques and focused on “compassion-based ABA.” Once the pandemic started, I began working at a larger company, where the same levels of autonomy were not provided. Through this experience, I began to understand the importance of increasing autonomy not only in my clients’ lives, but also in my own life. After discussing the value of this philosophy with William, I decided to join GATE ABA and continue the journey of learning to support myself and others in living autonomous lifestyles.